See How You Can 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.