School Me Saturday 9/9/23-Can you transition from scrub tech to RN?

This past week, a scrub tech I work with approached me to ask me about going back to school. Nursing school.

A scrub tech can be a degree all on its own.

Often a 2-year associate’s degree. With certification exam immediately upon graduation.

There are also reports of hospitals building their own scrubs, with no degree and no certification.

A registered nurse is registered with the state. Most often there is a degree involved. There are still some diploma nurse programs in existence.

A diploma nurse, an associate degree nurse, and a bachelor of science of nursing nurse all take the same national certification test. The National Council Licensure Exam, or NCLEX, is a national test to ascertain the student nurse is ready to be a nurse in a hospital, in a doctor’s office, in a free-standing surgery center to name a few options. There are more, including working for insurance companies, or medical companies, or drug companies. There are probably still more.

While the scrub technologist can be a certified scrub technologist (CST) through the company CST, this is through the National Board of Scrub Technologist and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA), they don’t have to be to gain employment. An RN must have taken and passed the NCLEX and be registered in the state they practice.

Can a scrub tech return to school to obtain a nursing degree?

Absolutely.

RNs get paid more. With more responsibilities, true. But they get paid more and have more options for life after the operating room.

I am unclear if some of the classes for scrub tech will transfer to a nursing program.

But all the nursing schools I know of in the state of North Carolina, require all nursing students to first obtain their certified nurse assistant, or CNA. I imagine this is so the school doesn’t have to spend the first semester teaching students about the minimum care for a patient. I had my CNA before I went to nursing school, and it gave me a step up above my classmates who did not.

Depending on the program, BSN vs ADN, there are also minimum standards for GPA. Most BSN schools require a minimum of 3.0 GPA, and ADN require a 2.0.

An ADN requires 2 years. A BSN is a 4-year degree. An ADN can absolutely go back to school after graduating and working as an RN to complete their BSN. Or higher (cough, cough, me). In the last few years accelerated BSN programs have started, often for those who have degrees in something else. I think, though I don’t know, the cost is higher to go through an accelerated program.

A BSN will open different doors for an RN.

Will I help this scrub tech who approached me for information about going back to school? Heck, yeah.

And I tutor.

And know a few things about obtaining scholarships.

If you are interested in certain programs, absolutely reach out to them to get more information. My information might be outdated.

But the first thing I am going to tell them is that they need the CNA certification.