3-Steps on How to Become a Registered Nurse in 2024 (RN)
We break down the process of becoming an RN into three easy steps - read on to get started on your nursing journey!
Deciding to join the ranks of healthcare’s foot soldiers as a registered nurse (RN) can feel like a big undertaking. We want to help! Browse our Guides for everything you ever wanted to know, and probably more, about how to become an RN.
Click here to learn more about what an RN does and whether this career fits you.
Step 1: Finding the Right Nursing School
Nurses are the foot soldiers of the healthcare system. They are the gateway between patients and physicians and are the voice for those who cannot advocate for themselves. Nurses hold the power to make or break a patient's day and can bring happiness into a situation where it seems only sadness will prevail. Being a nurse is a huge responsibility, but with that comes vast rewards and personal satisfaction in helping someone who is in need and can not help themselves. Many begin the process with entry-level nursing options but aspire to continue their education and climb the ranks within the nursing field.
Start with local schools and compare accreditation, NCLEX-RN “pass rates,” course syllabi, cost, waitlists, and program length. The program you choose should be appropriately accredited for many reasons, have average or better NCLEX-RN “pass rates,” and fit into your personal decisions about cost, length, and location. One must also consider the entrance examination process, making passing the TEAS test a mandatory prerequisite for entry into nursing school. We provide an abundance of information on these issues!
We can help you find your way through the education process and beyond and help you keep looking forward to the day when you can call yourself a "Registered Nurse!"
LEARN MORE – Choosing an RN School, LPN to RN Program, or CNA to RN Program
Compare RN Program Accreditation
Compare the Costs of RN Programs
Finding creative ways to pay for nursing school to become a registered nurse (RN) can feel overwhelming and self-defeating. But we can help you find resources and ways of thinking outside the box to finance school.
Equally important is considering the "hidden costs" of nursing school, tips and tricks in applying for grants and financial aid, the trade-off of lost wages versus working during school, and more.
If you want to become a registered nurse, the money will come! Let us help you find it!
LEARN MORE – Cost of RN Programs
Find RN Programs in Your State
Each state may have different requirements for becoming a Registered Nurse. To find out specific requirements, click on your state.
- AL Alabama
- AK Alaska
- AZ Arizona
- AR Arkansas
- CA California
- CO Colorado
- CT Connecticut
- DE Delaware
- DC Washington, DC
- FL Florida
- GA Georgia
- HI Hawaii
- ID Idaho
- IL Illinois
- IN Indiana
- IA Iowa
- KS Kansas
- KY Kentucky
- LA Louisiana
- ME Maine
- MD Maryland
- MA Massachusetts
- MI Michigan
- MN Minnesota
- MS Mississippi
- MO Missouri
- MT Montana
- NE Nebraska
- NV Nevada
- NH New Hampshire
- NJ New Jersey
- NM New Mexico
- NY New York
- NC North Carolina
- ND North Dakota
- OH Ohio
- OK Oklahoma
- OR Oregon
- PA Pennsylvania
- RI Rhode Island
- SC South Carolina
- SD South Dakota
- TN Tennessee
- TX Texas
- UT Utah
- VT Vermont
- VA Virginia
- WA Washington
- WV West Virginia
- WI Wisconsin
- WY Wyoming
Step 2: Complete Your RN Program and Pass the NCLEX-RN
Making it through nursing school can be difficult, especially when balancing work, family, and other personal commitments. We have great information on how to make it all come together and create the right mindset to get through RN school. You can do it!
So, what is nursing school going to be like? Many potential students want to know what they are in for.
Work/Life Balance During School
Nursing school will mold a non-healthcare person into a detail-oriented, perfectionist, think-outside-the-box critical thinker. To do this, the rules are strict, the instructors are tough, and the coursework is challenging. Many nurses reflect that nursing school was one of the hardest things they've ever done, but hardly any ever regret that decision.
To be in a position of being able to save a human life is a great responsibility. Nursing school works to find which of those students are not cut out for it and push and mold the students who are into great nurses.
While all this is challenging, frustrating, and demanding, remember that nursing school graduation day is the most exhilarating feeling you may ever have! Keep looking forward, and let us provide all you need to make it to that glorious graduation day!
LEARN MORE – What to Expect During & After RN School
NCLEX-RN Help & Advice
The NCLEX-RN is the exam required after completing a nursing school program before the graduate can start working as a nurse. The State licenses registered nurses, which is the exam that must be passed to earn a license. Nursing schools work hard to prepare their students to pass this exam. We offer NCLEX-RN practice test questions, resources, tips, and other information on preparing for and passing the NCLEX-RN exam.
LEARN MORE – NCLEX-RN Exam Guide
Step 3: Find a Registered Nursing Job
Once you have passed the NCLEX-RN and have a nursing license, you can find a job as an RN! We offer some great tips and tricks for an effective RN job search, where to start looking, how to build a fantastic resume, and how to show your best self during an interview. Finally, once you’re employed, how to be the best RN intern you can be!
There has never been a better time to become a registered nurse! We can help you find the right school, navigate the ups and downs of nursing school, pass the NCLEX-RN, find a job, and become the best new graduate RN you can be! We also offer discussions about hot topics in the industry, tips and tricks, and much more!
Finally, it’s nursing school graduation day! It’s such a huge accomplishment! Be proud of all you've done and all you will do in the future to help and heal patients who need you.
But, first things first, let us help you find a job.
By now, you probably have an idea of what area of nursing you're most interested in. We can help you create a fantastic resume to show employers your best self and get your foot in the door with your first-choice facility.
LEARN MORE – Types of RN Careers and RN Resume & Career Search
Tips and Tricks on a Great RN Interview
The resume worked, and your dazzling personality and education have shined through on paper. Now, let us help you make a great impression and get you through the interview process to land your dream job as a registered nurse!
This Guide includes tips and tricks for making a big splash during your interview, how to dress, what to do and not to do during a nursing interview, and how to be an incredible new graduate nurse once you land that job.
Congratulations on making considerable strides to better your future!
LEARN MORE – RN Interview Tips
How to Find an RN Job
What do RNs do, exactly, and where do they work?
These are great questions, and we have much information to help you understand exactly what you'd be getting into.
Nurses have one of the most versatile jobs there is. A nurse can choose to be an "adrenaline junkie" and work in intense, high-stress environments or decide to take it slower with lower-stress positions and everything in between! In nursing, there is an excellent position for everyone and the right job for every personality and temperament.
This guide offers a wealth of information about almost every nursing specialty!
LEARN MORE – Working as an RN and Registered Nursing Jobs.
Once you become an RN and start employment, perhaps you’ll consider continuing your education. If you are an ADN or diploma-educated RN, you might consider leveling up your career by enrolling in an RN to BSN program. Maybe you’ll choose to increase your salary with a high-paying RN specialty such as an advanced practice RN. You must return to the classroom for additional education to take this next step, but there are plenty of graduate nursing programs available, such as the Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Luckily, RegisteredNursing.org has collected information on every registered nursing program and school in the U.S.
Learn more about the following types of APRN programs: nurse practitioner programs, CRNA programs, midwifery programs, specialized nursing certifications, post-graduate certificate programs, and more.
You’ll also want to see our RN License Transfer and NLC Guide if you intend to work outside of the state where you became certified.