Becoming an RN in Kansas

How can you get licensed as a registered nurse in Kansas? The process is similar to that of other states, at least if nursing is your first career. You need to take an approved course at the associate’s level or higher. You also need to take the NCLEX, a national certification exam.

Some pre-licensure programs for registered nurses terminate at the ADN level, others at the BSN level and still others at the MSN. Whichever option you select, you can expect to begin your program with a core of general studies classes. The core will be rich in both natural and social sciences.

You don’t necessarily have to get all your education at once — there are programs available to help registered nurses bridge to BSN. The Kansas State Board of Nursing maintains a list of approved in-state programs that lead to initial licensure as an RN. There are a wide variety of choices, housed at community colleges, universities, and technical colleges or institutes. Most are accredited through either CCNE or NLNAC.

Optional Education Pathways to Becoming an Registered Nurse in Kansas

You will have a shorter path if you are already certified as a vocational nurse. This is the case around the country. In Kansas, there are also bridging programs for some other health professionals, including respiratory therapists (RRTs) and emergency technicians.

In some cases, licensure as a certified nursing assistant, or CNA, can get you started on the career path. Courses for CNAs are significantly different than those for nurses, and are often taught at a slightly lower level. However, some prerequisites may be accepted. There are a few schools that offer programs specifically designed to help CNAs bridge to vocational nursing. A Donnelly College program, for example, includes Kansas CNA licensing among its prerequisites. It is one of only a few CNA to LPN nursing programs in the nation. If your ultimate goal is RN status, it represents only a mid-point along the career path.

Once you get that first nursing license, though, you will find many programs that will help you bridge to registered nursing. Since there are many factors that affect program length — and cost — you will probably want to talk to multiple schools even if they don’t all have a special track for CNAs.

If you already have a degree, but it’s not in health care, you may want to look into accelerated BSN programs, which in most cases take some of your prior college credits into account.

Registered Nursing Career Outlook in Kansas

According to a 2010 report by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau of Public Health Informatics, Kansas could face a serious nursing shortfall by the year 2020. Part of the issue is an aging workforce; more than 40% of Kansas registered nurses are age 56 or older. Another issue is population growth. It has been projected that Kansas would see 12% total growth between 2000 and 2020, with 46% growth in the older age brackets (65+).

The Nursing School Application Process

Although Kansas is in need of more nurses, there are barriers to education. The Bureau of Public Health Informatics refers to the situation as a bottleneck. Nursing programs represent the narrow neck of the bottle as they have the capacity to take on only a limited number of students.

What will get you started on the registered nursing path? The University of Kansas Medical Center has published some guidelines for young people considering nursing. KU recommends a rigorous college prep curriculum and suggests that volunteering or working in a health care facility is also helpful.

There are also required college-level prerequisites. The Kansas Board of Regents requires the following for ADN coursework: composition, psychology and anatomy/ physiology. Microbiology, developmental psychology, and communications may be taken as prerequisites or while you’re enrolled in the program.

You may also want to join professional organizations like the Health Occupations Students Association. Once you’re accepted into nursing school, you can look into other organizations like the Kansas Association of Nursing Students. The affiliated Kansas Nurses Foundation offers a number of endowed scholarships, but professional organizations in general provide an opportunity to network and learn.

Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Programs Approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing

BSN Programs Approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing