RnLife.com-A Nursing Student’s Blog My Journey of Becoming a Registered Nurse

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This article is on how to become a RN which is short for registered nurse. First of all, to become an RN you have to go to an accredited nursing school that offers a degree in nursing. Depending on the nursing school you decide to go to, there are usually two types of degrees you can get in order to become an RN. The two types of degrees are the ADN (associated degree of nursing) or the BSN (bachelor degree of nursing).

Once you graduate with either degree you chose, you take a state board exam, know as the NCLEX, after graduation to obtain your RN. Some people think that once they graduate from nursing school they are a RN, but instead they just have a degree in nursing not the RN title. So what is the difference between the ADN and BSN?

The associates degree of nursing, which is known as the ADN, takes two years to complete. It is a favorite among people who want to get their degree fast and it can save money. You take a wide variety of classes to prepare for becoming a registered nurse (programs vary by your school’s program). It’s a faster way to become a Registered Nurse.

However, it is arguable that the ADN nurse does not get paid as much as the nurse who has a BSN degree but it depends on the place you work. Another difference is that a nurse with a ADN degree can not hold management positions, but once again this depends on the place you work.

The bachelors degree of nursing, which is known as the BSN,  takes four years to complete. For the first two years, you take general education classes, such as history, math, fine arts, literature, and English. Then the next two years you take your nursing classes. The BSN is also taught more critical thinking skills. This degree is great if you plan on becoming a nurse practitioner, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesia (CRNA), or obtaining a master’s degree in the future.

Also, with the BSN you can hold management positions and you will be more likely to get these open position than a nurse with an ADN. As I said above, the BSN might have a higher salary but it depends on the agency you work for.

So after you decide that you want to become a nurse, you have to then decide which degree you want to obtain. There are both pros and cons to each degree but it all depends on what you want to do.

-Sarah =o)

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