A: In order to become a nurse, you must complete a 2 year associate's or 4 years bachelor's degree program in nursing. Upon graduation, you should obtain an RN certification and pursue a specialization through an accredited MSN degree program.: If you want to become a nurse practitioner you will need a bachelor's of science in nursing degree which has duration of four years. Once you are done with this, you will need to enroll in a master's of science in nursing.