[thumperRN]

Originally Posted by Skittlez

No one on a forum board or anywhere else is going to pay your bills while you go "straight for the PhD".

Amen to that!! I was an LPN before getting my RN degree, and it was by far and away the best route for me. Like so many have said, it landed some extra cash in my pocket while attending school for my RN. It also gave me the experience and confidence I needed, plus the reassurance that I was in the profession meant for me. Heartstart, you just do what you need to do to get to your goal. I am a VERY proud ADN graduate and a very good nurse. Someone posted on their signature that "a degree is not the same thing as an education" - the same could be said about being professional as well - whether it be ADN, BSN, PhD, or CRNA - we all have the responsibility of acting like decent human beings.

[meownsmile]

I think timing will be critical if you decide to take the PN exam. Consider... amount of money you will need to throw in to take the test. Plus you will need a good 8-12 weeks of fulltime orientation in a LPN position after you pass your exam. Hopefully you can do that in the summer.
Normally i encourage people to just go ahead with their ADN program and hold out to take the RN exam. (consider the ADN program,, take the RN test and then go at the BSN as you can, you wont have to take the test again and can earn RN wages. And depending on your circumstance it might just be a little easier on you to go through the "step" process.)
But if you really need to get to work and make a bit more money then go for it. Everyones circumstances are different.

[GatorRN]

Originally Posted by tde1992

I honestly would say don't waste your time with getting your LPN, your limiting yourself and just prolonging what you really want to do. On that note I would also say don't attend an Associate program that is also prolonging the inevitable because you will still be limited in your scope of practice as an RN. The people who benefit by those persons getting a LPN, then the ADN then the RN are institutions who will accumulate your money. And God forbid you go on and get your MSN or PhD, you will be in school forever and giving so much of your money and time to higher education institutions. Also the amount of time you spend getting an associate degree (you have to do the same prerequisites or maybe 1 or 2 classes less) then still 2 years of actuall nursing courses it will be a total of 4 years anyway. Just my opinion. Go for the brass ring.

Uuuummmmmmm, what is it you're trying to say here? I'm confused. How does attending an Associate program prolong or limit your scope as an RN? You do understand, or maybe not, that by completing an Associate program, when your finished, you take the NCLEX for your RN licensure? You don't go through an associate degree program and then another "2 yrs of actual nursing courses." And it doesn't take 4 yrs to complete an ADN program. An associate program is the ADN/RN program. Either I'm confused, or you are. Did you possible mean BSN instead of ADN/RN?

[BigKenny]

Wow, it seems that this thread has gotten off topic...lol

Personally, I entered an LPN program when I decided that I didn't want to be a teacher in my junior year of college. So an LPN program was a way to ease into the world of nursing. I was afraid with the whole male nurse thing. So once I got the LPN lic. it was a great way to make money while I'm in an ADN program and now I'm gonna finish up the last 2 years at a local univers. which I am applying for now. In my area, I took a really great job making great money working nights...the problem arises in my pay...I make more as an LPN than I will as an RN starting out for a while( like 7 dollors and hour less). As for thinking diff. I didn't find it much different b/c once you start thinking as an RN everything will come together.

As for taking longer with school by going through the long way...My employer pays for all my schooling. Lets weigh this out...short with the overwhelming cost of schools today....or and extra year or two with no cost and no loans to worry about.

[nicuRN2007]

Originally Posted by tde1992

Quite naturally I was referring to BSN. In my opinion going to an LPN program then to an ADN program then to a BSN that is a waste of time and money when you think about it logically and I am not trying to step on anyones toes. How can someone possibly think that you need to be a CNA to understand what a nurse does or that it will make you understand how your assistant feels. Do you hear a dentist saying that they need to be a dental assistant first, or an attorney saying that they have to be paralegals first. I am not saying anything is wrong with a person who wants to take a long traveled road to get to a profession, but why would you if you didn't have to. If it was up to me LPN and ADN programs would be eliminated. It makes the profession looks bad when you are working with other healthcare professionals who alot of the entry level programs requires a masters degree. I know because I am also a physical therapist. How can you expect other professionals to hold our opinions in high regards when we have people in our profession who doesn't even hold a college degree. I am not saying that this would make someone more intelligent over another but when you don't have the fundementals that hopefully you obtained from a bachelors degree, i am sorry but your opinion wouldn't matter much. And yes some nurses with a ADN or LPN's may have alot of clinical skills that was learned by doing the same thing over and over again, but that does not make you a professional. A true professional understands why they are doing what they do and can anticipate outcomes based on learned knowledge. Say what you like keep giving your money to schools. I also noticed alot of nurses don't want to be challenged or understand what they are doing. They are content with taking orders, pushing pills and running around all day like a chicken with their head cut off instead of sitting down and thinking about what is going on with the patient and how their interventions will affect the patients outcomes. Oh and before anyone comments my entire purpose of becoming a RN is to go on to CRNA school which I am doing after 1 year of bedside nursing.

I can't believe anyone would have the nerve to post this. So, because you have one more year of schooling than I will have with my associate degree, you will automatically have the necessary skills to "think about what is going on with the patient and how your interventions will affect the patient's outcomes?" An experienced RN with an associate degree doesn't have the ability to "think about what is going on with the patient and how his or her interventions will affect the patient's outcomes?" And that extra year will prevent me from being a professional? I'm not even going to comment on your grammar.


Now, to the original poster:

If you have the time to work as an LPN while finishing school, why not become one if it isn't going to postpone your associate degree? I think that you will be fine in either situation, but in my experience, students with experience definitely have an advantage. There was a CNA in my clinical group my first semester, and while most of us were a little freaked out on the first day of clinicals (having no experience with patient care), she just jumped right in. We all thought, "Wow, she really knows what she's doing." Her comfort/experience was definitely advantageous to her.

I really believe that becoming an LPN will give you an even greater advantage. Think how much you will learn working as a nurse! It won't hurt to try, will it? If you feel like it's not working out, you can always quit. Good luck in your decision!

[Tweety]

Closed down for a cooling off period.