how to become a nurse in 4 years

Complete prerequisites

• Take the right high school courses. If you’re still in high school and would like to become a nurse, make sure that you take the right classes while you’re there. Some of the classes are general (math, science, psychology) and some are more specific (nutrition, statistics). The classes that aren’t required in high school can be taken at a community college during your first year of college.

Gain sufficient volunteer experience

As you move toward your goal of becoming a nurse, it’s important to gain experience in the field. While you’re still in school, volunteer at a hospital or clinic. An internship with a health department or community organization can also help prepare you for your career.

You may need to get CPR certification and take other courses before working in some health care settings. You’ll learn valuable skills by volunteering such as:

• How to work with patients and their families on medical or emotional issues

• How to communicate with doctors about patient needs

• How to report medical information accurately

Take the SAT or ACT

You should take the SAT or ACT at least one month before you want to apply for colleges. You may want to consider taking a prep course for the SAT or ACT, but if you can’t afford to do so, there are several websites and YouTube channels that offer tips and strategies to prepare for either exam. A popular test prep book is The Official SAT Study Guide.

While these exams are important, it’s easy to stress over them—but don’t! If your grades aren’t great, many schools will overlook this if you score well on the SAT or ACT. And if your grades are great but you don’t do well on the exam, some schools may be willing to look past that as well.

If your goal is to attend a competitive school, however, high scores in both areas will give you an advantage when applying.

To sign up for either test go here: [Link]

The cost of each test is $52 (without writing), and the cost of each prep course will vary depending on how many hours are involved and whether it’s online or in-person.

Apply and be accepted to a nursing program

The application process will take a while, so be sure to start applying early. It’s also important to make sure you’re eligible to apply before attempting any of the following steps:

• Take the SAT and/or ACT, if required by your university.
• Make a list of accredited nursing programs (by state or country) that offer BSN degrees. Some states have online databases of programs you can use for your search; alternatively you can consult the National Council State Boards of Nursing for a complete list. You’ll also want to check out what rankings each program has received from places like US News and World Report or Nursejournal.org, as well as what accrediting agencies have recognized each program for meeting educational standards—the most widely known one being CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education).
• Make sure you meet prerequisites for the program(s) you’re interested in attending by checking out their websites or contacting them directly. You should be prepared to include an essay explaining why you want to be a nurse with your application (all nursing schools are different, though). Other common requirements include letters of recommendation and taking the HESI A2 entrance exam (Admission Assessment Exam), which will test your knowledge in anatomy/physiology and other subjects so that schools can gauge what level they need to place you at when classes begin.

Pass the NCLEX-RN licensing examination

The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) is used to determine whether you’re prepared to practice safely and effectively as a registered nurse. This test is taken by all new nursing graduates, regardless of their school or specialty, and is a requirement for getting your nursing license.

In terms of content, the NCLEX-RN will assess your knowledge of general health practices, such as reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and problem solving. Though it may sound less daunting than your other exams so far in this program, studying for the NCLEX-RN is critical to passing it on the first try. This test has been known to be challenging and complex in its format. One reason for this is that it’s administered by computer in an adaptive format: It assesses your level of competence by selecting questions based on how well you answered previous questions. Your first response will likely not be the most difficult question you can answer correctly; instead, it may be at an easier difficulty level if you have demonstrated competency in a particular area, or more difficult if you have shown some weakness. Because being able to maintain focus throughout the entire 6 hours of the exam is vital to success on this type of test; familiarize yourself with its structure before taking it so there won’t be any surprises when it comes time for you to take this important assessment.

There are several steps that you need to take to become a nurse in 4 years, but you can do it.

There are several steps that you need to take to become a nurse in 4 years, but you can do it. Accepted students will have to finish the following requirements:

• Get an undergraduate nursing degree from an accredited university.
• Take the NCLEX-RN exam and pass it on your first try, or else you’re a hobo who should never show your face in this industry again.
• Graduate with a nursing degree by age 23, which is considered “old” in the eyes of most employers. If you’re older than that, go ahead and quit now because there’s no point in trying at all. You’ll just be seen as slow by others and be viewed as a burden on society, so why even bother getting out of bed?