Registered Nurses (RN) are integral members of any medical facility. They are basically employed in hospitals, private clinics, nursing homes, residential care facilities, schools, community clinics, elderly healthcare facilities and many other places. The basic duties of a Registered Nurse includes treatment, administering medications, screening health conditions, diagnosing their conditions, completing medical charts, and providing emergency care to the patients.

How to become a Registered Nurse?

You may be wondering how to become a registered nurse. Here are the three main steps required to become a Registered Nurse:

Get the proper basic education: Registered Nurses can be distinguished from other classes of nurses by their higher level of training and education. To become a registered nurse, you must have high school diploma or a GED. For students who are still in high school, they should give attention to their science course mainly biology and chemistry because these are mainly used in the medical field. They also take the SAT or ACT exams to get admitted to a good undergraduate college.

Get the proper Advanced Education: Apart from your regular studies, you should also get the appropriate advanced education to succeed in this field. For this, there are four major paths that you can follow. They are master’s degree in nursing (MSN), a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing (BSN), an associate degree in nursing (ADN), and a diploma. Among these, the most widely used path is the ADN program. The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is a two year associate degree program offered by junior and community colleges. The Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) is a four years course offered by colleges and universities. The diploma program is a three years course offered by hospitals and nursing homes. Registered Nurses with an ADN or diploma also choose to pursue a BSN degree which is also known as RN to BSN program that prepares student for a wider extent of nursing practice. Additionally, Accelerated MSN (Master’s Degree in Nursing) programs can also be pursued by combining a year of BSN program and two years of graduate studies to hold a MSN degree.

Pass the NCLEX-RN exam: In all the states and territories of the United States, including the District of Columbia, students wishing to work as a Registered Nurse are required to pass a national licensing exam known as the NCLEX-RN exam. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing develops and administers the NCLEX-RN examination. The NCLEX-RN examination is accepted by every state as an indicator of having passed the minimum knowledge and skills required to work as a RN. The NCLEX-RN exams are aimed in testing the knowledge and skills of a RN graduate to work effectively as a RN in medical facilities. Those students who wish to take the NCLEX-RN examination should check with the Board of Nursing in their respective state to find out what they need to do.

To become a Certified Nursing Assistant, you must be qualified and meet the appropriate requirements. CNA training programs are indeed essential when you plan to get into an entry level job in nursing. Due to the ever increasing demand of nursing assistants, the number of CNA training institutes has also grown up. So, the task of choosing the appropriate CNA training school may baffle you and it is indeed important to pick up the right options amidst the large pool of CNA training providers.

CNA training programs are usually offered by several community colleges, universities, nursing homes and hospitals and even American Red Cross. The CNA training program offered by the American Red Cross is well reputed across the country and it follows the requirements of each state. So American Red Cross CNA training can also be a good choice for you. When making a choice among various CNA training providers, it is essential that you consider a training program that is being conducted by Registered Nurses. In general, the CNA trainers need to be Registered Nurses and they are also required to get recertified once in few years to continue training the CNA trainees. So it is important to make sure that the trainers the institute are well qualified as well as legally permitted to train others.

CNA programs

When considering a CNA training program, you should consider the practical exposure as an important factor. The major part of your CNA training class consists of theory, so it is important that you get good hands on exposure. It is important to equip yourself with the practical aspects that are associated with the CNA training and the career. In medical industry, any employer seeks skilled manpower apart from the education, so it is important that you stand out from the bunch of applicants that apply for the CNA job. Therefore it is essential to consider a good CNA training school that provides sufficient practical.

The CNA training program is targeted to train students with knowledge and skills required to work in the medical facilities. During the CNA training program, you are taught how to measure vital signs such as measuring blood pressure, temperature, pulse, ambulate bed ridden patients and prepare documents and reports of the patients. A CNA is also required to report the medical condition of a patient to the doctor. A CNA is the person who lives in close proximity with the patient. A CNA is thus required to have varied amount of skills in order to handle all the tasks effectively. A good CNA program will train you for all these required skills and will thus help you in starting your CNA career effectively.