3 answers
madison
Student
Lehigh Acres, Florida
1
Question
Asked
394 views
How can I become a pediatric RN before I graduate high school?
Can I get into a free online program to help me graduate with a diploma for nursing?
Login to comment
3 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1613
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Sorry, in order to become a nurse, you must finish high school and obtain a high school diploma or equivalent (GED) as this is the basic requirement for entry into any nursing program; most programs will require you to have completed high school with specific science and math courses like biology and chemistry.
💊 CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT (CNA)
CNAs provide a wide variety of services to their patients. The main activities they help patients with are bathing, eating, and mobility. They also help nurses check patients’ vital signs, such as blood pressure and pulse rate. Before entering a CNA program, you must have your high school diploma. Most CNA programs take between 6-12 weeks to finish. Minimum requirements to become a CNA:
• AGE: Require you be at least 16 years old.
• EDUCATION: A high school diploma
• TRAINING: Complete a CNA training.
• COMPETENCY EXAM: Pass a written exam.
• BACKGROUND CHECK: States requirement.
🩺 LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE (LPN)
LPNs are licensed nurses who provide care such as helping patients with feeding, dressing, hygiene, transfers, measuring and recording vital signs, and treating basic wounds or changing dressings. In order to become an LPN, you must finish a practical nursing course and pass the NCLEX-PN exam. Experience is also helpful as most of the duties are learned on the job.
💉 REGISTERED NURSE (RN)
Registered nurses‘ job duties vary significantly from one nurse to the next. Depending on the department and specialty, they may supervise other nurses and oversee patient care, or serve as a direct caretaker for patients. RNs may also be responsible for administering medication, drawing blood and collecting lab work, and monitoring patient vitals and progress. In order to become an RN, you need to have completed an Associate Degree in Nursing or Bachelor of Science in Nursing and pass the NCLEX exam. Gaining experience in the specialty in which you would like to practice is also an important part of the process, like pediatric.
🩻 NURSE PRACTITIONER (NP)
While earning your BSN is the only major education degree a registered nurse needs to practice, there are additional nurse practitioner requirements to be aware of. In order to practice as a nurse practitioner, you need to earn both a BSN and a graduate degree. One of the most common graduate degrees pursued by aspiring nurse practitioners is the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), which is really going to be the lowest level of education you can complete and work as an NP. Earning an MSN prepares nurse practitioners with the relevant knowledge, skill set, and expertise to become a leader within the healthcare industry and provide specific, hands-on patient care. It is during their master of science in nursing that most nurse practitioners will choose a specialization, of which there are many.
💊 CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT (CNA)
CNAs provide a wide variety of services to their patients. The main activities they help patients with are bathing, eating, and mobility. They also help nurses check patients’ vital signs, such as blood pressure and pulse rate. Before entering a CNA program, you must have your high school diploma. Most CNA programs take between 6-12 weeks to finish. Minimum requirements to become a CNA:
• AGE: Require you be at least 16 years old.
• EDUCATION: A high school diploma
• TRAINING: Complete a CNA training.
• COMPETENCY EXAM: Pass a written exam.
• BACKGROUND CHECK: States requirement.
🩺 LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE (LPN)
LPNs are licensed nurses who provide care such as helping patients with feeding, dressing, hygiene, transfers, measuring and recording vital signs, and treating basic wounds or changing dressings. In order to become an LPN, you must finish a practical nursing course and pass the NCLEX-PN exam. Experience is also helpful as most of the duties are learned on the job.
💉 REGISTERED NURSE (RN)
Registered nurses‘ job duties vary significantly from one nurse to the next. Depending on the department and specialty, they may supervise other nurses and oversee patient care, or serve as a direct caretaker for patients. RNs may also be responsible for administering medication, drawing blood and collecting lab work, and monitoring patient vitals and progress. In order to become an RN, you need to have completed an Associate Degree in Nursing or Bachelor of Science in Nursing and pass the NCLEX exam. Gaining experience in the specialty in which you would like to practice is also an important part of the process, like pediatric.
🩻 NURSE PRACTITIONER (NP)
While earning your BSN is the only major education degree a registered nurse needs to practice, there are additional nurse practitioner requirements to be aware of. In order to practice as a nurse practitioner, you need to earn both a BSN and a graduate degree. One of the most common graduate degrees pursued by aspiring nurse practitioners is the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), which is really going to be the lowest level of education you can complete and work as an NP. Earning an MSN prepares nurse practitioners with the relevant knowledge, skill set, and expertise to become a leader within the healthcare industry and provide specific, hands-on patient care. It is during their master of science in nursing that most nurse practitioners will choose a specialization, of which there are many.
Julia Balakleenko
Student Pharmacist
12
Answers
Bradenton, Florida
Updated
Julia’s Answer
Hi Madison,
Unfortunately an RN (BSN) program is a several year degree that you obtain after passing the NCLEX board licensure exam after completing a nursing program, after you have completed prerequisites in college. This is roughly a 6-7ish year process. There are some accelerated programs or different program requirements to complete, but that depends on the school. A free online nursing program would be amazing, but I don't realistically see something like that in our near future because of accreditation legitimacy. Scholarships might be able to help, and there are some full ride nursing scholarships that you may be able to apply for. However, I see that your location is in Lehigh Acres, and I can offer some advice that can help you build a plan to achieve your goal of being an RN that works in pediatrics.
I don't know what grade you are in high school, but I would check with your school to see if they offer any kind of vocational school that you can sign up for, usually in your junior and senior year. Talk to your guidance counselor for any similar opportunities. This program allows you to do high school classes in half of the day and the other half you would go to the vocational school to do classes for the specified program there. For example, in Charlotte County we had a program in our high school where the school bus would take students to that vocational school across town. You would be allowed to graduate high school and have a vocational trade license or certification of some sort.
With this, check out to see if your school has some sort of connection with a local vocational school for an LPN program. This is a licensed practical nurse licensure that will allow you to work as a nurse but not quite to the degree that an RN would. There are a lot of nursing programs in Lee County but you could look into FSW and see if they also offer dual enrollment for high school students. Similarly, you would complete high school for half of the day your junior or senior year and then go to that college to complete some courses there. Essentially, when you graduate high school, you would also graduate with an AA degree, Associates of Arts (or similar if you choose a specific kind of Associates degree to complete, you could see if you can do an AS which is an Associates in Nursing). An AA is a two year degree typically so that's why most programs start your junior year of high school. This route can let you finish your prerequisite courses for the nursing program, and when you take your TEAs test, you can apply for the program. FSW has a good nursing program (I have had several classmates graduate the program) but I would research the program a little more since things in the curriculum with that college may have changed.
There are some private colleges (like Rasmussen or Hodges) and bigger universities (like FGCU) that have just as good programs but they vary in tuition expenses and student requirements. Either way, you will need to complete prerequisites and take the TEAs test as an entrance exam. Online programs are tricky because the nature of nursing programs have you working in labs for different areas of the curriculum, plus you need to complete clinicals as part of your hours for the program requirements. An LPN to RN pathway might be feasible with your level of enthusiasm while saving you costs on tuition and time, giving you ample opportunity to build nursing experience to help you when you get to an RN program.
Another supplement you might consider to this career plan is to get experience working. Someone previously mentioned a CNA certification, which you can also research at local colleges or online to see if you can complete it. Since you are interested in pediatrics, you could look into volunteering at Golisano Children's Hospital or looking to get a job there when you graduate high school while you are in an LPN program, if you decide to go that route. This will get your foot in the door with pediatrics more specifically and let you build connections with other nurses, pharmacists, doctors, PAs, etc. Peds can also be a very difficult area to work in, emotionally and physically, so this experience can help you decide if you truly want to, and are able to, handle working in peds. Sometimes they have employment programs where if you work for them, they may reimburse you for a certain % of your tuition if you are in nursing school and still working. I would check that out as well, but volunteering is always a good first step and they always have some kind of opportunity to fit everyone as long as they meet the minimum requirements.
Lastly, just know that you have more time than you think you do to complete everything. Do well in school and find your "why" reason for wanting to pursue nursing with a pediatric specialty. This will help build core beliefs that will keep you committed to this career, which can help you grow as a person in more ways than you could think. These can also help you stand out for scholarship opportunities (which you should also ask your guidance counselor about, and the admissions directors at whichever college you decide you want to go to that has a nursing program that will best suit you).
Please know that if the LPN pathway suggest doesn't work out, you can always start with smaller steps to work your way to an RN. Never give up on your dream if that's what it is. What's meant for you will build its way in your life to that point.
One of my best friends did the vocational school LPN program while in high school, graduated and worked for ten years as a nurse in different facilities while doing a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree in public health, then decided to go back to school to pursue an RN program. She now works in a hospital as an RN with a lot of skill, experience and education. Just to give you some kind of positive outlook if your career deciding outlook seems overwhelming for you. The NCLEX is a very difficult (and expensive) exam, so make sure you build study habits that work well for you to succeed in studying heavy topics like biology, chemistry, microbiology, human anatomy & physiology, etc.
I hope this helps guide you in any way towards your career goal. Best of luck in your journey!
Unfortunately an RN (BSN) program is a several year degree that you obtain after passing the NCLEX board licensure exam after completing a nursing program, after you have completed prerequisites in college. This is roughly a 6-7ish year process. There are some accelerated programs or different program requirements to complete, but that depends on the school. A free online nursing program would be amazing, but I don't realistically see something like that in our near future because of accreditation legitimacy. Scholarships might be able to help, and there are some full ride nursing scholarships that you may be able to apply for. However, I see that your location is in Lehigh Acres, and I can offer some advice that can help you build a plan to achieve your goal of being an RN that works in pediatrics.
I don't know what grade you are in high school, but I would check with your school to see if they offer any kind of vocational school that you can sign up for, usually in your junior and senior year. Talk to your guidance counselor for any similar opportunities. This program allows you to do high school classes in half of the day and the other half you would go to the vocational school to do classes for the specified program there. For example, in Charlotte County we had a program in our high school where the school bus would take students to that vocational school across town. You would be allowed to graduate high school and have a vocational trade license or certification of some sort.
With this, check out to see if your school has some sort of connection with a local vocational school for an LPN program. This is a licensed practical nurse licensure that will allow you to work as a nurse but not quite to the degree that an RN would. There are a lot of nursing programs in Lee County but you could look into FSW and see if they also offer dual enrollment for high school students. Similarly, you would complete high school for half of the day your junior or senior year and then go to that college to complete some courses there. Essentially, when you graduate high school, you would also graduate with an AA degree, Associates of Arts (or similar if you choose a specific kind of Associates degree to complete, you could see if you can do an AS which is an Associates in Nursing). An AA is a two year degree typically so that's why most programs start your junior year of high school. This route can let you finish your prerequisite courses for the nursing program, and when you take your TEAs test, you can apply for the program. FSW has a good nursing program (I have had several classmates graduate the program) but I would research the program a little more since things in the curriculum with that college may have changed.
There are some private colleges (like Rasmussen or Hodges) and bigger universities (like FGCU) that have just as good programs but they vary in tuition expenses and student requirements. Either way, you will need to complete prerequisites and take the TEAs test as an entrance exam. Online programs are tricky because the nature of nursing programs have you working in labs for different areas of the curriculum, plus you need to complete clinicals as part of your hours for the program requirements. An LPN to RN pathway might be feasible with your level of enthusiasm while saving you costs on tuition and time, giving you ample opportunity to build nursing experience to help you when you get to an RN program.
Another supplement you might consider to this career plan is to get experience working. Someone previously mentioned a CNA certification, which you can also research at local colleges or online to see if you can complete it. Since you are interested in pediatrics, you could look into volunteering at Golisano Children's Hospital or looking to get a job there when you graduate high school while you are in an LPN program, if you decide to go that route. This will get your foot in the door with pediatrics more specifically and let you build connections with other nurses, pharmacists, doctors, PAs, etc. Peds can also be a very difficult area to work in, emotionally and physically, so this experience can help you decide if you truly want to, and are able to, handle working in peds. Sometimes they have employment programs where if you work for them, they may reimburse you for a certain % of your tuition if you are in nursing school and still working. I would check that out as well, but volunteering is always a good first step and they always have some kind of opportunity to fit everyone as long as they meet the minimum requirements.
Lastly, just know that you have more time than you think you do to complete everything. Do well in school and find your "why" reason for wanting to pursue nursing with a pediatric specialty. This will help build core beliefs that will keep you committed to this career, which can help you grow as a person in more ways than you could think. These can also help you stand out for scholarship opportunities (which you should also ask your guidance counselor about, and the admissions directors at whichever college you decide you want to go to that has a nursing program that will best suit you).
Please know that if the LPN pathway suggest doesn't work out, you can always start with smaller steps to work your way to an RN. Never give up on your dream if that's what it is. What's meant for you will build its way in your life to that point.
One of my best friends did the vocational school LPN program while in high school, graduated and worked for ten years as a nurse in different facilities while doing a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree in public health, then decided to go back to school to pursue an RN program. She now works in a hospital as an RN with a lot of skill, experience and education. Just to give you some kind of positive outlook if your career deciding outlook seems overwhelming for you. The NCLEX is a very difficult (and expensive) exam, so make sure you build study habits that work well for you to succeed in studying heavy topics like biology, chemistry, microbiology, human anatomy & physiology, etc.
I hope this helps guide you in any way towards your career goal. Best of luck in your journey!
Samantha Slominski
Registered Nurse
4
Answers
Saginaw, Michigan
Updated
Samantha’s Answer
Hello there! It's fantastic to see such ambition in wanting to become a Registered Nurse (RN) right after high school. However, the journey to becoming an RN involves a few more steps. You'll need to complete prerequisite courses, apply to a nursing school, attend and successfully graduate from it, and then pass the NCLEX exam to earn your license. Unfortunately, there are no online nursing schools available for fresh high school graduates.
But don't be disheartened! Shortly after graduating, you could enroll in a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course and earn that certification. Working as a CNA while pursuing your nursing education can give you a competitive edge when you start applying for nursing jobs.
If you're eager to start your nursing career as soon as possible, consider Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) school. It's a bit shorter than a full nursing program but still qualifies you as a nurse. However, bear in mind that only certain facilities employ LPNs, and their pay is typically lower than that of RNs.
Considering your situation, I believe pursuing an associate's degree in nursing could be your best bet. This path will provide a solid foundation for your nursing career while allowing you to begin working in the field sooner.
Graduate high school.
Take CNA course, work as CNA.
Do prerequisite classes for nursing degree, apply to nursing program.,
Take nursing courses.
Take NCLEX and become an RN!
But don't be disheartened! Shortly after graduating, you could enroll in a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course and earn that certification. Working as a CNA while pursuing your nursing education can give you a competitive edge when you start applying for nursing jobs.
If you're eager to start your nursing career as soon as possible, consider Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) school. It's a bit shorter than a full nursing program but still qualifies you as a nurse. However, bear in mind that only certain facilities employ LPNs, and their pay is typically lower than that of RNs.
Considering your situation, I believe pursuing an associate's degree in nursing could be your best bet. This path will provide a solid foundation for your nursing career while allowing you to begin working in the field sooner.
Samantha recommends the following next steps: