I'm 24 changing careers to nursing in houston tx, how to I start?

I have a sociology degree but want to change careers to nursing. SOME day I was to be a NP but for now I would like to get working in the medical field asap at any nursing medical assistant level that will start me on my long path to NP. What degree \/certifications should I be looking at?I%26039;m 24 changing careers to nursing in houston tx, how to I start?
You an a zillion other people.......nursing is most likely one of the most rewarding careers you can give your life to........but.......the nursing schools are backed up several years........talk to a local community college consular in the health field.........get good advice and good luck..I%26039;m 24 changing careers to nursing in houston tx, how to I start?
Below is the link to the Texan Nursing Association and in particular the chapter in Houston ~ they have all the answers would ever want.



All the best to youI%26039;m 24 changing careers to nursing in houston tx, how to I start?
If you have a previous baccalaureate degree you should look for an %26quot;accelerater BSN%26quot; or %26quot;post baccalaureate BSN%26quot; program. All you need is the nursing courses (you might need pre-reqs like anatomy %26amp; physiology if you haven't taken it recently). You could finish in about 2 years and have your BSN, which earns you the right to sit for RN examination and licensure.



You then would need at least a year or two of work experience in whatever specialty area you are looking to focus in as an NP - pediatrics, adult health, neonatology, geriatrics, family health, etc. This work experience is required for entry into NP / master's degree programs. A master's will take you another 2-3 years and then you can be eligible for NP certification.



As for other certifications, the basics any nurse needs is health professional CPR, ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) is good to have but not all RNs need it for their specific job. If you work 2 years in a specialty area, there are certifications offered which show you are especially competent in that specialty, for example, you could be an RN-C in in-patient obstetrics, or pediatrics, or critical care, or psych, etc.



I just applied for my Public Health Nurse certification, which any RN with a Bachelor's degree can get pretty easily.I%26039;m 24 changing careers to nursing in houston tx, how to I start?
Go checkout your local community college. I think that's your best bet because its faster and cheaper to become a nurse with an Associate's Degree that you can get at community college. However, I'm not exactly sure how they do it there in Houston, but here in Los Angeles, you have to start by taking the pre-requisite courses such as anatomy, physiology, microbiology, english 101, etc.. Then after that you apply to nursing schools where most would have a waiting list. A lot of schools here do a lottery because there are so many applicants. So you get in on a basis of luck, not so much on grades because all you need is like a 2.7 GPA on the pre-reqs. But it all depends on how the colleges do it because I have a friend in New Jersey that got into a nursing program that didn't require him to take pre-requsite courses. GOOD LUCK!!!!