If you've been interested in a career as a nurse, nursing school is the first step to take. While nursing is demanding and difficult, it is also a rewarding and lucrative career. Read further to learn about preparing for nursing school and what it entails.
IS IT HARD TO GET INTO NURSING SCHOOL?
Nurses are in demand, so if you're someone who has always wanted to become a nurse, you are likely entering a career path with excellent stability. While nursing school can be challenging, don't let that deter you — especially if you are someone who is passionate about the field. The work will be worth the reward when you enter the industry.
Long waiting lists are a common hurdle many prospective nursing students experience. While you wait, however, you can take steps toward knocking out some course prerequisites. Any volunteer work or other healthcare experience you have can work to your advantage.
For instance:
- You can work to become an LPN in as little as one year
- You can earn an associate degree in two years
- Or you can find a registered nursing program in your area with one of our partner schools.
- You can earn a bachelor's degree, generally taking 4 years, to get started as a registered nurse
- NOTE: The first step toward advancing in your career as a nurse is in becoming a registered nurse. From there, more nursing options, such as becoming a nurse practitioner, open to you.
HOW TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING INTO NURSING SCHOOL
You may hear it all the time when you mention you want to go into nursing, but it’s tough. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Start strong, keep on top of your studies, and you should be well prepared.
The first steps for getting accepted into nursing school are:
- Get your high school diploma or GED equivalent.
- Keep a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, depending on where you want to go. The better the school, the higher the required GPA. Many schools require at least a 3.7 GPA.
- Research schools that make sense for your life, while you’re still in high school: Community college, trade school, or universities all offer a variety of nursing programs.
- Get quite a bit volunteer work under your belt. It looks great on college applications and will help you learn before you're even enrolled in school.
- Take classes in medical terminology, and anatomy and physiology. While it's not required everywhere, many schools prefer students who have taken classes related to nursing.
- Attend nursing information sessions at the schools you’re thinking of applying to.
- Decide on a certificate, diploma, or degree, so you can apply to the appropriate educational facility.
- Take the test of essential academic skills (TEAS), which is required for enrolling in nursing school. It’s a standardized test, and some schools will overlook a lower GPA if your TEAS score is outstanding.
- Interview with the schools interested in you. This is used at a litmus to make sure you’re a match with the school of your choice. You’ll need to make sure your vaccinations are up to date, and you may need a copy of your background check to hand in.
- Know why you want to be a nurse. During the eligibility review session, this is usually the first question asked of you.
Nurses' Advice:
If, for whatever reason, you miss the application deadline or you don’t get accepted on the first try, you can always re-apply. Don't get discouraged. A tip that many nurses share is to take a certified nursing assistant (CNA) course over the summer, and then work part time as a CNA to gain experience while waiting for admission.
WHAT IF YOU END UP ON A WAITING LIST?
You might have what every nursing school wants, yet not all your stars align and you end up waitlisted. It just may be that the program is already filled, but do not get discouraged.
Most nursing programs have a limited number of seats, and they tend to fill up rather quickly. If you’re one of many placed on the list, here are a few things you can do while you wait:
- Definitely accept the spot on the waitlist; you can always decline it later.
- Go to a community college or trade school to get some of those prerequisites out of the way.
- Call the admissions office and let them know you’re really interested in attending the nursing program.
- Apply to more schools.
Wherever you end up, whether it’s your first, second, or only choice, make sure the school runs an accredited nursing program. Accreditation matters because only students who enroll in an accredited nursing school are eligible to take the NCLEX exam. Passing the NCLEX is necessary if you want to become licensed.
HOW HARD IS NURSING SCHOOL?
You could ask 100 nursing students their thoughts on school, and you’ll get that many different answers. Like any program, it is what you make of it. You can only do as well as the amount of effort you put in. If school comes easy for you, then you may have an easier time. If you have always had to put a lot of concentration into your studies, then you’ll likely find your nursing program no different. The average retention rate for nursing school is over 90 percent.
HOW DO I PASS THE NCLEX?
Big exams can be daunting and stressful. Cramming for this exam is ineffective. The exam is cumulative, meaning it tests you on everything learned throughout your nursing school career. So taking your time to review your material and prepare can set you up for success.
Passing the NCLEX is the final step to take before you can officially call yourself a nurse. To pass this exam, you’ll need to:
- Diligently study (recommended daily), for months leading up to this exam.
- Know that there will be multiple choice questions that may appear to have many right answers. You'll need to know the material well to be able to select the "most correct" answer.
- There are prep courses available both online and in the classroom.
- You can find many free practice tests to help you study.
- The test is computerized, so you won't need pencils, pens, scantrons, etc.
- The questions are drag and drop, multiple choice, hot spots, and chart/exhibits.
- You need to answer 75 questions right, and every wrong answer adds a question to the end of the test with 256 questions maximum possible.
- It can take up to six hours to complete the NCLEX.
- Results can take around six weeks to receive.
- If you didn’t do well the first time, you can retake it after 45 days.
Once you pass the NCLEX, you can start the job hunting process!
JOB OUTLOOK AND SALARY INFORMATION FOR REGISTERED NURSES
The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that nursing is an in-demand and profitable career. It reports that nurses in 2021 earned an average of $82,750, with the top 10 percent making $120,250. The BLS also reports that demand for nurses is expected to steadily increase 6 percent by 2031, which is about as fast as the national average for all careers.
In the end, getting a nursing job — especially your first one — will be based on your competitively high GPA and NCLEX score. It is an extremely rewarding career path with many options for you to leverage.
Get started today by applying to local nursing schools!