Going from a CNA to an RN: What You Need to Know

Nurse Types / Registered Nurse / CNA to RN

You provide valuable work as a certified nurse assistant (CNA). You love working with your patients, and you’re thinking you’d like to begin serving them in different ways. You see the workload and responsibility that your registered nurse coworkers carry. And although it seems challenging, the fast pace of their work appeals to you.

If you’re already working as a CNA, how do you transition to become an RN?

We’ll take a look at these topics:

• What are some reasons to become an RN?
• What are the steps to becoming an RN?
• How much do RN programs cost?
• What are the alternatives to becoming an RN?
• FAQs

What are some reasons to become an RN?

CNAs are in high demand across the healthcare field. These ancillary healthcare workers are needed in hospitals, nursing homes, home health, and many other clinical areas. So if you’re already working as a CNA, why would you spend the extra time, money, and effort to become a registered nurse?

CNAs choose to become RNs for a lot of reasons that vary greatly from person to person. Higher salary, more job opportunities, and more opportunity for responsibility are just a few of the reasons a CNA might choose to continue their education from a CNA to RN.

Salary

Money isn’t everything, especially when it comes to a helping profession such as nursing. But money does pay the bills, and it’s a big incentive for lots of CNAs to pursue a nursing degree. 

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for a CNA in 2021 was $30,290, or $14.56 per hour. Bachelors-prepared RNs, on the other hand, earned an annual average salary of $82,750 per year or $39.78 per hour.

Salaries vary from state to state, but RNs generally earn at least twice the salary of CNAs.

Career outlook

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a growth rate of 6% between 2021 and 2031. Several factors could add to this career growth as well:

• Ongoing research and treatment needs related to COVID-19 and “long COVID”
• A generation of “baby boomers” aging and needing more care
• Hospital stays are getting shorter and shorter, leading to a need for more employees in long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and rehab centers

Levels of responsibility

In addition to the pay increase, some CNAs decide to pursue a degree in nursing to be eligible for a wider range of jobs with a broader variety of responsibilities. Regardless of whether a CNA works in home health care, in a hospital intensive care unit, or in a nursing home, their duties generally include checking and documenting patients’ vital signs and assisting patients with bathing, eating, and mobility.

While RNs are ultimately responsible for the nursing needs for patients in their care, CNAs perform many of the physical tasks related to this care. Registered nurses have a broader range of duties depending on their workplace, including:

• Changing dressings
• Contacting the  physician to obtain orders when necessary
• Educating patients about their diagnoses and medications
• Maintaining detailed records of all care administered
• Administering medications
• Monitoring each patient for side effects and status changes
• Performing assessments
• Preparing patients for surgeries and other medical procedures

Depending on the nurse’s job placement, their duties can vary widely. There are many types of nurses and all come with there own skill set. Nurses who work in a hospital labor and delivery unit, for example, will play an extremely different role than an operating room nurse.

RNs also have the freedom to pursue multiple certifications ranging from adult gerontology nurse practitioner (A-GNP) to critical care registered nurse (CCRN).

What are the steps to becoming an RN?

If you’re already certified as a CNA, you likely have a foundational understanding of the healthcare system that will help you as you pursue higher education.

So what exactly does the process of becoming a registered nurse look like?

Educational requirements

Most RN programs require you to pass specific prerequisite college courses before acceptance. These courses commonly include:

• Anatomy and physiology
• Chemistry
• English composition
• Human growth and development
• Microbiology
• Nutrition
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Statistics

You should always check with the specific schools where you plan to apply before signing up for courses.

Applying to RN programs

Although application requirements vary from program to program, some of the requirements before you apply to nursing school may include:

• An interview with someone at the nursing school
• Completing all prerequisites with a specific grade-point average (GPA)
• Documentation of certain vaccines
• References
• Sitting for an entrance examination such as the Nurse Entrance Test (NET) or the Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Assessment (HESI A2)
• Submitting all your high school and college transcripts
• Writing an essay

After you’ve been accepted to an accredited nursing program, you’ll likely spend 18 months to 4 years in school to become an RN.

NCLEX

Graduation from nursing school is a feat you should celebrate! But, graduation alone doesn’t make you an RN. Before graduation, you’ll need to apply for authorization to take the NCLEX-RN, the qualifying examination for registered nurses.

The NCLEX-RN asks between 75 and 265 questions. These questions fall into the following categories:

• Safe and effective care environment
  • Management of patient care
  • Safety and infection control
• Promotion of health and health maintenance
• Psychosocial integrity
• Physiological integrity
  • Basic patient care and comfort
  • Pharmacological and parenteral therapies
  • Reduction of risk potential
  • Physiological adaptation

How much do RN programs cost?

Earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is usually the quickest route to becoming an RN. This degree costs between $7,000 and $12,000 in tuition for the entire 18-24 month program (although you should plan more for housing, books, lab fees, and other living expenses).

A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is significantly more expensive. Plan to pay between $15,000 and $40,000 per year for this degree, depending on whether you choose a public or private university. Earning a BSN opens up many employment options in leadership and management. Many employers are also planning a move toward only hiring BSN-prepared nurses in the future.

How to pay for it

Even though you know that an RN can earn much more money than a CNA, these tuition prices can be a hard pill to swallow! You can rest easy, though – you likely won’t have to pay up front for all of your tuition.

Many employers offer tuition reimbursement for employees who pledge to work for them for a certain amount of time after graduation. Some nursing departments offer special academic and needs-based scholarships and grants to aspiring nurses. Student loans are another option to help you finance your tuition.

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is a great way to learn what kinds of federal grants and scholarships you could receive.

Many nursing students work as CNAs during nursing school to help pay their tuition. The flexible hours provided by CNA work can help you earn a living while still pursuing an education.

What are alternatives to becoming an RN?

Not sure you’re quite ready to plunk down the cash and dedicate the next few years of your life to becoming an RN? There are a few other options available to you.

LPN

Although the demand for LPNs isn’t as great as RNs, the entry path to LPN licensure is quite a bit shorter. Many of the same clinical areas are open to LPNs, although supervisory positions are reserved for RNs. LPN salaries are usually quite a bit lower ($51,850), but you’ll have the option to transition from LPN to RN down the road if you wish.

Other alternatives

Maybe you’ve decided that nursing isn’t for you after all, but you still want to stay in the healthcare field. Healthcare requires a diverse range of skill sets to operate efficiently. Here are just a few other careers to consider:

• Phlebotomist
• Surgical technologist (“scrub tech”)
• Ultrasound technician
• X-ray technician

Next steps

Although the road to becoming a registered nurse may seem long, time will likely fly once you’re in school! Read the FAQs below carefully. If you have more questions, check out the Incredible Health Questions & Advice page, where real nurses get and give advice.

FAQs