What Type of Schools Do You Have to Go to & for How Long to Be a Nurse?
Becoming a nurse can provide you with a prestigious job that involves helping others every day. To become a nurse, you can take one of several educational paths, depending on which type of nurse you would like to ultimately become. You can choose between working as a nurse aid, a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse.
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Nurse Aid
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One of the most basic forms of nursing involves becoming a nurse aid. This is also sometimes referred to as a certified nursing assistant or CNA. To become a CNA, you have to go to a specialized school that trains CNAs directly. This is an entry-level program that involves going to class for somewhere between four and eight weeks, in most cases. At the end of the class, you will have to take an exam to gain your license to work as a CNA.
Licensed Practical Nurse
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Working as a licensed practical nurse is another route that you could take to get into nursing. To become an LPN, you will have to go to a vocational school and get into an LPN program. This program typically takes about one year to complete, and it involves learning in the classroom as well as in a hands-on manner. To get into this kind of school, you have to pass an exam, and then you will also have to pass a licensing exam upon graduation.
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Registered Nurse
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Another type of nurse that you could become is a registered nurse or RN. The registered nurse is in charge of LPNs and CNAs in the same unit. To become a registered nurse, you can take one of three routes. You can become an LPN first and then take an additional year of school to transition into the position of registered nurse. You could also get an associate degree from a community college, which takes two years. The third route that you could take is to get a bachelor's degree from a university, which will take you four years to complete.
Specialized Nurse
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If you become a registered nurse, you could also choose to specialize in a particular area of medicine. For example, you could become a flight nurse who spends time in helicopters and airplanes to go pick up patients. You could choose to specialize as an OB nurse and work in the delivery unit of a hospital. Some registered nurses move on to bigger management roles in surgical units and other areas of the hospital. All of these specialties will require additional training in their respective field. While the amount of time required to gain experience for specialization can vary, most programs will require you to take at least another one to two years of training.
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