Health Care Professionals Group

How many years of education are required to become a nurse? Different kinds of nurses?

I just recently gained an interest in becoming a nurse. I never had before. How many years of education are required? And how many different kinds of nurses are there? Or is there just a "registered nurse"? Also, if there are different kinds of nurses, which one is paid the best? Thank you!

Public Comments

1. i would say 4-6 years
2. You can become a registered nurse with 2 years of college (an Associate's Degree) if you are going full-time. In nursing school, you learn a little about all kinds of nursing but you do not specialize until you graduate and get a job as a nurse. You can also go to a 4-year college and graduate with a Bachelor's in nursing, but you won't generally be paid any more for this, or get a better job unless you are interested in management. You can also get your BSN at a later time, while you are working as an RN. Another option is to become an LPN (licensed practical nurse), which you can do in about a year, but they make much less than an RN and many areas (such as ER and L&D ) will not hire you, and your practice will be limited. This would be a good option if you want to finish fast and work in a nursing home.