Ten Steps to Becoming a Nurse

Do you want to become a nurse but don’t know where to start out? Here is a ten step guide that will help you find the way. You will learn about the nursing profession, find out about the educational requirements and certifications, and you’ll discover tips on how to survive your first year as a nurse. This guide is meant for prospective, current, and second career nurses.

• Learn Everything You Can About The Nursing Profession

• Find Your Path to the RN Title

• Choose the Nursing School That Fits You

• Get In To The School of Your Choice

• Complete Your RN Program – What to Expect

• Decide on a Specialty

• Pass the NCLEX

• Consider Possibilities For Your First Job

• Get Hired

• Get Prepared For Your First Year As A Nurse

Get Prepared For Your First Year As A Nurse

The first year on the job is often the toughest for new nursing graduates, especially those who work in hospitals. In fact, new nurse graduates account for more than half of the turnover rate in some hospitals, according to a study published in 2007 by Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing researchers.

“There really are multiple reasons for [the first-year exodus],” says Patricia Benner, RN, PhD, professor at the University of California, San Francisco and a senior scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. “One is that nursing practice is incredibly complex. Over the past 60 years, the transfer of responsibility to nursing from medicine has been incredible. I think society doesn’t typically recognize that.”

Get Hired

You will be happy to find out that getting hired is truly “the easy step.” In nursing school, the employers come to you. as you will find yourself at many career fairs, with nurse recruiters from local hospitals trying to entice you with their cool pens and magnets. Do not be dazzled! Decide what you are looking for before the recruiters talk to you. Some things to consider include doing share time. Call the unit or floor where you would like to work and schedule some time to shadow a nurse. This simply means that you will spend some time observing a nurse at work so you can get a feel for how the unit operates, and whether or not you feel you will fit in.

Consider Possibilities For Your First Job

There are many options for where you can work, and it may be hard to make a decision. Do your research and find out if the employers you are interested in offer orientations and support services. Observe the unit and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to jump right in and get your feet wet. You may surprise yourself.