Career Exploration • High School Students
What is it like to be a registered nurse?
Registered nurses care for people who are sick, injured, or recovering. They check patients' health, give medicine, explain treatments, and work with other healthcare professionals.
Where could I work?
Hospitals, doctors' offices, schools, clinics, and nursing homes.
Would I enjoy it?
Do you like science, helping people, solving problems, and working as part of a team?
What training do I need?
Complete an approved nursing program and meet state requirements to become a licensed registered nurse.
What is the difference between a registered nurse and a practical nurse?
Both care for patients, but they have different training and responsibilities. Registered nurses typically have broader responsibilities. Explore both before choosing a program.
Could I work in southern Missouri?
Healthcare employers in the region need people with many different skills. Explore where nurses work, what they earn, and how job opportunities change over time.
How much could you earn?
Explore hourly and annual wages for nursing and other careers in Missouri.
View Missouri wages ↗Where are the career opportunities?
Explore projected job openings, employment growth, and opportunities across Missouri.
Explore Missouri job opportunities ↗Source: Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC). On each site, select your occupation and the most recent available reporting year. Projections describe future employment trends, not current job vacancies.
Your path to becoming a registered nurse
Earn an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) at MSU–West Plains. The regular RN track takes two academic years after you begin the nursing program. Admission is competitive.
1. Get college-ready
Plan English, science, psychology and math placement with an advisor.
2. Complete entry courses
Before nursing classes start: ENG 110, BMS 110 and MTH 130-or-higher eligibility. PSY 121 is normally expected; the nursing department may grant permission to start without it.
3. Apply and take the TEAS
Apply to the university and nursing. The ATI TEAS tests reading, math, science and English; a 58.7% overall score is the published minimum.
4. Train and pursue your license
Complete nursing courses, labs and clinical experiences. Graduates then seek eligibility for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam.
See admission details, GPA and deadlines
Applicants need at least a 2.5 cumulative college GPA based on 12 or more college credits, plus other published eligibility requirements. Required courses must meet the nursing department's grade rules. Meeting the minimums does not guarantee acceptance.
Application windows: November 1–March 1 for fall starts; May 1–October 1 for spring starts. You may apply while completing prerequisites, but they must be finished by the program start as required.
Requirements and deadlines checked against official nursing pages in November 2026. Confirm current details before applying. Nursing advising: 417-255-7245.
Find dual credit classes at your high school
Choose your school to see published MSU–West Plains dual credit courses that may help you prepare for nursing. Select the courses you want to discuss with your counselor; they'll appear on your printable career plan.
Select a school above to see its published course options.
Important: School and course information is based on the university’s published participating-schools list. Schools with no published course entries are shown without invented offerings. A listed course may not be offered every semester. Enrollment depends on eligibility, prerequisites, and counselor approval. "Helpful preparation" does not mean a course satisfies an RN admission requirement.
What if I don't see a required nursing course?
That does not mean you cannot pursue nursing. Some requirements may be completed after high school. Work with your counselor and MSU–WP nursing advisor to make a plan. The nursing program requires ENG 110 and BMS 110 before nursing classes begin; PSY 121 is normally expected, subject to published exceptions. Math eligibility is determined separately.
Course source (automatically refreshed after deployment): Participating High Schools and Courses. Loading latest available directory… Confirm details with your counselor.
Your future could start at MSU–West Plains
Want to learn more? Explore the nursing program, visit campus, or talk with an admissions counselor.
Discover MSU–West Plains ↗Find admissions information ↗My Pathway to Opportunity: Registered Nurse
My career goal: Become a registered nurse.
Select courses in the High School Head Start section above.
My pathway: Finish high school → prepare for college → meet nursing admission requirements → apply to MSU–WP and nursing → complete the ASN → meet RN licensing requirements.
Planning guide only. Confirm courses, admission rules and deadlines with MSU–WP Nursing: wp.missouristate.edu/Nursing.