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How should I get started to become a nurse?

What type of schooling is needed?

college nursing-education
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Michael’s Answer

Hi Hannah:

While in high school, one will need to focus on science and math classes to prepare for a nursing career. Physics, chemistry and biology will be the core science courses. For math, algebra, geometry and statistics will be needed. Both concentrations will enable you to focus and refine your analytical skills for research; complex problem solving; investigative and innovative critical thinking; attention to detail; etc.

Other skills that will need to be built upon center around team building, team work and communication. In any work culture, collaboration among team members, staff and partner departments occur on a daily basis. As a nurse, communication is essential and critical when dealing with patients, medical personnel and other hospital staff. A college course in public speaking, communications and English will help with one's communication and writing skills. While in high school, the debate team will provide the opportunity to sharpen communication skills which are backed with research and factual data and information.

Here are the Top 10 Best Nursing Schools of 2025 per www.nurse.org:

https://nurse.org/education/top-10-best-nursing-schools/

- Duke University
- Georgetown University
- Johns Hopkins University
- New York University
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Michigan
- University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of Washington
- Emory University
- University of Maryland

U.S. News & World Report has additional college listings for the best schools for a Master Degree in Nursing or a Doctor of Nursing Practice:

https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-nursing-schools

A Bachelor of Science (BSN) in Nursing will concentrate more on math and science courses. This will be earned at a college or university for a duration of four years. Clinical experience is gained while in nursing school at a college or university. Physiology, psychology and anatomy are some additional college courses that are required for one to take to become a Registered Nurse (RN).

When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:

- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral

There are scholarships based on need, academic performance, school activities, sports involvement and community service. So, it will be to your advantage to seek out these types of scholarships. All of the academic staff at your high school that you interact with can write letters of recommendations for you based on what was just stated above. These recommendations can greatly help when filling out college and scholarship applications.

There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.

College and scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. College and scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.

You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of college and scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship and acceptance to the applied college of choice, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.

Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:

https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/

https://www.nchchonors.org/students/awards-scholarships/national-scholarships

Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications.

There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.

According to Johnson and Johnson, here is a link for Nursing Specialties:

https://nursing.jnj.com/specialty

Here is a list of some of the High Demand Nurse Specialties:

- Cardiac Care Nurse
- Certified Nurse Midwife
- Emergency Nurse
- Perioperative Nurse
- Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Labor and Delivery Nurse (L&D)
- Home Health Nurse
- Hospice Nurse
- Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
- Obstetrics Nurse
- Oncology Nurse

Best wishes for your education and career path in Nursing!
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Roshetta’s Answer

Key steps to becoming a nurse:

Choose a nursing program:
Select an accredited nursing program offering either an ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing) or a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).

Complete coursework and clinical rotations:
Your program will include classroom learning and hands-on clinical experience in various healthcare settings.

Pass the NCLEX-RN exam:
After graduating, you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses to obtain your nursing license.

Apply for a nursing license:
Once you pass the NCLEX, apply for your nursing license in the state where you plan to practice.

Seek employment:
Begin your nursing career by applying for positions in hospitals, clinics, or other healthcare facilities.
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Melissa’s Answer

Hello Hannah! Great question and great job reaching out for advice.

In general, becoming a Nurse does require formal education from a university.

Earn a high school diploma or GED: This is the first step to enter any nursing program.

Complete a nursing program: You can choose to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). ADN programs usually take two years, while BSN programs typically take four years to complete.

Pass the NCLEX-RN exam: After completing your nursing program, you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to become a licensed registered nurse (RN).

Gain experience: Many employers prefer hiring nurses with some experience. You can gain experience by working in hospitals, clinics, or other healthcare settings.

Consider pursuing further education or certification: If you want to specialize in a certain area of nursing or advance your career, you can pursue further education or certification in your chosen field.

Stay updated: Nursing is a constantly evolving field, so it's important to stay updated with the latest developments and continue learning throughout your career.
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Natasha’s Answer

Hello Hanna,

Nursing is a great career choice!! A critical note about a nursing degree; it gives you countless career options! You can work for the Red Cross, work in manufacturing, work with the elderly, with babies, work at a middle school, do private home health care, the options are endless! As a current nurse, I can tell you that you won't be at a huge disadvantage for going to a state school vs some fancy private nursing school when it comes time to get a job. You of course want to pick the best option you have, but just don't let that stress you out too bad because no matter what school you go to, we all take the same test at the end (that'd be the dreaded NCLEX).

All that being said, I'd recommend you get at least your Bachelors degree in nursing (BSN) if not your Masters (MSN). That's not to say you can't get your LPN (licensed practicing nurse) first if you choose, but most of these special opportunities and places that will pay their nurses higher than average will require at least a BSN. You also have to decide if you want to get an advanced degree or if the grueling four years for your BSN is as far as you want to go. If you want to get an advanced degree three common options are:
- Getting your Masters in a specialty (I have an MSN in Nursing Education but there are other options)
- CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist)
- or Nurse Practitioner license. If you were to get your NP you can specialize even further from there and that would also play a role in your salary.

If you decide you want to stick with the BSN only but a few years later you want to spice things up with a semi-career change, I'd recommend keeping your eye out for leadership type roles. You'll find these in hospital systems, education, occupational health, and in some other specialty areas. However, those roles usually require a minimum number of years in the nursing field, so you'd likely have to get a BSN job somewhere just to gain experience first. That's not a bad thing! You want to be able to speak to the work you're doing before leading others to do it, so starting at the bottom and working your way up is not a bad route to take. On the contrary, I'd say it makes you more valuable as a nurse.

These are just a few common options, the nursing field has many branches to it that you can work from. If you ever have any other questions, you know where to go!
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