[pinksky]

Hi,
I've been accepted into a LVN program here in L.A. My plan is to do schooling here and then move to FL once I graduate, my program doesn't start until the end of September. I've been pondering just moving to FL and doing my school there. Orlando would be the area I'd go to. I don't know anything about the LPN schools or pay there. My friend lives in Jacksonville as a RN and she was telling me LPN do not have a lot of work or pay in FL (compared to CA). I'm really torn, because I plan on moving anyways, even if it's to a different part of CA because L.A is CRAZY and EXPENSIVE for a single mom like me. Advice PLEASE!! THANKS!

Also if anyone knows about Americare and the other popular LPN schools (Not community colleges) where I can get my diploma fast. How long is the average course (full time) and cost??
Thanks

[centralflorida]

Hi there - I think it could make sense to move here, because the cost of living, while not as cheap as it used to be, is certainly cheaper than Los Angeles. LPNs don't make a lot of money, but you could get your LPN degree and then work a few shifts a week while getting your LPN to RN degree online through Excelsior - that's what I am planning on doing.
From what everyone has told me LPNs make about $12 an hour to start, and RNs make about $20 to $22 an hour to start. I just asked on the general nursing thread where the best states for nurses are for salary vs. cost - Texas apparently is a good one, in terms of decent salary vs. low housing cost. Believe it or not, Wisconsin apparently is way up there in terms of higher pay and lower cost housing!
Anyway as far as schools - I called Americare, they cost about $15,5000 and it's about 11 months. Orlando Technical Education Center was only about $4,500, they're part of the public school system I believe. Galen in St. Petersburg, which starts new classes every few months, was about $14,000, and Keiser in St. Petersburg also has an LPN school which I think is about $19,000 but I didn't check with them. If you go to the Florida Board of Nursing homepage and then go to their education page they have a list of all approved nurse training programs in Florida. Hope this helps - feel free to message me with any more questions if you like!

[pinksky]

Thanks for your helpful reply Central! I never considered doing the lpn to rn online, how CONVENIENT (especially for a single mom!). How is excelsior? I will research it. I did also consider TX, I lived in Houston before and lived like a Queen compared to the way I live in L.A. Goodluck in your endeavors!

[centralflorida]

Somewhere on allnurses.com is the thread on distance education. Some community colleges are also now doing the online LPN to RN thing - someone here mentioned Valencia College, which is in central Flroida. The advantage of that is, it would most likely be cheaper than Excelsior. However, either way...my understanding is, there are places locally that will let you do the clinicals and practicums and whatever other hospital work you need to do while you do your online studying.
My hope is that once I get my LPN license I could work three twelve hour shifts a week somewhere, have that be considered full-time so I could get benefits (my mother did that in Texas as an LVn which is the same as an LPN) and spend the other four days a week doing my online classes until I get my RN. That way I'm only out of work for the one year that I am taking my LPN program. Here is the Excelsior webpage. One warning - Florida DOES accept Excelsior but not every state will let you test for the RN boards with an Excelsior degree. I don't know if California or Texas do. You can contact the board of nursing for whatever state you are thinking of moving to and find out.
https://www.excelsior.edu/portal/pag..._schema=PORTAL

[58flyer]

Originally Posted by pinksky

Hi,
I've been accepted into a LVN program here in L.A. My plan is to do schooling here and then move to FL once I graduate, my program doesn't start until the end of September. I've been pondering just moving to FL and doing my school there. Orlando would be the area I'd go to. I don't know anything about the LPN schools or pay there.

Do a google search for Central Florida Community College and check out their program. It begins in January. They are located in Ocala FL. Great place to live. Good luck! Also, CFCC has a RN bridge program.

[suzanne4]

CA does not accept Excelsior as well as about 8 other states currently. Suggest that you check out the Distance Learning Forum that we have on this Bulletin Board. There is much written on this subject already.

Always, always, always check directly with the Board of Nursing where you wish to work to see from them which non-traditional programs that they will accept before you even start a program. What a school tells you may not be the same information that you get from the BON and they are the ones that actually issue the nursing licenses.

Best of luck to you.