LVN first and THEN RN?

stefonee356 · Oct 1, 2012

ANYONE?

kfactor · Oct 1, 2012

Hi all!
I was wondering if it would be best to try to get into an LVN program to boost my GPA, rather than go into an ADN first. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Couldn't help wondering about the idea in context of my community college program - which has both LPN and RN programs - I got my LPN on the way and stopped out (waiting to hear about January return for year 2 of the RN and take my lpn license exam in 2 weeks) . At my school the classes were actually identical (I was just in with the RN students) - then decided to take this path to get the LPN on the way - and Frankly the LPN completion course - (which for me was technically an elective) was by FAR the hardest I had taken at the school -this was due not only to the warp speed so content much was crammed into but to the shockingly competitive and uncooperative atmosphere. I am thankful I passed and I honestly think I might have drowned had I been with that group throughout. Anyway - if the program you are considering is modeled similarly then your idea might not be the best one... Just my 2 cents...

stefonee356 · Oct 2, 2012

Thank you for your post and thoughts! Yeah I am applying to both ADN and LVN programs and I have heard LVN is way harder just because you have so much to learn in such a short amount of time. I will be happy getting into any nursing program, but I rather do ADN first, Im just not sure if I can with my GPA. I will sure try though!!!!!!!! Are you in school now or are you finished?

Kimynurse · Oct 3, 2012

I'm an LPN, and I am starting a ADN program in January, for me this was the best route for me.

1) I had no pre-recs, I graduated hs in1987

2) doing all those pre-recs , then finding out nursing was not for me

3) working as a nurse, taking pre-recs. priceless

I love being a nurse, LPN school is hard, and so is RN school , although I didn't start yet.

Good luck

kfactor · Oct 5, 2012

I am actually finished with the lpn program and am waiting to find out if I have a seat to continue as a second year rn student in January... I am in good standing etc etc - but there have been times when every single seat in a semester class was filled so while it is said I should have a seat in January - I will wait for the official letter to count on it - so in the moment I am a stopped out RN student and a finished LPN student. I must say - I know I really want to wind up having the autonomy permitted by the RN to do home health and hospice care but part of me wants so so much to not have to go back - sleep deprivation losses some of it's glamour rather early on...good luck seriously - and please take my thoughts with a grain of salt - i really think my class of LPN students was an anomaly (there were stories of students actively sabotaging other students - and I can only hope they were unfortunate tall tales) - but it was indeed a lot to cram in that short time. Alright - since I'm at it - your low GPA does give me cause for pause. I actually got literally straight A's in my pre-reqs - and nursing school was the rudest of awakenings for me - so I just hope you are at a place in your life where whatever was going on before to lead to the weak GPA has been addressed - Just so that once you do get into a program you are able to be successful - (hope this is not taken the wrong way - I just know how stunned I was at the volume I was expected to digest in the beginning and wondered why they let in folks without far more requirements in the first place - as it seemed to be almost a bit of a "set up") - Again good luck!

Niki LPN · Oct 6, 2012

Hi all!
I was wondering if it would be best to try to get into an LVN program to boost my GPA, rather than go into an ADN first. Any thoughts? Thanks!

To be honest, getting my LPN first was the worst decision of my life. Not a day go by when I wish i would have gotten my RN instead. I am not saying everyone feels this way but I do. I thought that transitioning from LPN to RN would be much easier, but every school has different pre-reqs they require, none of my credits from my LPN program transfer because it was an accelerated program, not to mention now that i am working full time 5 days a week when do i have time now to go to school to get my pre-reqs let alone go back into a full time nursing program! i would say get your RN right away, my current job pays LPN's about $21/hr and RN's (without a bachelors) about $39/hr, and we are doing the EXACT SAME JOB. good luck to you!

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Oct 6, 2012

Hi all!
I was wondering if it would be best to try to get into an LVN program to boost my GPA, rather than go into an ADN first. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Depending on the school, taking an LVN/LPN program might not increase or decrease your GPA at all. The might not even look at it.

Here in CT, LPN's can do an LPN to RN program. We are then 'granted' a certain amount of credits toward the ADN program (usually the credits attached to the first year of the nursing classes). However, your GPA in LPN school did not boost (or lower if that's the case) our GPA for any previous college courses. They only take into account how long ago you graduated the LPN program, if your program was accredited and if you have a LPN license with no discipline against it.

stefonee356 · Oct 8, 2012

Thank you for ALL of y'alls input! I am applying to both programs so I will be greatful if I get into either one. I rather do ADN first and just knock 2 years out of the way but I wasn't sure if GPA would be a factor. I take school seriously now because I KNOW what I want to do. Before I was young and dumb and confused on my career parth. Im just so confused on what route to take, but all of yalls feed back def. helps!

JennJillO · Oct 11, 2012

I was an LVN for 7 years and then obtained my RN a year and a half ago. Although imam grateful for the experience I received, if I could go back, I would've gone straight for my RN, BSN. I was very fortunate to have always had a job in the hospital. I never wired in a nursing home. But the trends right now involves no LVNs in the hospitals. Then with RN programs, do not do an ADN program. Again, most jobs out there are BSN and above. I still have friends that I graduated with that cannot find jobs. If you're ok with potentially working in a nursing home, than LVN/LPN is ok. It's not as easy as everyone thinks to get in to a Bridge program. Not to mention, had to retake classes because the RN program wouldn't accept certain classes. So, in the long run, it's not a shorter path. I loved my work as an LVN but just wish I had 8-1/2 years of RN experience instead. Good luck to you!

NursinginProgress · Oct 22, 2012

Theres a few reasons to be a LPN.I decided for me, to take each step at a time in case possible problems occurred. You never know what will happen to you out there and how you will survive. Plus, I want to be that nurse that knows exactly what it's like to be a CNA or LPN. I've seen nurses who lucky for them went through the ADN program w/o a history, yet when they got out in the working world, they had no idea what to expect and looked down on the CNAs and LPNs and treated them like garbage. Besides, how do you really know if nursing is for you? At least, if you don't like healthcare, you'd only have wasted so much of time. Rather than go through it all and in the end be like,"Wow, this really sucks." LOL I became a CNA first, then became a LPN and now I'm doing a bridge to become a RN. Just an FYI, I could've easily gone straight through, but I chose not to. To each it's own and may the nursing light shine down upon you through your decisions.

entet · May 1, 2013

I had already started my Presque classes for lpn but for some reason I had to moved another city and now I am ready to go back to school, I wonder if they will credit all my classes that has been about a year now since I stopped school.