[grannypatches]

Hello everyone. Happy Holidays. I got an early christmas this year. Two weeks ago I got my acceptance letter from the lpn nursing school program. I nearly cried when I read it. When I told the ladies at school I was accepted, I have heard nothing for the past two weeks about what a mistake I have made. That I will not be able to find a job when I graduate. For the past year I have worked so hard taking all the prereq. to be accepted into the Jan.'07 . program. I will be 50 in March and this feels so right for me. But all my college friends have made me feel that I was wrong. Am I? I accepted the offer and I am praying I made the right decision.

[traumaRUs]

How cool - congratulations! If you feel this is a good decision for you, go for it!

[ILUVNURSING_2006]

Congratulations!! I recently recieved my LPN and got a job within a month with no experience in healthcare (besides my education). Where I live, Iowa, there is a strong need for LPNs. Go with your heart, if this is the profession you want, go for it. I have not regretted it for one minute. If you want reassurance that there is a need for nurses in your area, check your local newspapers and online job listings to see if the need is there.

[TheCommuter]

Go with your instincts. You are the only person who has the capability to make these types of informed decisions.

Even though I am am LPN, I can honestly see why your college friends are telling you to not attend the LPN program. People with years of education tend to scornfully look down upon career paths that require shorter periods of schooling. I can see why the people of academia consider a diploma of practical nursing or an associate's degree of practical nursing very ineffectual when contrasted with a baccalaureate or master's degree in some humanities major.

However, your LPN license will provide you with rewarding employment and often yield higher pay rates than bachelor's degrees in philosophy, art, sociology, humanities, liberal studies, history, etc. Go for it!

[DDRN4me]

I was an LPN for 18 yrs; and have done a practicum teaching LPN students... It is a wonderful and rewarding profession. It is also a good starting point for those of us who are, shall we say, more life experienced than others. Good Luck and Congratulations!!!!!

[nursesaideBen]

Congratulations!!! I live in VA too and trust me, you WILL be able to find a job as an LPN!! Good luck with your studies and keep us posted!!

[sunnymilo]

There is no way you are wrong and don't let anyone talk you out of becoming an LPN!!!!!

I tried to get my RN from a 4 year University twice, after being in the university and completing all of my undergraduate pre-requisites including pre-nursing.

The first time I applied I missed the cutoff (18 students being accepted and I received a note saying I was "second alternate"). Well I never got to that point, no one dropped out or failed out so I had to re-apply. This time I did not get in again, but it was a good thing because my Dad died from cancer about 6 months later, and I really needed that time to myself and being in a nursing program would have been difficult.

Well a year later (because the nursing college only picks candidated every fall), and a year behind in school and entering my last year of college, I felt really bad like I was just wasting precious time and money. I took foreign languages, humanities, arts, computer, religion, anything to keep me in until I got into this stinking RN program. I pretty much was 20 or so credits away from a Bachelor of Liberal Arts/General Studies! I had no idea where I was going and really felt like it was not meant to be for me to be a nurse and that I made a big mistake even thinking about pursuing it. By the way, I was also a non-traditional aged student- I started college at 28 and I am now 34.

While digging in my garden about a month after my Dad's death (that was now June of 2004), I said "God, what am I supposed to do with myself and this education path I am on; I feel like I am wasting time". I later went to check my mail and I had an invitation from a 2 year state college on the western side of our state that was starting this new LPN program and they were inviting me to apply! I was just beside myself! I could not figure out how they had gotten my name. I was active as a pre-nursing student on my University's Student Nursing Program, but I have no idea how they got my name!

Well I took a chance, and I decided to apply to this junior college LPN. I had to get CNA certified so I put myself through CNA that current summer and I was accepted into the new LPN program and started it that fall! I transferred out of the University and I took a 3 semester LPN certificate program. I don't even have an associates degree but I can tell you I have my license to practice as an LPN, and I am very proud of that!

I also want to tell you that the best education I have had has come from this little state college. That year of nursing was hands on from the get-go, very fast paced, and I learned so much and had the best time and made the greatest friends! I had the most wonderful teachers that were so supportive and patient and kind. I felt like I came out of that 1 year program knowing everything I needed to know about becoming the nurse I wanted to be. I will never forget my friends and my teachers and some of the mentors at the hospitals/nursing homes as well. There were times when many RN's, RN students, and their instructors treated us really poorly and looked down on us while we were on the floor. I seriously wanted to write a letter to the hospital at one point complaining, but I didn't want to get our DON at the college in trouble. I just told myself that I would never be like that or treat any students that way when I had my license. There were also some very appreciative and helpful RN's we met and all of the LPN's we came across were very appreciative of us.

When we graduated, one of our instructors/teachers who was a very DYNAMIC person, as well as a Certified Nurse Practitioner came over the webcast (we did some online courses as well), and she said to all of us:

"Congratulations!!! You are the first certificate LPN program in this state and you are our first graduates". "This is is major milestone"!

This very instructor once told us: "I started off as a CNA, became an LPN, got a 2 year RN, BSN, then a masters and now I am a nurse practitioner/college professor"!

"I have climbed all the way up the ladder and it took a long time and I finally got up there"! "Hey you guys, don't ever let anyone put you down because you are an LPN"!!! "All of these levels and people are important to the health care team and no one should ever tell you all that you are "just an LPN"! "Everyone has to start somewhere and you are all off to a great start"! That professor was on of our best!

My educational experience was invaluable at this little 2 year college and I will go into an LPN to RN bridge program through another community college in the state I live in now (I am a military spouse) just because of the satisfaction I had with the "vocational" type of experience.

I wish you well in your LPN program. You can never know where opportunities like this may lead, and you will find out so many things about yourself, especially areas you would like to work in! You will experience many things and LPN is a fantastic way to start! There will be many volunteer opportunities, hopefully a more laid back environment, and you can bridge into an LPN-RN program when you get your license, or just work for a few years and gain experience. I am glad I took a chance on the LPN program!!!!! You will be too!

Good luck and many prayers go out to you~I wish you all the best and you have my support as another LPN!

Please write if you ever have any other questions or need a friend to lean on!!!!!

Very Sincerely Yours,

Kristy

[pagandeva2000]

I think that Kristy worded it better than I ever could have. Do what you will, and best of luck to you!

[grannypatches]

All of you are so wonderful. Thank you for the kind words of advice and support. I have been wanting to be a nurse since I was a little girl. The first time I tried to go to nursing school is when I graduated high school. But my mom was sick. The second time I was married and my husband said I needed to stay at home and raise the kids full-time. So I did. My youngest child is now 21. I went with her to the community college last year because she wanted to enter the nursing program. The counselor showed me that I was not too old to attend college. For the past year I have given my studies 110%. My gpa is 4.0. When that letter came I was accepted was a dream come true. But all the negativity from my college friends stunned me. I began to have some doubts. This morning I have orientation and uniform fittings at the nursing school and I am going to be there. My daughter also made the program. I am so excited I can hardly drink a cup of coffee. Thank you for all the kind posts. I had tears in my eyes when I finished reading them. Happy Holidays everyone!

[pagandeva2000]

Originally Posted by grannypatches

All of you are so wonderful. Thank you for the kind words of advice and support. I have been wanting to be a nurse since I was a little girl. The first time I tried to go to nursing school is when I graduated high school. But my mom was sick. The second time I was married and my husband said I needed to stay at home and raise the kids full-time. So I did. My youngest child is now 21. I went with her to the community college last year because she wanted to enter the nursing program. The counselor showed me that I was not too old to attend college. For the past year I have given my studies 110%. My gpa is 4.0. When that letter came I was accepted was a dream come true. But all the negativity from my college friends stunned me. I began to have some doubts. This morning I have orientation and uniform fittings at the nursing school and I am going to be there. My daughter also made the program. I am so excited I can hardly drink a cup of coffee. Thank you for all the kind posts. I had tears in my eyes when I finished reading them. Happy Holidays everyone!

Your nursing career will be what you make it, whether it be LPN or RN. You have taken the first step, and from there, you can see nursing from that perspective and move up if you wish to. Best wishes!!