As advancements in healthcare continue to grow every year, our life expectancy grows. This will require a need for more people to enter the medical profession. Fortunately, there are many people answering the call to become doctors, nurses, and a host of other medical-related positions.
Nursing is one of the most important components of the medical field. These women and men are often the first people that you encounter when you visit a medical facility. Their knowledge of medical science is equal if not tantamount to the experience a doctor brings when treating their patients. Nursing is a field that many people seek to join. What we’ll focus on today is how to become a nurse.
Choose a specific field of nursing.
Let’s say during high school you decide to become a nurse. Something about the field appeals to you. Maybe it’s the fact that helping others makes you happy. Say there’s someone in your life who has acted as an inspiration for you wanting to get into the field. Or maybe working at a hospital, clinic, or physicians’ office appeals to you. Whatever the reason, when you choose to move into the nursing field, there are a wide variety of positions which you can choose from.
Start digging into what practical nursing career opportunities are available at various clinics, physicians’ offices, and hospitals. You’re going to find that there are a lot of different nursing positions out there. Depending on where your interests lie you might become a practical nurse, a vocational nurse, a registered nurse, a cardiac nurse, a clinical nurse specialist, an ER nurse, or a family nurse practitioner. Find out what duties each of these different positions brings with them, in addition to what educational goals will have to be obtained for moving into each profession.
Also, do a little bit of homework on each of the fields through the U.S. Department of Labor. Perusing the statistics of their Bureau of Labor Statistics will help you see what the hiring rates are for each position. Choosing a specific field of nursing will help you to become a qualified nurse in the long run.
Find a good college.
The biggest step which you’ll take to become a nurse will be earning a Diploma in Nursing. Many high school students begin researching colleges to attend as early as their sophomore year of high school. During this period you can contact college admission offices to find out which nursing program will work best for you. A great option worth considering is UTA nursing school, which offers online options. Many college applicants will contact college admissions consultants for direction on questions of financial aid, off-campus housing, and college courses. Finding the best college counselor to help with answering such questions, who can also put you on the right track of becoming a nurse.
You’ve decided to become a registered nurse. You’re GPA and high school test scores are exceptional, and you have no shortage of choices of colleges to choose from. After consulting with a college admissions consultant, you’ll be able to find a college program that will help you on your journey to becoming a registered nurse.
You’ll soon breeze through the application process, and find that dream school that you’ve always wanted to attend. Since nursing is an ever-growing field, your choices for quality colleges will be numerous. Many college admissions offices are seeking bright students to attend their schools to learn about basic nursing care. Finding a good college is one of many steps to take to become a nurse.
Get your certification.
Once you earn your degree in basic nursing care at an accredited college or university, your next step will be to get your certification. You’ll need to take an exam that displays your knowledge and nursing skills. Nurses need to be licensed in order to practice, and exams are needed to become licensed. For each various nursing position, the exams will be different to earn certification.
For a registered nurse, you’ll need a nursing diploma, and pass the NCLEX-RN test to earn a state license. To become a nurse practitioner you’ll have to complete a national certification exam administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Receiving your licensing and certification are huge steps to becoming a nurse.
