Over 42,000 nurses were turned away from nursing school last year. If youwant to become a nurse that means you that you may have to wait a long timebefore you can actually get into the profession.

There are plenty of nursing job openings now, and the demand for nurseslooks to be strong until 2014 and beyond.

If you are motivated to become a nurse, you have several options that allowyou to get into the profession. In this article we will discuss the quickestand least expensive way to jump start your nursing career, and also show youother ways to bypassing the long nursing school waiting lists.

The Career Ladder for Nursing Jobs No matter where in the nursing careerladder you start, the nursing profession offers job advancement at a steadymanageable pace from Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to Licensed PracticalNurse (LPN) to Registered Nurse (RN), then to obtaining a Bachelor of Sciencein Nursing (BSN), and beyond.

This method is great for anyone wanting to get into nursing, gain experienceand have their employer help pay for nursing school along the way. Many nursesenjoy working only 3, twelve hour shifts each week. This leaves plenty of timeto attend school and study for the next logical step in a nursing career.

Also, if you decide to start out as a CNA, it is a great way to get yourfeet wet without spending three years in school to then find out that theday-to-day nursing activities are not for you.

How to Become a CNA Entering the nursing profession as a Certified NursingAssistant is a relatively easy route to take. If you already have a high schooldiploma or a GED, there are several paths to getting the training andexperience you need to become a CNA. You can attend CNA classes at a communitycolleges and vocational or adult schools. Some hospitals still offer CNAprograms but they are few and far between.. Classes generally last 6 to 12weeks or a minimum of 75 hours of instruction. Some states require more hoursand programs range from 75-150 hours.

Waiting lists for Certified Nursing Assistant programs are not nearly aslong as the one’s you will find for obtaining an Associate Degree in Nursing tobecome an LPN or a RN. And this is even more so for obtaining a Bachelor Degreein Nursing.

Schools that offer CNA programs include include vocational schools,community colleges, and some hospitals. The quickest route into nursing isthrough a vocational school, but that is also the most expensive route.

Advantages of Becoming a CNA: 1. In a relatively short period of time, youcan enter the nursing profession 2. While you work as a CNA, you can apply toa Community College or Vocational School to become an LPN 3. You can gainexperience as a nurse, gain an understanding of where you would like to takeyour career 4. You will know nursing from the ground up 5. With theexperience you gain, your application to any school will be considered moreseriously because you have already demonstrated your commitment and passion fornursing. 6. It is less expensive route to becoming a nurse

Disadvantages of Becoming a CNA 1. You must juggle work, school and othercommitments such as family 2. There are limits to the care that a CNA cangive. If you want to provide more care to those in need, you will need to waituntil you gain your LPN or RN license. 3. It may take a little longer toaccomplish your ultimate career goal

You can enter nursing school in the next month or so if you consider thepragmatic approach of earning your Certified Nursing Certificate and thenworking your say up the nursing career ladder. Learn about other approaches togetting into nursing school without being put on a long waiting list.