What Qualifications Do I Need for Nurse Training?
The health-care industry is booming, and there's a need for registered nurses like never before. If you're considering a job in the nursing industry, you're headed toward a career field that will provide you with both job security and a pretty decent salary. But before you start your training, you'll need to take care of a few prerequisites first.
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High School Diploma or GED
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Get your diploma out of storage and prepare to order your official transcripts. If you never completed high school or an equivalency program, enroll yourself in an adult education class and take care of this minor bump in the road.
Competitive Grades
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Think back to the last time you went to school. How did your report card look? If you got less than a 3.0, you should consider attending a community college in order to show that you can get good grades. Otherwise, with all the applications that nursing schools receive, you might be overlooked because there are so many candidates with competitive backgrounds.
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Background Check
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Expect a background check. A criminal history won't necessarily prevent you from being accepted to a nursing program, but depending on the state where you want to go to school and the nature of the offense, you can be disqualified if you have certain charges on your record.
Health Examination
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Be prepared to provide all shot records and medical records proving you are in good health and all your vaccinations are up to date.
An Application to the Right Program
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Choose a nursing degree that will get you where you want to be. There are bachelor's and master's degree programs, associate's degree programs, licensing and vocational programs as well as direct-entry programs. You can even join the military and become a nurse. You need to decide how much time you're willing to go to school before you start working, and you need to figure out which programs you are eligible for right now. For example, you can't apply for a master's degree direct-entry job if you only have a high school diploma.
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References
- Photo Credit Scrub Nurse image by Mary Beth Granger from Fotolia.com
