A registered nurse (RN) plays an integral role in the efficient working of all medical facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, physician offices, rehabilitation centers, etc. As there is a high demand for qualified RNs, hence many people want to know the correct process of how to become an RN.
First of all, a person aiming to fulfill the process of how to become an RN should be empathic, caring and have the ability to work under pressure. These personality characteristics are an essential requirement for achieving growth in the nursing profession. The next step is enrolling in an accredited school offering an associate or bachelor degree in nursing. A high school diploma or GED score is usually sufficient for admission; however, some competitive schools also require SAT or ACT scores so students should also be good at mathematics and verbal skills besides the science courses.
An associate degree in nursing normally takes 2 years for completion whereas a bachelor degree takes double the time. If time and financial resources are not a constraint, then a bachelor degree is better as many hospitals are requiring their RNs to be baccalaureates. During the program, the students are taught about nursing fundamentals, medical/surgical nursing, psychiatric nursing, pediatric nursing, geriatric nursing, etc. The last step in the process of how to become an RN is the state certification exam for RNs called NCLEX-RN.
Online LPN Schools