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How to Become a Nurse in South Carolina, SC

The first step to becoming a nurse in South Carolina is to graduate high school and identify an appropriate nursing education program. There are two types of professional nursing that attract most prospective nurses: Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) and Registered Nursing (RN). The former license can be obtained from a one year diploma program with no prerequisites. The latter takes at least two years after prerequisites.

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Prerequisites to become a Registered Nurse in South Carolina last 3-6 months and consist of entry-level college courses like math, physiology and psychology. Students then apply to a college of nursing within a larger university—entry is competitive, and it is important to perform while in prerequisites. They then begin either a two year Associate Degree (ADN) or a four year Bachelor’s Degree (BSN) in nursing. The first year focuses more on hands-on patient care and assessment skills. The second year introduces broader concepts of nursing, such as nurse management and other more specialized topics related to specific population groups (e.g. children, the elderly, new mothers). And if you take a BSN, the final two years introduce cover more advanced topics like nursing research and theory in detail, as well as allowing students to choose electives in specific areas of interest.

The culmination of South Carolina nursing education is the NCLEX licensure exam. It has LPN and RN versions, is nationally-standardized, and almost 9 out of 10 students pass the test on the first try. It is the final step to becoming a nurse in South Carolina.

More Information

To learn more about how to become a South Carolina nurse, visit our South Carolina nursing page. There you will find detailed discussion of nursing job prospects, nursing wages, duties, alternative nursing education programs, and other information that will aid in your decisions to become a nurse in South Carolina.