CNA to LPN?

Nurses LPN/LVN

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I need to earn my keep, and am planning to train as a CNA and work as that, and then train as an LPN. Has anyone trained/studied to be an LPN while working as a CNA?

I have a BA, have worked for many years, and am changing professions.

Thanks, in advance.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I need to earn my keep, and am planning to train as a CNA and work as that, and then train as an LPN. Has anyone trained/studied to be an LPN while working as a CNA?

I have a BA, have worked for many years, and am changing professions.

Thanks, in advance.

Yes, I did. I was in a unique situation, though, where I was on a leave of absence with pay as an aide to go to school and become an LPN, so while I was earning 100% of my salary and benefits, I was not physically working. I have to say that FOR ME, working as an aide and going to school at the same time would not have worked for me because being an aide is very physically taxing to the body and so is school. I would have probably dropped out due to fatigue, mainly. There are not many LPN programs in my immediate area, so, I would have had to travel far to school and clinicals on public transportation, making this even harder. Again, that is me, but MANY have successfully been able to complete both, LPN and RN programs while working as an aide. You could learn alot because you will be working around a great deal of nurses and can watch what they do.

Just curious; what do you have a BA in?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I went to school with many CNAs or techs as they call them here. They did great although it took a lot of dedication to work and go to school full time also. I was also wondering what your BA is in because if you could make more money and/or have a less physical job that is what I woud do while in LPN school. Good luck.

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Specializes in LTC, cardiac, ortho rehab.

i went straight lvn, but i have talked many great CNAs to continue on for their lvn. as far as school and tuition, the facility i work at is willing to pay for their tuition but they are gonna be required to work 2 years after graduation. regarding the academic aspects, the CNAs i talked into going back to school love it. they state that their CNA experience is helping them out. honestly, its making them better CNAs cause they can better report to me any abnormalities they see.

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Thanks for the posts. My BA is in Music, twenty-five years ago. I've done a lot of things since then. Am looking into the LPN because I am considering becoming a private nurse.

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Specializes in LTAC, Med/Surg..

Hey SJ11,

Wanted to chime in and wish you luck - I also have my Bachelors in Music, and I'm finishing my LPN this september (God willing!!!). Thought I was for sure the only person out there making such an abrupt career change, glad to see that I am not. :)

And in regards to your post, I can only echo what the folks above have said - CNA work is TIRING (if you're doing it right!). I can't imagine putting in 8 hour clinical days on the floor for school and then running home, changing, and putting in god knows how many more that night as a tech or aide. i'll have a bit more insight into this in the next few weeks, when I start my new nurse intern/clinical assistant position. As wonderful an experience as I am hoping that will be (and as great as it will be to have my foot in the door at the big urban medical center here come september when I take my boards!), I would not be doing it if it were not just such a neccessity- LPN school can be a little intense unless you are VERY good with time management.

Anyways - best of luck to you. ;)

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I am doing this very thing right now! Well, starting too, anyway. Career change, just completing my training as a CNA, and starting LPN school in July. I will be working part time - probably 3 shifts a week, and school full time. I know it will be tiring - BUT - where there is a will.......

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Specializes in LTAC, Med/Surg..
I am doing this very thing right now! Well, starting too, anyway. Career change, just completing my training as a CNA, and starting LPN school in July. I will be working part time - probably 3 shifts a week, and school full time. I know it will be tiring - BUT - where there is a will.......

Absolutely! If you set priorities and really manage your time, you can ABSOLUTELY do this. Remember, it's just a year - and even though the year will be tough, you can buckle down and do it! I worked full-time (not as a CNA, I taught nights) while I went thru the first three of 4 levels of my program and now I'll have this nurse intern job as well during the last level of school this summer - I was easily the busiest of all my classmates. But I've done really well and I cannot BELIEVE how quickly the year has flown-almost DONE!!!!!

Keep positive and you will do well! Best of luck!

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Specializes in LTC & Correctional Nursing.

i am currently finishing up my lpn and before i started and got my stna (cna) and began working, due to school and family i have recently left my job but the majority of the people that i am in school with are stnas that are getting their lpn. good luck to you! :)

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For those of you who have made it to their career goals, that's a beautiful thing. I am still trying to get my lpn. My problem is that I can't find a school here in Philadelphia which offers this program. Every link that I find on the website sends me elsewhere to a site where I don't qualify for that course. I either have to already be an lpn nurse or their not servicing my area. Please let me know what schools accepted you. Perhaps one of those schools could show promising results for me as well. Thanks for the help in advance. :crying2:

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.
I need to earn my keep, and am planning to train as a CNA and work as that, and then train as an LPN. Has anyone trained/studied to be an LPN while working as a CNA?

I have a BA, have worked for many years, and am changing professions.

Thanks, in advance.

I worked full time as a CNA during my first year of nursing school, then sat for the NCLEX-PN and worked part time as an LPN during my second year of nursing school. Now I am graduating as an RN and will be sitting for NCLEX-RN soon.

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I also have a BA which I recieved in 2006 and finished a CNA course back in 2004. I never worked as one, but now I'm going to do just that. I'm starting LPN school in Sept. of this year and I'm really excited. I've always wanted to do health care and no other jobs satisfied me--especially not admin assistant jobs or sitting jobs.

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