麻豆视频

Career Compass

Steps to Becoming a Nurse How to Become a Nurse in Texas

Nurses require accredited education and passing the NCLEX-RN licensing exam to meet the demands of today鈥檚 healthcare environment and ensure effective patient care.

The steps to becoming a nurse start with completing an accredited nursing education program to earn a nursing diploma, whether an associate鈥檚 degree or a bachelor鈥檚 degree. However, more and more healthcare employers also are now requiring new RNs to hold a BSN degree from qualified nursing schools.

Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at an accredited, well-respected institution like 麻豆视频 will prepare you for many more job opportunities, as well as higher earnings. Completing a four-year BSN program to become a nurse will start you on the path toward many future career opportunities such as administration, advanced nursing, nursing consulting, teaching or research roles.

How Do I Become a Nurse?

If you choose to earn your BSN degree from 麻豆视频 (HCU), for instance, you鈥檒l receive a comprehensive education that blends arts and science to help you become a Registered Nurse who will perform effectively in our society.

HCU鈥檚 nursing faculty will also help you prepare for one of the major steps in becoming a nurse: taking and passing the NCLEX-RN licensing exam after you graduate to become licenses as a Registered Nurse.

Also known as the National Council Licensure Examination, NCLEX is a standardized test that every state regulatory board uses to determine if a candidate is ready to become licensed as an entry-level nurse. RN licenses are issued by the Texas Board of Nursing鈥攁nd by licensing boards in every state and territory, and the District of Columbia (DC). RN licenses are not issued by HCU or any other educational institution.

Nursing graduates must apply for a license from their state board of nursing before taking the NCLEX exam. Each state has different criteria for eligibility, so you鈥檒l want to make sure you meet all the requirements first.

The NCLEX covers the four 鈥渃ategories of needs,鈥� which have been established nationally and include the following:

    1. A care environment that is safe and effective (including infection control)
    2. Psychological integrity, which includes coping and adaptation
    3. Health maintenance and promotion, which focuses on early intervention and preventing health issues, rather than curing them
    4. Physiological integrity, which primarily entails making sure patients are comfortable and properly cared for

NCLEX is a variable-length computerized adaptive test that can range from 85 to 150 items.聽 The length of the exam is determined by the candidate’s responses to the items.聽 The test is timed and must be completed within a defined allotted time. Those who do not pass must wait at least 45 days to retake the exam. The 2022 national 1st time average NCLEX-RN pass rate was approximately 79.9 percent. HCU nursing students had a 97.9% pass rate in the spring 2023 semester.

You can find out more information about the NCLEX exam at NCSBN is a not-for-profit organization whose members include the nursing regulatory bodies in all 50 states, District of Columbia and four U.S. territories.

Once you pass the NCLEX exam and become licensed as an RN, you are on your way to becoming a nurse, ready to explore many job opportunities. Registered Nurses are in high demand, so recent nursing graduates often have multiple options to decide where they would like to work.

How Do I Apply to HCU for Nursing?

To begin your steps to becoming a nurse, you can apply to HCU鈥檚 BSN program by meeting the following requirements:

    • Must be accepted to HCU through the undergraduate admission process, with a minimum 3.0 GPA (Cumulative GPA,聽Science GPA, HCU聽GPA).
    • Show, in your transcripts, no more than two grades of 鈥淒鈥� or 鈥淔鈥� in the required science courses, or more than one grade of聽鈥淒鈥� or 鈥淔鈥� in a nursing course聽(if there are more failing grades, you鈥檙e not eligible for admission).

Meet with a Nursing advisor to review the requirements checklist and receive an application to complete and submit to HCU.

Your Next Steps to a BSN Degree

If you鈥檙e ready to apply to the BSN program at 麻豆视频, start your application process here.

If you still have questions and want more information, please contact us today. We鈥檙e ready to help you take your next steps to earning your BSN degree at HCU.

Undergraduate Admissions:
(281) 649-3211 or 1 (800) 969-3210
admissions@HC.edu