Advice on which route to go....

[Jen_Loves_Nursing]

Hi Nursing friends!

I have just finished the application phase/interview phase for the LVN program I have chosen to attend and will either be accepted or denied as a candidate by dec 31, 2014. I am not completely finished with my pre-reqs (mostly sciences need to be finished, the program i applied to asks mostly for work experience as a CNA and you get extra points on the rubric for college credits etc)

My questions is....

Should I continue at my local community college, finish ALL my pre reqs to my best ability then apply to an RN program (which i may or may not get into right away)

or

Continue with the LVN program I've applied to (the hours are great and would allow me to finish my pre reqs one class at a time at my community college either online or in person in the evenings because theory and clinical are M-TH 630am-230pm. Then advance place into an RN program and be able to have some nursing experience.

My biggest issue is time. I have 3 children, work and have to plan everything around mine and my husbands schedules.. (oh ya and THREE KIDS!!)

What would you do and why? impatience, truly, has made me want to apply for this LVN program

Thanks all for your input!

[mindofmidwifery, ADN]

I feel like a lot of people are getting stuck with this question, myself included!!! Under your circumstances, it seems like the LVN path is a lot more secure and will indeed give you nursing experience in the mean time before you go for your RN. It will also give you more time with your children and sounds less stressful.

[Jen_Loves_Nursing]

I feel like a lot of people are getting stuck with this question, myself included!!! Under your circumstances, it seems like the LVN path is a lot more secure and will indeed give you nursing experience in the mean time before you go for your RN. It will also give you more time with your children and sounds less stressful.

uh... i can help but to agree with you! THE ONLY REASON I'm even worried about my personal decision is because of others thoughts on LVNs in general. it should matter. Whether i go LVN first or wait and do my RN it will literally take the same amount of time!

Thanks for a response!

[mindofmidwifery, ADN]

uh... i can help but to agree with you! THE ONLY REASON I'm even worried about my personal decision is because of others thoughts on LVNs in general. it should matter. Whether i go LVN first or wait and do my RN it will literally take the same amount of time!

Thanks for a response!

No problem :) try not to worry about what other people think, it's your life.

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

Hey Jen, where do you plan on taking your science courses while in the LVN program? I haven't completed my science courses either and have been researching online for some weekend or evening classes available. Please let me know and share the love :)

PS

To answer your post question, I TOTALLY understand how you are feeling. Although I do not have any children, I have a life to where I would like to more financially stable sooner than later. I agree to not listen so much to people, yet take there advice into consideration. I had several classmates call me crazy for going the lvn-rn route and trying to get me to go to a RN program that's 65k and not accredited with wasc, BUT is accredited with the California board of nursing....I've also been sucked into waiting to finish faster over and over again....but I have to tell myself that I need to do what's best for me at the moment.

[Jen_Loves_Nursing]

Hey Tasha!!!

I will be going to Crafton, either through their many online courses or on campus selection! They have tons on evening classes and a few Saturday classes.

Sometimes a girl just needs to hear ITS OK from her peers! I can t wait to be accepted into my LVN program!

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

the way I see it is your RN license would benefit your family more. That would be my goal. If you go the LVN route you may not want to work and go to school and try to be a Mom.

[Jen_Loves_Nursing]

the way I see it is your RN license would benefit your family more. That would be my goal. If you go the LVN route you may not want to work and go to school and try to be a Mom.

Well I already work/go to school... and my when I attain my lvn I will just recieve a pay raise. that is probably the #2 reason people tell me not to go LVN, because I could possibly get stuck especially if the pay is well.

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

@Jen_Loves_Nursing thanks Jen!!

I never heard of that program before. I will defintely take a look at the program. I agree..having support from your peers is PRICELESS :)

@classicdame

I honestly can see you're point of this.

[Nienna Celebrindal]

There is not a wrong way to go, there is a what is best for you. What is KEY in making decision is what is true for your area, and what is your financial situation. It's crucial for you to remember that what is true in some areas is absolutely false in others.

Here are questions to ask yourself:

Do the schools near you really let you skip a year? In my experience they don't. Being an LVN doesnt really save you time. Call the RN programs near you. If there are lvn to rn programs call them. Do your homework, and really research.

How much do you make now vs LVN. I know a lot of experienced CNAs who only make a few dollars less an hour than a new LVN.

Also your grades, what is your GPA? You don't have to share but you need to know. The minimum GPA required is not enough for the vast majority of schools in socal.

Also, this area is impacted with LVNs and new grad RNs. I speak from experience that LVN positions are very competitive. Will it be worth it to you to go to LVN school and struggle for a position? You may wait 6 months or more. You would as an RN as well.

Being an LVN has pluses and minuses to an RN program. Yes you do have experience so in some ways this is helpful. Plus you have passed the nclex once so you know you can (but do know you are signing yourself up to take the most f'd up test twice). But you have to learn a new scope of practice and will have to approach things from a totally different way. My entire lvn to bsn class found this challenging.

Also the nclex is designed for new grads but as an lvn you aren't exactly. You will want to answer as a nurse but you have to answer as a new grad. It's not impossible but I have seen it trip up great students and i had to work very hard to not fall into the trap. And don't get me started on the nclex rn when they ask lvn related questions. It thinks lvns are idiots and I really had to study because if I answered those questions based off my experience as an lvn they were wrong.

I feel like I am pointing out all the negatives and as I said I do think both are good. I just want to share things I learned the hard way.

Positives of an LVN are experience. Finding what you like and don't like. It is helpful in nursing school in its way.

Hospital jobs for a LVN are extremely difficult for seasoned LVNS to obtain because hospitals don't really use them anymore. Especially in socal. This leaves you with LTC, home health, maybe hospice. And those are 8 hour shifts. Does that fit your family? Will that work during school?

Honestly given your area I wouldn't do the LVN route. I hate to say that because I love LVNs and I want to support them. But in this area I do not see it as an advantage unless you have great grades and a great shot at getting into an lvn to rn program. In other areas I think it's fantastic. But like I said in the beginning you have to plan for where you are.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

it all depends on your commitment level. There is nothing wrong with the LVN-RN route. I just have seen people quit because they got close e to their goal then did not to want to stretch any further. I was a surgical tech before RN, so I have a little understanding.

[BSNMomOf6]

I would go for the RN program. I think the other route will just waste your time in the long run. If RN is your goal, why wait?