I'm glad that you want to go further and fulfill your dream. If you want to get your degree as an RN, this what you need to do to get your degree in RN, do a research of what school you want to go then talk to enrollment counselor, tell them what degree you then they can see what classes you need to take. You will be on your way to fulfilling your dream.

Catherine, if being a RN is your first career love, go for it. Don't keep putting it off and putting it off because many years down the road you will be looking back on your life with regret. I'm sure you will be a great RN because you have the passion for it. So my words of advise is don't waste anymore time piddling around. Just do it, and be the best that you can be.

Go to indeed.com or careerbuilder.com. My Mother was an LVN for about 40 years. Employers really do look at those sites. I personally have gotten numerous jobs from those site because an Employer seen my resume.

Hi Catharine. Congratulations for having the insight to have a goal in mind. I believe it is admirable that you want to become an RN. A 4 year school will give you a BSN and you might be able to transfer some of your credits from your degree you already have. Your best bet is to look to see what colleges near you that have nursing programs, program content, and speak with one of their counselor/advisors. I wish you luck. God Bless.

I'm an RN with 30 years experience. I went to a diploma program ,now they want a BSN. I would see what credits you can transfer & go from there . I would get a BSN most hospitals want you to have one.

Guess you told Reginald, Mrs Whitted. Lol. Or did Reginald tell Mrs Whitted? Perhaps a bit of both.

Catherine,

You've gotten ideas from a great many people. You want to be an RN. Know matter how you slice it, cost and time will be a factor. Regardless, the question is, do you want to attend a Junior College, that's cost effective, but require that you have all your prerequisite completed or working on your last one. Prerequisite will take a minimum of a year. You will need a minimum of 4 pre-req. Most ADN programs select students based on their GPA, at least in California. If money is an issue, like it is most people, apply for every grant and scholarship you can find. Some of the private school may not take your medical assistant certification, others will. It will be a procees, one requiring time and effort. I cannot tell you what's best for you. But because I new early on that I would be a nurse one day, I started off as a CNA, did that for 11 years, followed by the LVN for 7, then the RN for 22. I recieved my BSN 5 years ago. During my CNA era, I became a medical assistant, certified phlebotomist, EKG technician and a certified ward clerk.

I do know that my CNA hospital experience made it easier for me to get my LVN and my LVN made it easier for me to get my RN. It was a building block. To this day, 40 years later, I look at my CNA experience as my claim to fame, that's where it all started. Catherine, you will have to do the work. You will have to excuse. It's easy to see I like building blocks. Getting the ADN first will get you working faster, and serve as a building block for BSN, Masters or Doctorate. Deciding which route to take is not as easy as some would think, because we all have responsibilities, children, elderly parents, etc. Catherine if I can be of any help on the nursing side, let me know. If you were married to a military man, you could his educational benefits. Someone already mentioned help you can get from the admission adviser. Make sure you talk to someone who genuinely have your best interest at heart. Someone who want to see you succeed and you will. You will be a great nurse. I wish you continued success.

I would start by finding out two things: 1) Are there any RN programs that that will accept a two-year degree. There was a big fight in the nursing world a while back about people with two-year degrees calling themselves RN's versus those who had four-year BS degrees. The full RN route used to take 5 years. Another option is to join one of the military branches with a guarantee that they will put you through school. You would come out an officer with an obligation to serve a number of years. And if you came out of the military as a trained surgical or ER nurse you could make 6 figures.

Hope it helps.

You have two options. The first option, and the one I most recommend is to go an accredited nursing program at a major university. The other path is to go to a "for profit" nursing school such as AUHS. The AUHS will be expensive, but will get you a nursing degree. Despite my negative feelings about "for profit" programs they are very successful in getting student past the boards and into a job. The more classical route will get you a nursing degree at a much cheaper cost, and it will expose you to a number of career opportunities that are a blend of clinical sciences and the nursing profession. -Dan

Catherine: I would like to apologize for Reginold's comment. It is hard to assess tone when writing a message.....and I am afraid he came across as snarky. You know what you want to do! That is 90 percent of the battle right there girlfriend! You already have a lot going for you. I would suggest that you think about working at a hospital - for now. Most of them will pay for you to go to nursing school. AND you will probably get through it much quicker than someone with no medical experience. Just start looking now and getting on waiting lists as most schools of nursing have long waits. You can do anything you set your mind to. You are going to be a fabulous nurse.