What can I expect to be a nurse?

Question

Um...I'm studying to be a nurse and I think I can accomplish that dream!But I studied that and I'm in High School.I know how the experience is going to be like,but is it going to take along time to prepare?

Answer 1

There are a several ways to become an RN. You can get an associates degree from a community college, a diploma from a hospital-based school of nursing, or a bachelor of science degree (BSN) from a 4 year college. The BSN is the way to go because you learn more of the "why" of nursing and patient care and are better prepared. Th BSN offers more career opportunities.  But before you embark on any of those journeys, take time to work in a hospital to find out if you really enjoy working with patients and their families. If possible, become a nurse's aide and work on an inpatient unit and a clinic.  Talk to nurses and see what they like about their jobs and what they do not. It would be a summer well spent (and most likely they would be happy to have you back over your college breaks if you needed to earn some money.) There are many many career options beyond hospital work, of course, but that is where most of us earn our stripes, so to speak.  

Answer 2

If you want real world experience now, join an ambulance corp. They give you a CPR class & if you're over 18 you can be on a crew. You'll get to help people & learn. I'm in night school now for a BSN degree & its a lot of work. Remember, more school = more $. Some areas of nursing can earn well over $100k per year.

Answer 3

Ok...I'm not an expert,but there is a website and much more that can help you!

Answer 4

its going to take a couple of years, way less than a doctor

and you need to know a lot of science!

i heard that if you want to get into medical school you have to take a test, its called MCCAT (i think)

the test includes biology, chemisty, and physics and a lot of math

Answer 5

There is A LOT less science involved in nursing and the nursing pre-reqs than in the pre-reqs to become a doctor, or just the requirements of your average degree in biology or other sciences.

If you are in high school now it would be wise to take biology and chemistry but that's about it. You're pre-reqs in college for nursing school will be general biology, anatomy, physiology, intro to chemistry, maybe an intro to organic chemistry (depending on where you apply) and usually a psychology course or two. It is not bad at all. These are usually the introduction courses, etc. not the courses for majors (i.e. you don't have to take the year of biology, the year of general chemistry, the year of organic chemistry that pre-med students have to take).

You can become a nurse through an ADN course (associate's degree) which leads to you being an RN, or you can become and RN through a BSN route. ADN is one year of pre-req's plus two years of nursing school. BSN usually takes four years. I wouldn't recommend becoming an LPN just because they are being phased out in many areas and/or are limited to long-term care facilities. An RN would leave your options much more open.