Is Nursing For You?
I can’t believe that I’m actually in my second semester of nursing school. It has been a very interesting journey and I thought that I would help pre-nursing students who may need some guidance. The process can be scary and sometimes, there is TOO much information.
Ok. First things first.
Where do you see your career in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?
I know you may be thinking, wow, that’s a lot of planning. But I’ve learned that’s what it takes. Write your career goals down in increments, and envision how you want your life to be at those time frames. Think seriously about it and recognize that yes, LIFE always changes, but a plan that changes sometimes, is better than no plan at all.
Now that you have picked your career goals, you can choose what type of nursing program you would like to attend. You have CNA, LPN, LVN, RN, & BSN programs.
CNA- Certified Nursing Assistant- CNAs usually work at long term health care facilities, hospitals, hospices, etc. CNA’s are able to help patients with activities of daily living such as bathing, toileting, eating, ambulating, vital signs and basic patient care. The programs usually take 6 months to 1 year.
LVN or LPN- Licensed Vocational Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse- Depending on what state you are in these terms are interchangeable and they perform some of the same tasks. LPN/LVN can perform more complex tasks such as tracheostomy care, administration of enteral feedings, insertion of urinary catheters, medication administration (NO IV’s), suctioning, nasogastric potency, and monitoring of patient status under RN supervision. Upon graduation from a LPN program, you can take the NCLEX-PN and receive your practical nursing license. These programs usually take 14-18 months.
RN/BSN- So, there are Associate programs that allow you to earn your RN in a total of 4 years. About 4 semesters of pre-reqs (depending on your school load) and 4 semesters of nursing coursework. BSN programs usually require about 6 semesters of pre-reqs and 4 to 5 semesters of nursing coursework which turn out to be 4-6 years depending on many factors. Both programs you will be able to sit for the NCLEX-RN and receive your Registered Nurse license. The same nursing tasks can be performed by both ADN and BSN nurses. Medication administration, IV placements, urinary catheters, nasogastric tube placements, intramuscular and subcutaneous injections, able to provide nursing diagnoses and treatment plans. The tasks that the RN perform will depend upon specialty. BSN nurses do have the upper hand when it comes to promotions and managerial positions. Some hospitals require ADN’s to complete a BSN degree program within 5 years.
After receiving your BSN you could then return to school to advance your nursing degree which can help further your knowledge, increase your pay, and provide more opportunities.
Most schools have their own program education requirements that their students must follow before being accepted to the school. Therefore, each person’s nursing journey is different depending on location, and the nursing degree that is being pursued. Most programs want you to have a B or better in Human Anatomy 1 & 2, Microbiology, Psychology, Statistics, American Government, Human Growth and Development and Chemistry. Also, nursing entrance exams such as the TEAS, and HESI are very common. These are standardized test similar that gauge your readiness for nursing school curriculum. School’s have their own parameters for the lowest score that they will accept.
As you can see, there are a few factors that will help determine where you want to start your career. Remember that your timeline will not look like anyone else’s. Plan your education according to your own unique life and circumstances. Wishing you well on your journey.
Comment below what you would like the next blog post to be about. TTYL.
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