How to Become a Nurse
As a nurse, you’ll work with other health care professionals for the care and treatment of ill or injured patients, treatment for emergency situations, and assistance with the health maintenance of healthy patients. A nurse also does medical research, nursing research and other functions needed for the delivery of health care.
Governments regulate the nursing profession to protect the public. Governments also have the mandate to dictate what educational background is required to attain the position of a professional and certified nurse.
Nursing Levels
Generally, there are five types of nursing levels depending on the educational attainment of the individual nurse as well as specialization. They are:
Licensed Practical Nurses. LPNs perform simple and complex medical procedures and must operate under the supervision of a registered nurse or a physician. LPNs can administer medications, manage and implement wound care, take measurements of vital signs, maintain patient record and collect samples for lab testing.
Registered Nurses. RNs implement the nursing practice through the prescribed nursing process that works with other health care professionals.
Advanced Practice Nurse. APNs are RNs with an advanced education, knowledge and practice.
Clinical Nurse Specialist. CNSs are clinical experts in the field of diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. They also deliver nursing interventions and also provide their clinical expertise to improve programs of care.
Nurse Practictioner. NPs are registered nurses who have specific advanced nursing education or a master’s degree with training in diagnosis and management of both complex and simple medical conditions.
High School Education
Again, depending on your country’s government regulations, you have different options when becoming a nurse. For the US, there are a number of ways. First, you need to have a high school diploma. It’s recommended that you take particular courses while in high school, such as biology, algebra, physics, chemistry and some standard English classes. It’s best that you inquire at potential colleges or universities about their requirements for incoming nursing students.
Aside from the academic requirements, your school will check the suitability of your temperament for the nursing profession. Your grade point average will also be considered.
You’ll be required to take an entrance exam to gauge your aptitude and readiness for the rigorous academic load for Nursing students.
Nursing Courses
There are four ways to attain a degree or a diploma for Nursing and they are:
Bachelor of Science Nursing. Similar to any bachelor’s degree, the Bachelor of Science Nursing degree is typically completed in four years in most community colleges and universities. Having this degree is also the most recommended because without a BS Nursing degree, you may not advance to a Master’s program in Nursing, which in turn will lead to a more specialized nursing position or management.
Associate’s Degree. This program spans around two to three years in many junior and community colleges, and offers an affordable education and a bridge to BSN programs.
Hospital Diploma. A hospital-based nursing program that spans two to three years and prepares Nursing students for direct patient care in different environments.
Licensed Practical Nurse. Again, LPNs take care of patients under the direction of registered nurses and physicians. Most LPN programs take a year to finish and are offered in vocational and technical schools.
Accelerated programs are also available for people who already have a Bachelor’s degree in another field but do not want to go through four years of training for a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.
Other degrees include degree completion for RNs who wish to have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Nursing; Master’s degree, Doctorate degree and Post-Doctoral Program for those who wish to further their studies.
Licensure and Certification
Upon completion of your education and training, to be an Advanced Practice Nurse, an RN or a Licensed Practical Nurse, you will need to be licensed within the state where you work.
RNs can be certified in their skills and specialties as measure of their clinical competence.