How to Become an RN: A 5-Step Guide

Wondering if you’d like to learn how to become an RN? Do you enjoy helping others? Interested in learning about the human body, medical treatments, and disease? If you answered yes to these questions, and you’re looking for a career with endless opportunities for growth and development, this article on how to become a registered nurse can shed some more light on this path.

The nursing profession makes up the largest healthcare profession in the U.S., and working as a nurse comes with a range of perks. When you think about the top qualities of nurses, you might imagine compassion, empathy, and patience.

Being a great nurse certainly requires these attributes, but you’ll also need technical nursing skills, critical thinking, and a license to practice backed by formal training. We’ll explore your RN education options, plus we’ll answer some common questions including:

• What is a registered nurse?
• What does a registered nurse do?
• How long does it take to become a nurse?
• What are the steps to become an RN?

What Is a Registered Nurse?

A registered nurse is a licensed healthcare professional who has completed either an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for registered nurses, and obtained licensure from their state board of nursing.

An RN is one of a handful of types of nursing licenses. These licenses signify different levels of education and training and determine a nurse’s scope of practice. In other words, your license type reflects what you’re legally authorized to do in your nursing job.

An RN scope of practice is broader than that of a licensed practical nurse (LPN), known as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) in California and Texas. Practical/vocational nurses provide basic nursing care under the supervision of RNs or physicians. Learn more about an LPN vs. RN.

An RN has a smaller scope of practice than an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), such as a nurse practitioner (NP). An NP scope of practice can include prescribing medication, monitoring and educating patients, and planning care. In some states, NPs practice independently. Becoming an NP requires, at minimum, completing a master’s of science in nursing (MSN) after becoming an RN.

What Does a Registered Nurse Do?

In a nutshell, a registered nurse provides and coordinates care, educates patients and their families, and advocates for patient well-being in various settings.

So what does a registered nurse do daily? The answer will largely depend on where you work and the types of patients you serve. There’s so much you can do with a nursing degree, but here are some examples of common nursing duties in various healthcare settings:

Emergency Department RN in a Hospital

• Performing focused assessments
• Administering medications through various routes
• Monitoring vital signs like heart rate and blood pressure

Explore the latest RN ER jobs on IntelyCare.

RN in a Hospice Facility

• Monitoring patient’s pain and discomfort levels
• Educating family on end-of-life goals and interventions
• Keeping patients as comfortable as possible

Explore the latest hospice RN jobs on IntelyCare.

Labor and Delivery RN in a Birthing Center

• Operating bedside medical equipment such as fetal heart rate monitors and blood glucose tests
• Collaborating with multidisciplinary team members, including nurse midwives (CNMs), anesthesiologists, and physicians
• Placing and maintaining IVs, foley catheters, and more

Explore the latest labor and delivery RN jobs on IntelyCare.

RN in an Elementary School

• Conducting health screenings and managing chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes
• Providing first aid and emergency care for injuries or illnesses
• Educating students and staff on health and wellness topics

Explore the latest school RN jobs on IntelyCare.

Psychiatric RN in a Community Clinic

• Conducting mental health assessments and developing care plans
• Administering medications and monitoring patient responses
• Facilitating therapy sessions and support groups

Explore the latest psychiatric RN jobs on IntelyCare.

Regardless of setting, when you’re learning how to become an RN, you’ll find that your duties also include completing administrative work related to patient care, and assisting doctors by being the first line of information about patients.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse?

It can take anywhere from two to four years to learn how to become a registered nurse — it depends on what nursing degree you want to obtain. An ADN takes around two years to complete; a BSN takes around four years.

If you’re less interested in nursing leadership or non-clinical roles, getting an ADN might be the best choice. This is also the preferred path if you’re thinking about how to become an RN fast.

Want to invest in a four-year degree that opens you up to more career opportunities in the long term? Sounds like you want to know how to become an RN with a BSN. With this path, your RN education will be more comprehensive, so it’s no surprise that employers tend to prefer to hire BSN-prepared nurses.

Learn more about the difference between ADN vs. BSN degrees.

How to Become an RN: 5 Steps

In addition to the satisfaction you’ll get from caring for others, becoming an RN is a wise career move. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job growth for registered nurses is projected to be 6% in the next decade — that’s faster than the average for all other occupations. Below, we break down the steps to become an RN.

Step 1: Understand Your Options to Make a Plan

Once you’ve decided on the type of program you want to pursue, you’ll need to do some research to know your specific options. For example:

• Online nursing programs offer remote learners more opportunities to go to class from home, and some are self-paced or part time.
• Direct-entry programs are great for BSN-seekers who already have a previous non-nursing degree.
• Accelerated programs are great for go-getters who want to hit the ground running in their nursing education.

As you’re evaluating a program, don’t pick one just because it looks like you can get in. Do some research first. Find out:

• Is the program accredited?
• Do their students tend to pass the NCLEX?
• Do student reviews reflect positive experiences?

Nursing school teaches you how to become an RN — and nursing classes can be quite hard — but being in a good program will help you lay a strong foundation as you’re obtaining RN training.

Step 2: Complete Requirements and Apply

Once you’ve decided on the type of nursing program you want to pursue, familiarize yourself with the specific admission requirements of the programs you’re interested in.

If you’re pursuing an ADN or BSN, here are some of the pre-degree requirements you’ll likely need to meet:

• Prerequisite courses
• GPA requirements (many schools require a minimum 3.0)
• CPR certification
• Previous transcripts
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statements or essays
• A standardized test, such as the TEAS, HESI, or NLN-PAX

Step 3: Complete a Nursing Program

Once you’re admitted, you’ll begin the challenging yet rewarding journey of nursing school. Many nurses recall this part of their career as demanding — you’ll be juggling intensive classes and exams, as well as lab time, clinicals, and study. Some of the RN training courses you’ll take in an ADN or BSN program include:

• Community health nursing
• Health assessment
• Med-surg or fundamentals
• Mental health nursing
• Pathophysiology
• Pediatric nursing
• Pharmacology
• Women’s health and obstetrics

Clinical placements teach you how to become an RN from hands-on learning experiences. You’ll apply classroom knowledge to real patients under the supervision of an instructor. During school, you’ll rotate to different areas, like hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, newborn wards, and more. For your first few semesters, you’ll be with a group of your peers, but in later rotations, you’ll be assigned a preceptor nurse as you begin working more independently.

Many nursing students find jobs before they graduate. You’ll likely start applying to roles in nursing residency programs during your last semesters, and interviewing for them in your last few months of school. These roles are contingent upon you completing school and gaining licensure.

In the final weeks of school, you’ll also complete your state nursing board’s requirements to register for the licensure exam. Requirements may include a background check, fingerprints, and application fees. If you live in a nursing compact state, you may also be eligible to work in other states by obtaining a multi-state license.

Step 4: Get Licensed

Once you’ve graduated from nursing school, you deserve to celebrate! It’s a significant accomplishment, but you’ve got one more big task to check off before you can begin practicing: passing the NCLEX-RN.

The NCLEX takes up to five hours, and you’ll receive between 85 and 150 questions. Be sure to prepare well in advance for this test to give yourself the best chance of passing on the first try. Taking practice exams, reviewing materials from school, and studying with friends can help you do well. Once you pass, you can apply for licensure with your state board of nursing. If you don’t pass the first time, don’t fret. You can hit the books again and retake the NCLEX.

Step 5: Maintain Your License and Grow Your Career

Upon completing the steps to become an RN, you’ll need to maintain your license by meeting renewal requirements. RN license renewals are usually due every two years, but each state has a different schedule for submitting renewal requirements. Typically, these include a certain number of continuing education hours, working hours, or some combination of the two.

Once you’re a nurse, you could pursue a variety of nursing specialties such as geriatric, oncology, wound care, and many more. Many new graduates start in inpatient specialties like meg-surg, where they gain experience and learn where their interests lie. Don’t worry if you can’t decide on a specialty yet — many nurses start out in one area and try out several specialties during the course of their career.

After you’ve gained experience in a particular area of nursing, you may want to consider earning relevant nursing certifications that demonstrate your expertise. Gaining additional training and credentials makes you a more competitive candidate for new jobs and promotions, and they can even help you earn more income. Here are some of the top certifications for RNs:

• Nursing Professional Development (NPD-BC)
• Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
• Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
• Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification (MEDSURG-BC)
• Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)

How to Become a Registered Nurse in Your State

Best Places for RNs to Work

Because you can tailor your nursing career to your individual interests and skill set, there’s really no universal best nursing job. One RN may love working the night shift in a long-term care facility, while another RN may enjoy working in a busy urgent care in a rural area, while yet another RN may find their passion by working in the ICU in a huge city hospital.

That said, some nursing specialties have a reputation for being happier than other specialties, and some prominent healthcare employers have been recognized as especially great places to work:

• Texas Health
• Aya Healthcare
• Elevance Health
• Baptist Health South Florida
• Wellstar Health System
• Scripps Health
• Aledade

When you’re learning how to become an RN, you’ll develop preferences that will inform your career path. For example, acute care versus post-acute care; large healthcare employers versus community health roles. Wherever you land, your job prospects will likely be promising.

Nurses are in demand all over the country, but some locations employ more RNs than others. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following metropolitan areas have some of the highest levels of employment for RNs in the country:

• New York City
• Los Angeles
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Philadelphia

Registered nurses work in a number of settings. Here’s a breakdown of top healthcare settings that employ RNs, as well as the corresponding percentage:

• General medical and surgical hospitals: 30.61%
• Outpatient care centers: 15.39%
• Home health care services: 11.21%
• Offices of physicians: 7.74%
• Employment services: 3.49%

If a high salary is your goal, you’ll be interested in the top-paying states for registered nurses. Check out the following:

• California
• Hawaii
• Oregon
• Washington
• Alaska

Note that the type of healthcare setting that employs you can also impact your salary. For example, RN jobs in outpatient care centers and hospitals tend to pay higher average salaries to RNs than offices of physicians and home health care services.

For more insight on where nurses can work, take a look at all the RN jobs on IntelyCare right now.

How to Become an RN: Career FAQ

Now that you know how to become an RN, let’s take a look at some common questions surrounding the profession.

Make Nursing Fit Your Lifestyle

Would you like to know more about how to become an RN who enjoys a fulfilling career? Find out how IntelyCare can match you with the latest RN job opportunities in your specialty and location.