Want to work in L&D, NICU or Nursery but can't be in school for too too long. Not sur

ILoveHealthCare · Jan 19, 2014

Why can't you commit to 4 years? I hate to break it to you but even if you get an associates degree it will be over 2 years. You have pre requires and possibly a waiting list. I suggest you do some research on what the schools require.

pinkiepinkPN · Jan 21, 2014

Hi all :) I am a young mother who works part time and just got my own place. Granted I have my fiancé to help he can't pay the bills himself. So quitting is not an option for me. However, I would really love to get my career started but one of my worst fears is investing my time and money into something that I wind up hating. So I would really LOVE for someone to help me out on this one pleeease. My dream has always been to work with either pregnant women or newborn babies. I'm aiming for L&D, NICU or even in the Nursery, but I know going to school for four years+ definitely isn't going to happen for me :/ I have read many topics on here and I know I'll probably wind up doing LPN but want to be sure that'll get me to where I need to be. Any advice?[/quote']
There's nothing wrong with starting off as an LPN and gauging how you feel about going on from there. Some things:
Don't say going to school for 4 years isn't going to happen. No one ever got anywhere in life by focusing on what seems impossible. There is always a way...most people are just unwilling to realize it often involves making very uncomfortable, unpopular, and expensive sacrifices.
You will get clinical exposure to NICU, L&D, and mother/baby units in your training as an LPN and can see for yourself if it "speaks" to you. A LOT of my classmates had the sparkly eyed dream of bein L&D nurses but changed their tune when they got smacked in the face with the realization that it isn't all pink healthy babies, happy mommies and good outcomes. I stood and watched a woman give birth to a stillborn baby and it haunts me almost every day. That's all just to say, keep an open mind. You'll have many clinical experiences and something else might just click for you. I ended up having a deep love and passion for elder care, which I see as a truly noble calling. I love my job n LTC and have ZERO desire to work in a hospital, even after I become an RN.
Last, you talked about fearing spending time and money on something you'd end up hating. Sorry, but the only way to find out is to do it. No one can tell you if nursing is right for you. No two nurses have the same experiences or personality. More people than you think come to nursing as a second career, meaning what they did before didn't fulfill or support them.
Good luck to you.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Jan 21, 2014

I could be way off, please someone correct me if I'm wrong. But I believe that they're slowly trying to weed out LPNs as higher education is becoming more preferred.

Not really.

"Fewer hospitals hire LPNs" does not equal "LPNs are being phased out".

There are LOTS of jobs for LPNs out there. The nursing home industry would collapse overnight if LPNs were phased out. Corrections, rehab, homecare and outpatient clinics all hire LPNs.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects employment for practical nurses to grow "much faster than average".

With that said, in my neck of the woods, any student wanting to work in L&D or the NICU needs a BSN. And even then, their chances of starting out there as a new grad is nil unless they got serious connections.

loriangel14, RN · Jan 21, 2014

You should be going for your BSN More and more employers are hiring BSN only, especially if you want to specialize.

HazelLPN, LPN · Jan 23, 2014

I am a retired LPN and I did PICU and NICU nursing for about 18 years.

To decide if nursing is really for you, why don't you obtain a job in a hospital that requires on the job training? Working as a unit clerk or patient care assistant/nurse's aid can give you a very good idea about what nursing is like. Many young people work their way through college in these positions. Not only does it give one a good idea about what nursing is all about but you are exposed to other heath care professions in the hospital. You might decide that respiratory is you're thing...you never know. Some hospitals will provide tuition reimbursement and can help with some of your training if you agree to work at that hospital when your training is finished. Hospitals are very good about scheduling around school as so many of the kids are in school full time and work part time at the hospital. When I went back to school for my BSN (never got it, long story), I was able to work 7a-7p on the weekends and my week was free for class and clinical. The hospital also paid for some of that tuition. It also gives you very valuable human connections that other nursing students do not have.

Depending on where you live, there many be job opportunities for LPNs in acute settings or there may not be. Again, working in the hospital will give you an idea if that is the case or not as you will get to interact with many different professionals.

When posters say "LPNs are being phased out" or "LPNs can't do x,y or z" they are only speaking for their state and facility. RNs practice is pretty much the same everywhere. LPN scope, on the other hand, varies greatly for state to state and even from facility to facility. There are some states where the scope is very similar to that of an RN...and others were its much more restricted. I managed my own VERY SICK kiddos in the NICU and there was very little for my RN change nurse to have to do to cover me.

Best to you,

Mrs H.

NurseQT · Jan 28, 2014

First things first, you need to take the nursing assistant course.. It's only 6 weeks, will give you some insight into the nursing world, and required by many nursing programs.

allnurses Guide · Jan 28, 2014

So should I just go for my RN degree cause I don't have 4 years to get my BSN. I highly doubt that's gonna happen and I don't want to waste anyone's time. Also, if I did become an RN how long would I be in school for then?

My opinion . . .there is a vast world of education options (including nursing education options) out there and almost endless combinations of them. I believe that terms like "4 year program" and "2 year program" are at times misleading and inexact. I'm the first to admit that it can be daunting and bewildering to the newcomer but I think the person who does their research will be rewarded with a plan that works for their needs efficiently or may perhaps cause you to decide another career option would be preferable to obtaining the RN license (the degree is what the school gives you)

Most of the possibilities for nursing education as well as discussion of various degrees and their requirements (pre-requisites, etc) have very lively forums here on allnurses (check the site map) that may prove to be a good jumping off point and a way to put a finer point on the time it will take to complete a program leading a BSN degree including bridging options. It also cuts through school advertising BS! Very best wishes to you!

LaceElaine · Feb 11, 2014

Whoops! Must have misread the post. Then getting into an accelerated program definitely wouldn't work.

And of course LPNs won't be phased out over night if that were true. They're an integral part of the healthcare system. Like I said, I could be wrong. Although, i've read SEVERAL posts on the subject in the past few years. BUT that doesn't mean that it makes it truth.