One question, that people who are interested in doing nursing programs, want to answer is "how long will it take?" The short answer is, it depends on which course you want to take.
To decide what course you want to take, we have some great articles in our articles section. To summarize, if you have no nursing degree or experience, but have a high school diploma, your options are becoming a Certified Nursing Aide (CNA), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or Registered Nurse (RN).
A CNA course can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks, depending on the state and the school that you apply to. A CNA is a quick return prospect, however know that a CNA is not officially a nurse.
An LPN course usually takes about a year or two. It depends on your state, the school, and if you have any exemptions. Exemptions take the form of a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field. If you have a degree in nursing then you can become an RN and if you a degree in a non-nursing field you will be exempt from many core classes like English and history.
There are multiple routes to become an RN, which one you take depends on your current qualifications and what your future career plans are. If you are a high school graduate and becoming an RN is just one step in your career then you will want to do a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN). A BSN takes four years without any exemptions, exemptions, like a degree in a non-nursing field, may be able to cut it down a maximum of two years. Otherwise, in most states you can do an Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN), which takes two years after high school. However, with an ADN, you will have trouble getting promotions into management and will not be allowed to specialize as an RN.
If you already have a ADN and want to go for a BSN, usually it takes two years, however there are a few accelerated courses available online, you will have to request more information about them. There is also the option of an ADN-to-MSN accelerated course, which will get you a Master's of Science in Nursing. An MSN usually takes two years after a BSN, however in the accelerated course you can shave a year off by getting a BSN and MSN after an ADN in three years.
Most nursing management degrees, like an MBA in Healthcare, or a Master's in Healthcare Administration (MHA) take two years after a BSN. Choose wisely, read some more articles in our articles section and request more information if you are interested in any of these course.
