Do You Want To Become A
Registered Nurse? Pass The Exam and See Your Earnings
Rise.
A person that wants to become a registered
nurse has a multitude of options for gaining the education necessary
for licensure.
Minimally, to become a registered nurse, you will need
an Associate of Science in Nursing (or ASN) degree, usually obtained
by completing a two-year nursing program at an accredited
college. Licensed
practical nurses may be able to take fewer classes than others with
no nursing experience to obtain an Associate of Science in nursing
degree and become a registered nurse.
Although an Associate of Science in nursing degree
will impart the technical skills and knowledge needed to become a
registered nurse in a technical nursing practice, for many people
who plan to become a registered nurse, an Associate of Science in
nursing degree is only the first step in their education. A Bachelor of Science in
nursing degree can be obtained by completing a four-year program at
an accredited college. Many jobs for registered nurses will require
a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (or a BSN) degree in addition to
licensure in order to consider an applicant. A person wishing to become a
registered nurse with no prior nursing education or experience would
need to complete four years of schooling to receive this
degree. The first two
years would be spent primarily fulfilling general education
requirements, while the second two years would focus almost
exclusively on nursing classes. Students who have prior nursing
education (such as an ASN) or experience as a licensed practical
nurse may receive some credit towards their Bachelor of Science in
Nursing and therefore require less classroom time.
After completing the desired amount of education, the next
step to become a registered nurse is to apply for licensure in the
state in which you plan to work as a registered nurse. Different states may have
different requirements that need to be met in order for you to be
eligible for licensure. Once these requirements are met, you will be
authorized to register for the NCLEX-RN exam, developed by the
National Council of State Boards of Nursing. It is not possible to become
a registered nurse without taking and passing the NCLEX-RN
exam.
The NCLEX-RN exam has a registration fee of two hundred
dollars and the registration fee is not refundable for any reason.
There is also a four page registration form that will need to be
filled out that is available from The National Council of State
Boards of Nursing. Once
the registration form has been properly filled out and the
registration fee submitted, the person wishing to become a
registered nurse will receive an Authorization to Test letter from
the National Council of State Boards of Nursing that will allow him
or her to schedule an appointment to take the NCLEX-RN
exam.
The NCLEX-RN exam is graded on a pass / fail
basis. It is not
possible to become a registered nurse without first passing the
NCLEX-RN exam for that particular state. It is possible to retake the
NCLEX-RN exam in the event that it is not passed on the first try,
but it will be necessary to wait a mandated number of days (anywhere
from forty-five to ninety days, depending on the regulations of that
states nursing board).
Once the NCLEX-RN exam has been passed, it will be possible
to obtain employment as a registered nurse, but only in the state in
which a license to practice was granted. In order to work as a
registered nurse in a different state, one must pass the NCLEX-RN
exam for that state.
Gust A. Lenglet has been a financial advisor for many
years, and is President and CEO of Crown Financial Concepts, Ltd..
They offer Budgeting
software to create a household budget. He is also an
accomplished author in the tax, legal, insurance, mortgage and
education fields. He also has written numerous articles on personal
finance as well as debt consolidation and relief.
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