NEED HELP!! How to become a nurse?

[Marisol_Padron]

Hey! My name is Marisol. I live in Miami, FL. I am 17 years old and currently in the process of attaining my GED. I am almost positive that I want to become nurse, however, I need information on where to start..and where it will eventually lead me. I want to be a nurse in pediatrics. Where do I start? I was told that I first needed to become a certified nursing asst. and to be sure that the school I attended was certified by the NLNAC. But i'm not sure if that is correct. Could somebody please lay it out for me? The process of becoming a nurse in pediatrics? Or just a nurse in general? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[MarkRN]

My $.02

You do not need to become a CNA first, at least it is not required. That would be a personal preference. First you have to decide if you want a BSN or ASN. You can do ASN, become an RN, and always get you BSN later, or just get your BSN first. Either way is up to you.

Then you will need to apply to the nursing school of your choice. Most schools are very competetive to get into, so do not get discouraged at first if you happen to get turned down, so either have options of schools available, or begin knocking out some pre reqs for a semester if you get turned down and then reapply.

Hope this info helps some.

Mark

[AprilRN]

Ditto Mark. But the statement you made that you are "almost positive" you want to be a nurse makes me suggest you try CNA first. NOT that the tasks themselves should decide for you. But..you can work temp in a healthcare enviroment and observe nurses and see if it's something you really want to do.

Another thing to consider...if you get a job as a CNA....many places offer scholarships to their employees.

[sierra_lpn]

Originally Posted by Marisol_Padron

Hey! My name is Marisol.

Hi Marisol, welcome to UN.

Originally Posted by Marisol_Padron

I live in Miami, FL. I am 17 years old and currently in the process of attaining my GED.

First things first. You say you are "in the process of attaining your GED." Well, you will have to HAVE your GED in hand before you can even contemplate a career in nursing. Don't jump the gun. It's good to have a goal, but take things one step at a time. Don't put too many things on your plate at once.

Originally Posted by Marisol_Padron

I am almost positive that I want to become nurse, however, I need information on where to start..and where it will eventually lead me.

"Almost positive" isn't a good enough reason to dive into a 2-4 year educational commitment, nor a professional commitment. Do your research FIRST. Your local community college should have a class available that can pair you off with a nurse in order to better explore your career possibilities. At my CC, it was a class called "career exploration."

Originally Posted by Marisol_Padron

I want to be a nurse in pediatrics. Where do I start?

To be absolutely blunt here, Marisol, you don't have enough experience in a hospital setting to know WHAT kind of nurse you want to be. I count count on my hands and feet (not to generalize; nevertheless,) how many young girls in nursing school who wanted to be NICU nurses, only to freak out when they had to resuscitate a preemie in CA; or how many young male nursing students who wanted to work the ED, only to bilge out because they could not handle the stress.

Get your degree FIRST, then work several different departments. Start with a basic, like Med/Surg. Get your sea legs, then explore other possibilities. Your specialty will usually find you...

Originally Posted by Marisol_Padron

I was told that I first needed to become a certified nursing asst. and to be sure that the school I attended was certified by the NLNAC.

That information is incorrect. You will need, however, to complete several pre-nursing classes BEFORE applying to nursing school. You will need to do well in these classes, as competition for slots in almost all nursing programs are intense. A bunch of C's won't cut it when you are up against students with all A's.

These classes differ depending on the "type" of nursing you are after [LPN/LVN, RN, BSN, etc.] However, some of the ones you will have to take are:

English 1A
Math (a certain level of math comprehension will be needed to pass Pharmacology)
Anatomy and Physiology (or a combined course called A&P)
Nutrition
Psychology
Human Development and Family

(and possibly some others)

You will need to brush up on your intermediate math skills and algebra, as well as your English comprehension and spelling skills.

CNA's are the bottom rung of the medical ladder, and therefore are assigned all the "dirty work." There have been many discussions on many nursing forums pertaining to whether or not it would behoove nursing students to work as CNA's before deciding to fully embrace nursing as a profession. I do not know where I fall in such an argument, but in some cases, it does weed out those who want to be nurses because of an episode of "ER" they saw on television. I suppose that debate, along with the LPN-LVN/RN/ADN/BSN debate, will continue into the foreseeable future.

[Marisol_Padron]

Thanks for all the responses. You all were very helpful..i'll be sure to come back here if I need more help!!

[mshep12]

Marisol, I hope you check back to this thread, because I've used a site that helped me sooo much in deciding where to go in the nursing field. It lays out the differences between the degrees you can get to become a nurse and explains career options with those degrees.

Please look into it. Advice is all well and good, but sometimes it's more reassuring to have it down in black and white...http://www.nursingprograms.com/nursi...nt-certificate , http://www.nursingprograms.com/rn-registered-nurse