The most common question that I receive almost everyday is as follows: “I am a high school senior, and my dream is to become a NICU nurse. Can you tell me what steps I need to take in order to get into nursing school and become a NICU nurse?”
There are SO many different pathways that you can choose in order to become a NICU nurse, which can be very overwhelming, intimidating, and frankly—scary! My path was definitely not the “traditional” route by any stretch of the imagination.
If you are NOT a high school senior but rather a pre-nursing student struggling to get accepted into nursing school, CLICK HERE for some awesome tips!
For all the high school seniors out there interested in becoming NICU nurses, here is a helpful guide that you can use for reference as a general roadmap!
During your senior year of high school, you will work with your academic advisor/counselor and apply to college as a PRE-NURSING major. You will also need to take a college placement test such as the ACT or SAT when you first apply, depending on what your college of choice wants. During your undergraduate studies where you get accepted into college—hopefully it was your #1 choice—you will spend roughly two years completing the prerequisite courses that you need to get accepted into nursing school. These courses are called “pre-nursing classes” and usually consist of subjects such as Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Statistics, Oral Communication, etc. Every college requires different courses, though, so be sure to check with them first!
Typically, these classes can be taken in any order and you can take as many as you want at the same time. Personally, however, I recommend taking only a couple at a time so that you can really focus and do well. This curriculum can be taken at a 2-year university such as a community/junior college OR a 4-year university. A city college is typically much cheaper and less impacted, meaning you can take all of the prerequisite courses in a shorter amount of time without having to put your name on any waiting lists. Sometimes, the classes are slightly easier at a community college, too!
These pre-nursing classes are what you need to take in order to get into NURSING SCHOOL, and it is during nursing school when you are considered to be a NURSING STUDENT. You cannot start a nursing program directly after high school, which is a common misconception. Sometimes, the college where you complete your pre-nursing classes may not necessarily be the college where you get accepted into nursing school. This is because nursing school requires another separate application process after you’ve finished all of your pre-requisite courses. You cannot just automatically transition from pre-nursing to nursing. it is much more complicated than that. You will also be required to take another standardized test such as the TEAS test, which is specific for nursing school entry.
The grades that you receive in your prerequisite courses determines how strong of a candidate you will be and how likely it is that a nursing school is going to pick you for their program. The better you do in your pre-nursing courses, the better chance you have of being accepted. It is a VERY difficult and competitive process in order to get into nursing school. However, anything is possible with self-determination, hard work, and motivation!