How to Start your Nursing Career
From CNA to RN, here’s how to become a nurse
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Step 3: Become a CNA or LPN.
There’s more than one way to become a nurse, but many would-be nurses begin their career as a CNA – a certified nursing assistant. You don’t need a nursing degree to become a CNA, just a high school diploma and completion of a 6-week to 6-month certification course at a community college or vocational school. CNAs do the hands-on work of nursing: basic care such as bathing and feeding patients, assisting nurses and checking patient vital signs.
Dahn began her career as a CNA. It’s a good starting point, she says, because “it doesn’t take you four years to figure out if you like it or not.” CNA jobs are available through nursing homes, hospitals and companies like Home Instead Senior Care and ComForcare.
Another place to start is getting your LPN certification. These training programs usually take about a year, and the work is more complex (and better-paying) than CNA jobs. You have to be licensed by your state before you can practice, however.
Step 4: Plan to get your nursing degree.
Once you know you enjoy the work of nursing, it’s time to plan your advanced education. Where LPN training is focused on skills – injections, administering medication, monitoring patients – an RN’s role is more analytical, Dahn says. RNs create care plans for patients and teach patients how to manage their illnesses or injuries. They may specialize in fields like pediatrics, gynecology or oncology.
You can become an RN by getting a two-year associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a four-year bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN). The latter is available online through University of Phoenix and other accredited schools. If you already have a bachelor’s degree in a different field and you are a licensed registered nurse, you can enter an accelerated MSN program, which lasts about 18 months.
Once you’ve mastered all the hands-on work of nursing, you can further your education with online nursing degree programs. Online programs offer flexible schedules so nurses can take classes outside work hours. At University of Phoenix, the ADN to BSN and BSN to MSN programs are available online. For additional options, be sure to choose accredited programs before enrolling.
Get started on your nursing career! Get free information about campus and online nursing degrees today.
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