How to Become a Registered Nurse in Florida

What Does a Registered Nurse Do?

Registered nurses (RNs) have a wide variety of responsibilities centered around patient care. They are responsible for monitoring and caring for patients. They are also responsible for providing treatment, administering medicine, taking vital signs, placing IV lines, performing diagnostic tests, and advising patients and their caregivers. Registered nurses also collaborate with doctors and the wider care team and are valuable contributors to developing a patient’s care plan. Some registered nurses may take on a supervisory role by managing licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, and other staff.

Steps to Becoming a Registered Nurse in Florida

1. Complete an accredited registered nursing program. There are two main paths to becoming a registered nurse. Students can earn an associate degree in nursing (two year program) with Justee College.
2. Prepare for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). The NCLEX ranges from 75 to 250 questions and the examination takes approximately six hours to complete. NCLEX pass rates for RNs average approximately 72%. As such, students must be prepared before taking the exam. In addition to studying the material learned throughout the student’s registered nursing degree program, to better prepare, students can take NCLEX practice exams or register for an NCLEX prep course.
3. Take and pass the NCLEX-RN. All registered nurses must pass this exam before becoming eligible for licensure. The NCLEX-RN can be taken in any state, regardless of where the prospective nurse plans to practice. Before taking the exam, candidates must apply for licensure to the nursing board in their state of practice. In addition, the NCLEX must receive confirmation of eligibility from the candidate’s nursing regulatory board before students can proceed with examination. Candidates must pay the NCLEX registration fee to sit for the exam.
4. Complete any additional state licensure requirements set by the Florida Board of Nursing. Candidates must also consent to fingerprinting and completion of a background check. In addition, candidates must disclose and explain certain medical conditions on the Health History form of the license application and disclose any criminal history or disciplinary history.

Our Program will Prepare You for the NCLEX and for a Career as a Registered Nurse

Justee College offers an associates of science in nursing (ASN) program. This is a degree program designed to prepare students for a career in registered nursing. Upon graduation from our RN program, students earn an associate degree in nursing (ADN) and will become eligible to take the NCLEX-RN exam to become a registered nurse. Our program, approved through the Florida Board of Nursing, provides education on a wide variety of nursing topics, including, but not limited to:

• Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II Lab
• English Composition I
• College Algebra
• Microbiology
• Microbiology Lab
• Elements of Nutrition
• Human Growth and Development
• Critical Thinking
• General Psychology

Our registered nursing program also focuses on providing our students with a nursing education to prepare them for careers in the real world. This is accomplished by blending educational lectures, laboratory coursework, and clinical coursework to provide a realistic setting in which our students learn critical nursing values and develop important transferable skills. Our curriculum aims to develop the following competencies for each student:

• Use critical thinking and evidence-based practice to deliver optimal patient outcomes.
• Provide quality, safe, evidence-based, patient-centered care using teamwork and collaboration.
• Use knowledge, skills, and attitude/emotional intelligence to provide continuity of care for patients in a variety of healthcare settings.
• Understand the application of quality data and metrics as an opportunity to benchmark care delivery.
• Integrate culturally competent decision making accomplished through communication, collaboration, and mutual respect for patients, significant others, and the care management team.
• Incorporate legal and ethical guidelines into practice and promote lifelong learning and professionalism through consensus building and conflict resolution.
• Use technology to reduce error, remain current, educate patients and nurses, communicate essential information, and document care.

Justee College’s RN program consists of 1,545 learning hours, with approximately 495 of those hours focused on valuable clinical applications. Classes are delivered in a traditional classroom setting on Justee’s campus with a mix of online and in-person classes.

How to Register for Justee College’s RN Program

Are you ready to take the next step in your nursing career? Justee College’s registered nursing program is here to support you with skilled instructors and applicable real-world clinical experience. We are devoted to your success. We also look forward to helping you achieve your dream of becoming a professional nurse! Contact us to schedule a campus tour and request a course catalog, or apply today by navigating to the following link: https://www.cognitoforms.com/JusteeCollege1/JusteeCollegeOnlineApplication.