Hello! I am a LPN in Tennessee. I became a LPN in fall of 2010 but I am ready to advance my career now. I have registered with a local community college to start classes this fall. However I have a few issues. The first is I am not able to get ANY financial aid because the government feels I make too much money (LOL I know right!?) However I am trying to see if I am able to get a discount on tuition because my husband is a teacher and state employee. How have you paid to go back to school? I am also having issues with my current employer being unsupportive of my choice to go back to school. I was told that I would have to quit my job because they would not let me work part time to work around a clinical schedule (my job right now is a M-F job) and even if i managed to obtain my RN without missing any work they would not pay me as a RN but only as a LPN still. I am looking at getting a job at a local hospital that will work with my schedule, but I am nervous about starting all over again with a new job. Any advice you have would be great!!

I funded my schooling with student loans.

While attending the RN completion program, I worked 16-hour weekend double shifts as an LVN at a nursing home. I worked from 6:00am to 10:00pm every Saturday and Sunday. This schedule enabled me to have Monday through Friday off to attend school full-time.

I sat in a community college taking prerequisites, paid for it with student loans, and used the refund amount to pay for an online LPN-RN bridge program. I worked PRN (every Friday and Saturday night) in a hospital before, during, and after college and boards. I only signed up for Tuesday and Thursday classes in the classroom and pretty much studied day and night for the online program. There was only a clinical weekend exam to validate learning with the online program, so a clinical rotation was not an issue.

Bbyruth, have you thought abouth doing home health? I'm not sure where you are located but here in Clarksville/Nashville area most students utilize private duty nursing to give them that dollar or two and the time to study. Check with Maxim,Complete Care Choice,Health Angels, Friendship and Elk Valley. There are more but this is just off the top of my head. I just received my letter yesterday for the LPN to RN program and I too am trying to get it all into perspective. So prayers being said for you and all others to keep the faith and that higher power first and foremost in your heart. Through Him, I have found all things possible!

student loans and agency nursing. make your own schedule.