How to Become a Nurse: Career Guide, Courses, After 12th, Eligibility, Qualifications, Top Colleges, Jobs, Salary, Scope

Types Of Nurses 

There are more than 20 types of specialties available in the nursing department. Some of the common types are:

• Registered Nurse: According to the Bureau of labor statistics, the requirements for registered nurses will grow by 7% in the next 8 years. They provide education to patients and their families, and it plays a crucial role in helping healthcare organizations to provide quality care. Most nurses have to work with a physician team and doctors in many departments. Various registered nurses can work as a part of a healthcare team to provide proper care. A bachelor’s degree is a must for this course.
• Emergency Room Nurse: Emergency room nurses have to provide urgent care to patients who are suffering from life-threatening diseases and injuries. They must have skills like teamwork, good communication skills, and critical thinking to coordinate information among the team and try their best to save the patient's life. BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) is a recommended degree to become an ER. Many ERs can go to pursue specialized certificate courses such as cardiac, pediatric, and newborn life support.
• Medical Surgical Nurse: A medical surgical nurse has to deal with surgery in the hospital. They must possess the qualities of excellent time management and proper organizational skills as they have to take care of multiple patients at a point in time. They also need good communication skills as they have to communicate with doctors and surgical staff. A registered nurse (RN) certificate is compulsory to become a medical surgical nurse.
• Nurse Practitioner: Nurse practitioners have to provide advanced care to patients that comprises health promotion, health prevention, and disease management. The most special type of nurse practitioner is a family nurse practitioner that works with patients of all age groups. There is a need for nurse practitioners in rural and underdeveloped areas and, according to statistics, the demand for nurse practitioners will grow by up to 55% in the coming years. Candidates willing to become nurse practitioners must complete their master’s degree in nursing.
• Nurse Manager: The role of the nurse manager is to supervise the activities of the clinical path, most nurses work as an administrator that includes handling all tasks and recruitment of nurses. The experienced nurses ensure patient’s positive outcomes and make it possible for a hospital to achieve a higher standard of care. An RN certificate is required and a candidate must complete his bachelor’s in nursing or master’s in nursing (most recommended) for advanced roles.

Steps on How to Become a Nurse

Some of the key steps that should be followed in order to become a Nurse are listed below for your reference,

• Decision Making: Before going into the field of nursing, you must think thoroughly about whether you are interested in the medical field or not. You have to make your decision very wisely, because this will be one of the most important decisions in your life.
• Subject Choice: To go into the field of nursing, the candidate should choose PCB (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology) after the 10th grade and prepare for the nursing exams.
• Entrance Exam preparation: There are various entrance exams for the nursing department, such as the AIIMS nursing entrance examination, Indian Army Nursing 2023. The exams vary from institution to institution. One can prepare through online lectures provided on Youtube and practice the previous year’s question papers and through good quality study materials that are available on some websites.
• Selecting Correct Colleges: This is one of the most important and toughest tasks as there are many colleges available in India, but one has to choose the best college for a better future. Candidates must choose their college after due research and considering all the factors such as ranks, fees, etc.

How to become a nurse in India 

To become a nurse, one should be interested in the medical department and for most of the undergraduate courses and diplomas, the college requires biology as a compulsory subject.

• School Level Preparation: To become a nurse, candidates must start at the school level. They must choose the Science stream with Biology as a compulsory subject. They must pursue Science stream in 10+2 and must also prepare for entrance examinations well in advance with full dedication.

How to Become a Nurse After 12^th

Some of the crucial steps that are to be taken up in order to become a Nurse after 12^th are listed below for your reference,

• Undergraduate Level Preperation: After completing their schooling, candidates must score at least 70-80% to enter into a good college and complete the bachelor's program for 3 years. It is recommended that candidates should do some certificate courses in nursing to gain some experience and it will also help in building the resume of the candidate that helps to get better job opportunities.
• PG Preparation Level: After completing the under graduation program, It will be advantageous for the student to complete his/her post-graduate program and gain more knowledge that will be beneficial to get good placements with a high pay package.

How to Become a Nurse Abroad 

Many countries provide nursing abroad, but the best countries that provide these courses are the USA, UK, and Australia.

How to Become a Nurse in the UK 

 Educational Requirements to pursue nursing courses in the UK are as follows

• The educational requirements in the UK vary from colleges to colleges
• A good score in class 12th is required for admissions to bachelor’s degree nursing courses.
• Minimum 75-80% is required in class 12th and the compulsory subjects are English. Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

The table below shows the top nursing colleges in the UK.

How to Become a Nurse in the USA 

Educational Requirements to pursue nursing courses in the US are as follows

• For admission into UG nursing courses in the USA, a candidate must have cleared class 12th with a minimum of 80% and have studied english, chemistry, and biology in class 12th.
• Some universities demand work experience in the nursing field.
• For a master's degree, a student must have a bachelor’s in nursing degree from any country.
• An average of 80% is required in the bachelor's degree to take admission for master’s program
• A registered nursing license is mandatory to pursue master’s courses in the USA.

The top Nursing colleges in the USA are tabulated below.

How to Become a Nurse in Australia 

Educational Requirements to pursue nursing courses in Australia are as follows

• Interested candidates must have proof of English efficiency by clearing the IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE.
• Students must have english, biology, and chemistry as the subjects in class 12th.
• Applicants must score a minimum of 50% in senior secondary school.
• For a master's program, a candidate must have a graduation degree with a minimum of 60% 

• A registered nurse license is a must for master’s programs in Australia.

The top Nursing colleges in Australia are given below for your reference

Benefits Of Career as a Nurse 

There are various benefits of becoming a nurse, the main thing is that the need for nurses in the world never decreases. The following are the benefits of choosing a career as a nurse:

• Excellent Salary: A career as a nurse provides a good level of salary to satisfy their needs and they are also paid for doing overtime work. They also have the coverage of health insurance. The nurses are earning a good amount of money as compared to the past.
• Job Security: Job security is one of the biggest advantages of a nursing career, even in times of economic slowdown, the nurses will always be able to find work because it will be impossible to operate hospitals without the nurses 
• Advancement Opportunities: A nursing career provides many advancements in job opportunities, nowadays many nurses are becoming so advanced that they get direct opportunities in the administration department.
• Specialization: There are many specializations available in the nursing field. Nurses have the freedom to choose where they want to specialize. There are endless job opportunities for them.

Skills Required to become a Nurse 

The following are the skills that are required to become a Nurse.