Nurse how long is nursing school

Nursing school can take anywhere from four weeks to eight years to complete, depending on what type of nurse you want to become and which educational path you choose. Being a nurse is not easy, and neither is the process of becoming one. Whether your goal is to become a CNA, an RN, or any other kind of nurse, you’ll need to complete classroom-based courses, clinical rotations, and certification tests. This article will teach you more about what and how long it takes to become a nurse.

How Long Does Nursing School Take?

Nursing school can take anywhere from four weeks to eight years to complete, depending on your nursing specialty and educational path. As with many career paths, the more opportunity and leadership roles you want to access as a nurse, the more schooling you’ll need to complete. However you go about it, though, each nursing program will generally start with classroom training, where you’ll learn the basics needed to perform your nursing duties. You’ll also likely have some lab training where you’ll get hands-on training on how to do your job. After you’ve completed the necessary classroom nursing work, you’ll usually move into clinical rotations. This will allow you to get a feel for the medical facilities where you’ll be working and learn how to do your job in real life. You may be able to visit multiple types of healthcare facilities so you can get a feel for what you like best or learn the variety of skills you’ll need to be successful wherever you end up working. Usually, you’ll still have some coursework to complete while you’re in these clinical settings, so be ready to hit the books during your time outside of your clinical work as well. To graduate from your nursing program, you’ll usually have to pass one or more standardized tests to make sure that you’re competent enough to have completed your training and earned your license. Some programs have additional national or state tests that you can only qualify for after you’ve graduated as well.

Nursing Degree Programs

Here are a few of the degree programs you can complete to become a nurse. Note that these don’t include certificate nurse training programs.

• Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN): This program will allow you to become a Registered Nurse (RN), and it usually takes two to three years to complete, plus however long it takes you to study for and pass the Registered Nurse licensure exam (NCLEX-RN) after you graduate.

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): This is a traditional four-year degree program that will allow you to become an RN. Because it’s a longer, more comprehensive program than ADN programs, RNs with BSNs often have the opportunity for higher pay and more leadership roles than those with ADNs.

  ADNs can complete a one- to two-year RN to BSN program to obtain this bachelor’s degree and open up those additional opportunities as well.

• Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN): MSN programs are for RNs who have already graduated with their BSN and want to continue their education. Completing these programs can provide additional research and leadership opportunities, as well as ethics, community and public health, and other specialized training.

  MSNs usually get paid more than other RNs do, they have even more leadership opportunities available to them, and they can also get specialized certifications that open up additional roles. They also often qualify to become a Nurse Practitioner.

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP): For nurses with MSNs who want to gain the highest level of nursing expertise, a DNP degree is the best path to doing this.

  This is a terminal degree that usually takes two to four years to complete (depending on what other degrees you have), and it allows graduates to provide direct care and hold leadership roles. It often is a prerequisite for many Advanced Practice Nursing positions as well.

• Ph.D. in Nursing: This is also a terminal nursing degree, but it is designed more for nurses who want to conduct research or teach nursing than for those who want to work as nurses, even though they are qualified to provide direct care.

  You’ll need an MSN to qualify for this program, and then it will take you at least three years to complete your Ph.D. program, depending on the particular program and if you’re taking classes full-time or part-time.

When you’re looking into these degree programs, note that many of these degree programs offer longer versions that allow you to gain your necessary prerequisite degrees along the way. So if, for example, you want to get your MSN, but you only have an associate’s degree, look for an MSN program that will also provide you with the coursework necessary to complete your BSN at the same time. It will take longer, but you’ll be able to do both at once.

Nursing Certificate Programs and Career Paths

In addition to degree programs, there are multiple nursing certificate programs as well. Some of these require a degree in nursing or another field, but others only require a high school diploma.

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): Also called Nurse’s Aides, Nursing Assistants, or Patient Care Aides, CNAs support and report to RNs and LPNs. They often work directly with patients, providing basic hygiene, mobility, and health care, and they are often employed by hospitals, nursing homes, or home care services.

  While CNAs don’t usually get paid as well or have the leadership opportunities that RNs have, their programs only take four to 12 weeks to complete and don’t require a degree, making it a great post-high school professional program. Many community colleges, local hospitals, or vocational training schools offer these programs, making them affordable as well.

• Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN): Also known as Licensed Vocational Nurses, LPNs work alongside RNs dispensing medications, taking vital signs, recording patient histories, giving immunizations, and performing other basic medical tasks. However, they don’t have the scope of responsibility or authority that RNs have.

  LPN programs can take six months to two years to complete, depending on the program and if you’re able to take classes full-time or not, but most of the time, it takes about a year to obtain your professional LPN certification.

• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA): CRNAs are Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who are trained in providing anesthesia-related care before, during, and after surgical procedures or other procedures that require anesthesia.

  These nurses are required to have a BSN degree, a few years of nursing experience, and have completed their CRNA certification program, which usually takes two to three years to complete. In 2025, these requirements will change to require an MSN degree.

• Nurse Practitioner (NP): Nurse Practitioners are also Advanced Practice Registered Nurses who have completed their MSN or DNP degree programs.

  These nurses can provide more care than RNs can and, in many places, can even diagnose, treat, and prescribe medications like doctors, which makes them valuable in medically underserved areas. To become an NP, you’ll need to be an RN, earn your BSN, and complete a Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice program. These latter two programs usually take two to four years to complete, plus the time it takes to pass certification tests.

How Long Is Nursing School FAQ

1. How long do most nurses go to school?

   Most nurses go to school for one to six years. The amount of time it takes to become a nurse varies greatly by what type of nurse you want to become. Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), for instance, usually can complete their training programs in a few weeks to a few months. However, people who earn their P.h.D.s in Nursing can spend ten years going to school before they graduate with their doctoral degrees. The average RN, however, attends school for two to four years. These nurses either complete their Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN), which takes two to three years to finish, or their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), which takes about four years. Depending on the person and the program, however, these programs may take longer to complete (they rarely can be completed in a shorter time due to clinical hour requirements). After ADN and BSN students graduate, they also both have to take the NCLEX-RN exam, which, upon passing it, will grant them their national RN license. This usually only takes a few months to study for and take.

2. How long will it take me to finish as a nurse?

   It will take you two to six years to become a nurse. Becoming an RN requires an Associate’s Degree in Nursing, which takes about two to three years to complete, or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, which takes four to six years to complete. The varying length of time to complete these programs involves several factors. One of these is that in addition to nursing classes and clinical hours, both of these programs require a certain number of general education hours, which many high school students can complete during high school. This can cut down on the length of time they need to spend in nursing school if their programs allow them to graduate early (some don’t because it’s too difficult to fit all of the required courses and clinical hours into a shorter length of time). Another factor that influences how long it takes to become a nurse is the program you attend. Some bachelor’s degree programs actually take six years to complete, for example, so be sure to look out for this when you’re choosing a nursing school. RNs aren’t the only type of nurse, however, and depending on what type of nurse you want to be, it can take you anywhere from six months to ten years to finish all of your schoolings.

3. What are the steps of becoming a nurse?

   To become a nurse, you’ll need to complete your degree or professional certification program and pass any certification tests. Each type of nurse has different program requirements, but generally, they all have an element of classroom work and clinical work. This allows you to build a solid foundation of knowledge before beginning your hands-on training in working medical facilities. The exact training you’ll receive will look different for each program, but this is the general structure of each one. As you progress in your nursing degree levels, you’ll probably see some additional opportunities to conduct research as well. Once you complete your nursing school program, you’ll usually need to pass a standardized licensing test. These vary by the type of nurse you’re becoming, but each one requires this in some form. Some programs may also have additional exams or optional specialized exams you have to pass before you can graduate.