---
title: Your Guide to Becoming a Registered Nurse
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/your-guide-to-becoming-a-registered-nurse/"
type: post
date_published: 2016-03-29
date_modified: 2016-03-29
schema:
  @type: Article
language: en-US
word_count: 510
reading_time: 3 min
canonical: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/your-guide-to-becoming-a-registered-nurse/"
categories:
  - Nursing School
topic:
  - Nursing
---

# Your Guide to Becoming a Registered Nurse

After careful consideration of what you want to do with your life, you’ve
decided the colorful scrubs, nursing shoes, and late-night shifts of a nurse
will suit you well. But more importantly, you did your research of what it means
to be a nurse. You may have gone deep into your research to understand what
registered nurses earn, and the projected growth of the profession. There’s more
to pursuing a career than knowing the job growth and expected salary range; you
will learn
[how to become a registered nurse](https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/how-to-become-a-registered-nurse/)
at Arizona College. We give you a healthy balance of hands-on training and
theoretical knowledge so you can get certified and begin a career in an
exciting, rewarding field.

Let’s take a look at how to become a registered nurse:

**Research Schooling Routes**

Approximately 60% of registered nurses are working in healthcare institutions
with associates degrees. Those who choose to obtain their Bachelor of Science in
Nursing (BSN) may find themselves better prepared to pass their licensing exam,
not to they may mention having an easier time finding a job once they’re
licensed. Once you’ve decided the type of degree you’d like to work towards, you
should then research a list of desired schools and their minimum education
requirements. For example, here’s
[Arizona College’s Bachelors of Science in Nursing requirements.](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/nursing/nursing-program-information/)

**Complete a Program**

An Associate Degree in Nursing typically takes two years to finish while a BSN
degree will take three to four years of dedicated coursework, clinical rotations
and laboratory experience. At Arizona College, our graduates are required to
complete nine semesters or 120 credits consisting of 50 lower division credits
and 70 upper division credits. As part of the program students complete 877
hours.

**Pass Licensing Exam **

After a few short years of rewarding hard work, you’ll have a degree in hand and
will be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered
Nurse (NCLEX-RX) exam to validate your dedicated studying. It’s important to
remember that each of our 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia have
their own specific requirements to getting licensed. If you plan to work in a
state you did not attend nursing school in, take the time to research any
additional steps or information that may be applicable to your situation.

**Get Employed**

You’ve passed your licensing exam and are ready to start helping people on a
daily basis. Nurses work in a variety of environments like hospitals, doctor’s
offices, schools, nursing homes, home healthcare, military bases, correctional
facilities and mental homes. Learn what a day in the life of a registered nurse
is like here.

The first and biggest step to become a registered nurse is to find a program
that’s best for you. Fill out the Request Information form to learn how Arizona
College can help you realize your dreams today!

---

_Information in this blog post is accurate as of March 29, 2016._

**Categories:** Nursing School