Georgia CNA to RN Pathway
Your credential ladder
Start as a Certified Nursing Assistant in Georgia and earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Georgia State. Begin patient-care work in weeks, then ladder into a four-year BSN that prepares you to sit for the NCLEX-RN.
Details & requirements
Everything below comes from our partner catalog. Use it to compare options before you commit.
The Georgia CNA to RN pathway is built for students who want to start working in healthcare quickly and grow into a Registered Nurse career. You begin with a state-approved Certified Nursing Assistant program at one of our partner schools across Georgia — typically four to six weeks of training plus the state competency exam. With your CNA credential, you can work alongside nurses in hospitals, long-term-care facilities, and home health settings while you complete the prerequisite coursework for nursing school.
From there, you transition into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Georgia State’s Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions in downtown Atlanta. The BSN spans eight academic semesters (four prereqs + four nursing core) and ends with NCLEX-RN eligibility. Working as a CNA during your studies gives you a competitive application, real clinical experience, and an income while you train.
Why this pathway works:
- Earn your CNA in roughly 4–6 weeks and start working immediately.
- Use your CNA work to build clinical hours, references, and tuition savings.
- Apply to GSU’s BSN with a 3.6 cumulative GPA, 30 credit hours, and a TEAS score.
- Graduate as a BSN-prepared RN with full NCLEX-RN eligibility.