Do I need to take Nurse Aide to be an RN? Which Pays more?
Asked by ^-^
Right now I'm a senior and taken Some college classes and I wanted to be an RN (registered nurse) but they put me in to be a nurse aide...so do i need that to be an RN? my teacher said i do but some said i dont so please help me .....

Best Answer:
Not usually, although I have seen some schools in the US that do require you to be an aide before you can apply. Since I have never seen this in Canada (where I live), I am not sure of the reasoning. Perhaps to ensure that you know what you're getting into. Nursing is a competitive field with lots of people wanting in, but a lot of people also wanting out (one reason why there is always a nursing shortage yet wait lists for nursing programs). Basically, they may be trying to reduce the number of people they let in who may leave the field after their training. One way to do this is by making sure that they have experience at a basic level in the field. Another reason may be that some places require all staff in a medical setting to be certified in something. A nursing student who is not a certified aide may not be allowed in clinical. I don't know if any of my guesses are correct, but regardless, if your local nursing school requires you to be an aide first, then that's what you'll have to do. If you are in some kind of work program or vocational program at your high school, then what your teacher is saying makes sense. Generally speaking, you do NOT need to be an aide first to become an RN. It can be helpful when you are unsure about nursing though. It's a good way to see what RNs do in their environment and get a feel for hands on care (which all students and new nurses do). If in doubt, and you don't want to bother with becoming an aide, why not ask a school counsellor, academic advisor, or the local nursing licensing body yourself? It's very possible that your teacher could be mistaken or have outdated information. It's also possible that they may be trying to lead you into another career if they think your marks are not 'good enough' to get into an RN program, or at least right away. Or maybe you don't have the right classes. I'm not trying to say this is the case, just that it MAY be a reason. Talk it over with your teacher and do some more research locally on your own. It's smart to question things that you are unsure about, and I wish you the best of luck.

I am not certain about that but I do know that to become an RN you have to have a four year degree. The teacher you refer to, if she is an instructor at the college you are attending, I would take her word for it. If she is not, I do further checking. If you are seriously planning on this, get a college catalog from the school where you plan to pursue your RN training and this should give you a list of all of the classes you need to take to obtain your RN degree. This should be an easy question to get answered from your local college.
Answered by Gail F