How to become a Registered Nurse
Becoming a Registered Nurse isn't one leap — it's a ladder. You can start as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and climb from there, with each rung showing the real time it takes and what it pays. Here's the honest path, and what a healthcare route actually costs along the way.
The path, rung by rung
Each step is a real role you can hold. The time is how long to reach it; the pay is a national figure for that rung.
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)State-approved CNA program
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)LPN diploma program
- Registered Nurse (RN)ADN or BSN degree
- Nurse PractitionerMSN or DNP degree
Start this week
You don't need to commit to the whole climb today. Here's one small, real thing you can do this week.
Open VolunteerMatch, search your area for something where you'd help a person directly, and read three listings. Don't sign up — just notice which one you keep thinking about.
Helping one person is low-pressure and it's a real way to test whether this is your direction before anything's on the line.
VolunteerMatch →The honest reality
What this path actually asks of you — in time, money, and effort.
- The first rung, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), typically asks for state-approved CNA program and pays around $35,000.
- Reaching Nurse Practitioner usually takes 6-8 years total and pays around $115,000 — and getting there means MSN or DNP degree.
- An early credential many people start with, Certified Nursing Assistant, runs about $1000-2000 and takes 4-12 weeks. Costs climb with each degree or license after that.
- You don't need a college degree to take the first step.
- Expect physical, on-your-feet work, especially in the early roles.
- These are national figures. What you'll actually earn and what training costs shift with your city and the current market.
Common questions
How long does it take to become a Registered Nurse?
Charted lays it out as a 4-step path. You can start as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) right away; reaching Nurse Practitioner typically takes 6-8 years total. You don't have to climb every rung — many people stop at a step that already fits their life.
What does it cost to get started as a Registered Nurse?
The first credential most people get, Certified Nursing Assistant, runs about $1000-2000 and takes 4-12 weeks. Each degree or license after that adds more — the entry step is the cheap part.
Can you become a Registered Nurse without a degree?
You can start without one. The first rung, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), needs state-approved CNA program — no college degree to begin. Degrees and licenses come later, as you climb toward Nurse Practitioner.
Not sure this is your path?
Take the assessment. Fifteen minutes, and it points you to the fit.
Take the assessment