One way to become licensed as a Registered Nurse is with an ADN degree. An Associate’s Degree in Nursing is a two year program but realistically it takes at least three years to complete. You might be interested in reading the article about the myth of the 2 year rn degree to learn more about the realities of obtaining an ADN degree. Many community colleges offer Associate’s Degree in Nursing programs. Private, “career colleges,” offer them as well.
In order to be accepted into these programs a candidate must have a high school diploma or G.E.D. and generally must have completed some prerequisite classes. These classes usually include Anatomy and Physiology I and II, psychology, nutrition, English, microbiology, college level algebra, and human growth and development. Each school has its own requirements for admission so you’ll want to check with your perspective nursing schools. After successfully completing your program and obtaining your Associate’s Degree in Nursing, you must take the NCLEX-RN nursing exam. This is the National Council Licensure Examination.
An Associate’s Degree in Nursing is a good way to get into the nursing field and to obtain your license as a registered nurse but it will take time – typically 3-4 years for most nursing students. Some places of employment pay nurses with a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing more – and some don’t. Some places of employment prefer to hire nurses with a Bachelor of Science degree – and again, some don’t. The demand for nurses is so high these days that the majority of employers are not demanding a Bachelor of Science degree (BSN) from their registered nurses.
Once you are hired as a registered nurse, you can, and should, look into continuing education because it will increase your pay rate and make you a more desirable employee and future job candidate. The great news is many employers will pay for this continuing education. With an ADN degree, you can choose an online nursing program to get your bachelor’s degree of science in nursing, and to pursue other nursing degree specialties.
