Five Easy Steps To Becoming A Nurse

Okay, so you want to become a nurse. Good choice. Did you know that National surveys of registered nurses, physicians, and hospital executives document considerable concern about the U.S. nurse shortage?(1) Will you have job security? Absolutely! Now all you need to do is to become a nurse. While in fact the program of nursing is a grueling one, the rewards of helping others outweighs all other factors considered. The five steps are outlined below.

Step 1. Have a great desire to help others. Becoming a nurse means caring about others as you would care for yourself, your children, your parents and other loved ones. Love of mankind is definitely a prerequisite. This is the most important step.

Step 2. Find a nursing school near you. Perhaps you want to be a Licensed Practical Nurse, Licensed Degree Nurse or a Registered Nurse. Make that decision. Some people prefer to go for the LPN or LDN before going for their RN. The reason is simply that the program for becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is only eight months to one year and there are no prerequisites required. The pay for a Licensed Practical Nurse is nearly the same as a Registered Nurse. Many nursing schools are to be found even in the most rural areas. Once you have located a nursing school make an appointment to see a counselor, so that you can find out about the courses that are necessary to take before you begin the nursing program.

Step 3. Study for the Nursing Entrance Test. It is a very good idea if you have been out of school for a while. Studying for the Nursing Entrance Test helps to hone your skills in math and reading comprehension, not to mention biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology. The online study tutorials and tests will help you to pass the LPN/LDN, and RN entrance test. Even if you don't have to take an entrance test, it is a very good review and will help to make you more knowledgeable in the field.

Step 4. Seek out financial aid. The financial burden of even a few thousand dollars can make a difference in lifestyle. Financial aid is available to all. There are grants, scholarships and government loans that are for the taking. Speak to a financial aid counselor to find out more, and take a look at resources. You will find lots of information on financial aid for nursing school.

Step 5. Stick to your goal. This may seem like a simple statement, but many people go through steps one through four and then give up. There are many reasons why people give up. Perhaps the biggest reason is that they lack the confidence in themselves. The best motto to adopt is to "Just DO IT". Look at it this way, becoming a nurse will only take a year or two out of your life. The rewards will continue for a lifetime. People can be their worst enemy. Look back on your life and see how many accomplishments you have achieved. You can become a nurse. It is just that simple. What a lot of prospective nursing students don't realize is that there are government forgiveness programs once you become a nurse. These programs are designed to keep nurses in nursing. The program will pay almost 100% of your school loan once you have graduated and begun work. The stipulation for reimbursement of the loan is that the nurse work full time on a medical surgical unit for two years. For each additional year that the nurse works full time on a medical surgical floor, more of the loan is repaid back to the government or loan entity. Many hospitals will pay over 70% in tuition for registered nurses going back to school for their bachelors in nursing. Some hospitals have classes on site to make it easier for nurses to finish their bachelors in nursing.

America needs nurses. Do you'really want to be a nurse? Then begin with the five easy steps to becoming nurse and you will see your goals achieved.