Should I become an lpn first or just go for ASN?

U.S.A. Indiana

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I live in northen Indiana. My question is, would it be beneficial for me to get my lpn before I get my RN? This way I could be getting some sort of experience while I'm getting my RN. I am ready to start a program fall 2011. All pre reqs are done. Just curious to see what everyone thinks. Thanks in advance.

Specializes in LTC, Agency, HHC.
Can you elaborate a little on this? I live in Florida and it would be great if that were possible.

Thanks,

NJ

After your first year of RN school, some states let you sit for your LPN/VN boards. Ask at your school or call the BON.

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Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

I agree with Lvntobsn. If possible or I it is wat you ultimately want go straight for your BSN. I had the opportunity to pursue a BSN, but I chose AND simply b/c that's what I preerred and I'm jappy with that decision. I do plan on going to get my BSN after I get my RN, but my main goal is to become a RN asap. I see nothing wrong wit going LPN if that's what you want, I want to be an RN, but I am applying to both RN and LPN programs. I'll go to watever school accepts me, But RN is my first choice.

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I read a post on this site that it's better to get the LPN and some experience while you are earning your BSN.

I did it that way for financial reasons, but it's worked out for me. I will have 6 years of being a NURSE under my belt by the time I finish my advanced degree. The recruiter said she'd rather have a former LPN who is now an RN than hire a BSN fresh out of school!:yeah:

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Specializes in ICU, forensics,.

RN. If you want experience or to have a foot in the door after school, work as a student tech or CNA. Obviously a CNA role is much different but you will be in a better position to be hired by the facility you choose than others. Jobs are posted in house prior to being available to public. Good luck

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Corrections, Home Care....

I personally got my LPN first due to needing the money and I wasn't sure if I would like being a nurse. It took 11 months to complete........8 years later I went back to school for my prerequisites for 2 years (had babies to raise) then a year in transition. Transition LPN to RN or ADN if you will took one year. Tried to go back for the BSN but can't afford it financially or time wise.

That's my experience..........now I have a desk job as an Analyst, no nights, weekends, holidays or mandatory overtime. I gotta say, so far so good, for me.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Please, please, please go for your RN first!!!! As a 38-year LPN, I can tell you the good money is in hospitals; and, they are not hiring LPN's. Many are coming out of LPN school and are unable to get jobs! Also, go on for your BSN. Our hospital has just made a rule of not hiring any ADN's. If you want to transfer to another department, you have 5 years to get your BSN. The sad thing is we have a nursing school (ADN) affiliated with the hospital and they won't even hire their new grads! It's all very sad. I, too, am back in school when I should be planning my retirement. Of course, this is Ohio; and, it may not be like this in other states. I would like to know what states are hiring LPN's; perhaps I could move there and forget all the stresses here where you don't know from one day or the next if you will be phased out altogether!

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Specializes in LTC.
Please, please, please go for your RN first!!!! As a 38-year LPN, I can tell you the good money is in hospitals; and, they are not hiring LPN's. Many are coming out of LPN school and are unable to get jobs! Also, go on for your BSN. Our hospital has just made a rule of not hiring any ADN's. If you want to transfer to another department, you have 5 years to get your BSN. The sad thing is we have a nursing school (ADN) affiliated with the hospital and they won't even hire their new grads! It's all very sad. I, too, am back in school when I should be planning my retirement. Of course, this is Ohio; and, it may not be like this in other states. I would like to know what states are hiring LPN's; perhaps I could move there and forget all the stresses here where you don't know from one day or the next if you will be phased out altogether!

I know here in MA hospitals are no longer hiring LPNs and I've heard they won't consider new grad ADNs either, there are Long-term acute care hospitals here and they still hire LPNs and ADNs. I think all the jobs are in LTC and there's certainly plenty of those to go around I'm not convinced it's a bad place to be I only have 1 semester of LPN school under my belt but it looks like the LPNs who work in LTC have a lot of autonomy and responsibility it certainly looked more challenging than what I saw the nurses doing at the pediatric office when I went for observation. Our instructors have been up front about it right from orientation that we will find jobs in LTC or a Dr. office, if we think we want to work at a hospital plan on doing the LPN -RN bridge.

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Go for the ASN. Most hospitals nowdays are trying to achieve the Magnet status and are not hiring LPNs. Also, when I was in nursing school I knew a few LPNs that were having trouble passing the NCLEX because they were used to do things a different way. Good luck!

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Sorry guys, I have to disagree on a lot of things said here. Let me say first that I have a BSN ~ reason being I already had a prior BS degree and the time spent for the BSN would have been the same for the ADN. I am a DON and hire brand new LPN grads all of the time (just hired one about three weeks ago). In their training they get a lot more hands on clinical time than the BSN does and in SNFs can do anything the RNs do with the exception of IVs and even then they can do IVs if they get certified. The LPN gets paid less but DOES their pay sucki? Not really, if you are presently making $8 - $10 an hour and you start at $15 - $17 an hour you just got a $5 to $7 an hour raise and that improves a LOT of peoples living conditions. Most places will pay for you to go from LPN to ADN and it's cheaper than paying for a BSN. Please don't tell me they are beginning to say that you "have" to have a BSN to even be looked at anymore because they were saying that when I went to school years ago ~ not true. BSN is great, especiallly if you want to be a DON or higher supervisory work but you can only have so many supervisors. If, like many people, you need to have that extra money while you are in school for your ADN then get the LPN and have the option of working three different shifts while you go to school to finish up. You will then have experience under your belt and more hireable. In either case, good luck to you ~ it's really a personal choice.

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Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.
Sorry guys, I have to disagree on a lot of things said here. Let me say first that I have a BSN ~ reason being I already had a prior BS degree and the time spent for the BSN would have been the same for the ADN. I am a DON and hire brand new LPN grads all of the time (just hired one about three weeks ago). In their training they get a lot more hands on clinical time than the BSN does and in SNFs can do anything the RNs do with the exception of IVs and even then they can do IVs if they get certified. The LPN gets paid less but DOES their pay sucki? Not really, if you are presently making $8 - $10 an hour and you start at $15 - $17 an hour you just got a $5 to $7 an hour raise and that improves a LOT of peoples living conditions. Most places will pay for you to go from LPN to ADN and it's cheaper than paying for a BSN. Please don't tell me they are beginning to say that you "have" to have a BSN to even be looked at anymore because they were saying that when I went to school years ago ~ not true. BSN is great, especially if you want to be a DON or higher supervisory work but you can only have so many supervisors. If, like many people, you need to have that extra money while you are in school for your ADN then get the LPN and have the option of working three different shifts while you go to school to finish up. You will then have experience under your belt and more hireable. In either case, good luck to you ~ it's really a personal choice.

I agree with you. I think BSN is a good thing, but you know everyone can't tackle that first nor do some wish to. Also people do seem to think that LPNs can't get jobs, when in fact they can. There is always a need for and office LPN or LTC LPN around here, and in some places in the next state over they hire LPNs at hospitals because they practice "team nursing " I think it is where there are only a few RNs and the rest of the nursing staff on a floor are LPNs, because it's apparently cheaper than paying a whole floor of RNs. I personally chose the ADN (Associates degree in Nursing) route as well. I had the opportunity to pursue a BSN, but chose not to. I simply didn't and still don't want to have to wait 4 years to become a registered nurse. I do however plan to enter a RN to BSN or MSN program immediately after I get my ADN that way I don't get discouraged from waiting a long time to return to school. It is true that most facilities are encouraging and preferring BSN prepared nurses (which isn't a bad thing, but places around here will not simply refuse an ADN nurse a job because they want a BSN nurse. When about 60% of the registered nursing population is ADN prepared (What's All the Fuss?), they take those with experience first and that sometimes mean hiring an experienced ADN nurse over a BSN nurse who been practicing for a year or less.

Most places around here know that most can't afford to go straight BSN, so they hire ADNs and employers or the government helps them pay to go back to school to get their BSN. Many of the nurses at the hospital I work were ADN nurses and in the course of 9 to 13 months later the majority of them are now BSN nurses for doing Grand Canyon University or similar RN t BSN programs.

Sorry, kind of got off track. My point is, it doesn't matter what entry level of nursing you decide to take, you know your situation better than all of us. Remember what ever you decide, if you make it through a program and pass the NCLEX-PN or RN, whether it be an LPN, ADN, or BSN program you will be a nurse, which is something you weren't before.

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Thank you all for your responses! They are all very valued. I know that in this time, things have changed a bit. I really want to be a nurse and since I have all my paperwork into the ADN program that I plan to go to, I will wait to see if I get accepted. I will find out in the middle of February. If I can't get in there, I will re-evaluate. Thanks!:)

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Specializes in LTC.

The only other thing to consider is applying to both, that's what I did. The ADN program is insanely competitive at my community college they get about 200 apps for 42 spots. I was on #15 on the alternate list for the ADN they ended up taking up to #11. So I'm glad I applied to the LPN as well it is first come first served I applied Sept.09 for the Sept.10 program and got in otherwise I would have had to put school off another year. Maybe not a big deal if you're 19 or 20, but starting over at 33 every year counts to me.

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