Thinking like an RN

LoLa.M · Apr 29, 2011

I am not in the bridge program but I have been hoping that someone responds to your post. I have the same questions and I am worried that I will not transition well from the LPN to RN role. I have however seen a big difference in the prereq preparation for the RN vs the LPN. I feel that the pre- reqs alone have made me a better LPN. I also work for a skilled nursing home and I am looking forward to attending the LPN to RN transition program at Tidewater Community College. I will be putting in my application this week and will be hearing back some time in May. I hope you will be on your way to fulfilling your dreams of becoming a RN soon!!

lrlat · Apr 29, 2011

I was accepted into the LVN/LPN program and the RN program? any advice ...

RHIA, RN · Apr 29, 2011

Thank you for this post, I'll be looking for responses as well. I start a bridge program in the spring.

Kellylpn07 · Apr 30, 2011

Good Evening! I am actually in a bridge program as we speak and it is very different than the LPN program. I took my LPN at a technical school and so I had to redo all my prereqs, which i am so thankful for. The reason I say this is because the LPN courses were so brief. All the RN courses including the pre-reqs are very in depth. All of the thinking and assessments are on a way different level. LPN is very brief and it doesn't dig deep as to where an RN digs the deepest and has to know all the ins and outs. I am in a very hard program. We started with 110 and we are now down to 53 in our classes. Everything is NCLEX style. All of our quizzes/tests. You will definitely benefit from the program. We had a chance to challenge some classes but I took them all and I am sooo thankful I did because I would be so lost right now if I chose to opt out of those classes. The classes I could have opted out of were: Medical term, Dosage and calc., Nursing fundamentals I and II. If you are already an LPN then you will know some stuff that will help you along the way but it won't be a breeze for you. I struggle sometimes and I don't know how some people do it and have never had healthcare experience. So you will have a benefit a little bit but still it's very different then what we are used to doing. You will do great thought if you just put your mind to it and you really want it, then you will be successful. An honestly i know you asked to compare the LPN to the RN program and honestly all I can say is that it's like starting the nursing profession fresh off the street with only a little bit of knowledge. When you get into disease processes it's more indepth and more information that you need to know. You need to know what the disease is, how it presents, pathophys, clinical manifestations, interventions and collaborative care and how is it treated for each disease. It is definitely doable it's just alot more studying and alot more time consuming but definitely worth it in the end! I hope this helps some and I hope that you get into the program and I know this reply is late but I wanted to let you know that you will be such a better nurse if you repeat those pre reqs and dont opt out of any classes. i know that i've worked in an office since i've gotten my LPN and I have lost alot of skills and the skills lab/clinical experience has helped me gain alot of those skills back. Good Luck in all you do! Keep in touch. I'd love to see how it goes for you!

Kelly R.

LoLa.M · Apr 30, 2011

Thank you so much Kelly R. for your post! If I am understanding this correctly the school that you are attending accepted 110 LPNs? The school I applying to accepts 10 maybe a little more than that. I am nervous because the school is extremely competitive. I am praying that I get in but I am also coming up with backup plans in case I do not. :crying2:

Georgia peach RN · May 5, 2011

I am a LPN who took a diploma program through a tech school in 2000. I completed all prereqs first, and now am currently in a RN program. We just finished the 1st yr. I did test out of the first semester. I find the course of study just that alot of study. during clinicals you have to complete care "maps" for your patient, I have struggled with this the most. I am still working full time in a hospital. the only advice I have to offer is STUDY, read, read, read, then after that make sure you get plenty of rest too, dont try to over achieve, as far as comparing with the LPN program I went through it was pretty much the same I had no life, I just studied when I was at home and went to school, hugged my children in the eveing and kissed them goodnight, every one in the family has to pitch in and help take care of house and me. The NCLEX has new type of question with "choose all that apply" answers, this is the type of question I am stuggling with the most, we are being told the NCLEX is full of these type questions.

Hope this helps it will be hard but worth it.

God Bless

heavenwith7 · May 6, 2011

I'm just finishing my first year(2nd sem) of Nursing at Comm. College. I've been an LPN for 21 years, mostly long-term care. I find that being an LPN really gives me a huge head-start. I did really well in LPN school, am doing really well now. I love going to school, and I love learning more about what I've been doing most of my life. There are 4 semesters of Nursing here, I challenged first semester & didn't have to take it. If you've been an LPN for less than 5 years, you didn't have to challenge, you could just skip it if you wanted. We started with 114, down to 50-60 I think. Some of those whom are gone were LPNs. I think the best advice is to take everything you can (pre-reqs), and take nursing courses by themselves, if that's possible at your institution. I'm taking only my nursing, pre-reqs finished, and it's pretty much full-time, 8cr. Between class time & lab time, and working & kids, this one class is so much, I can't imagine taking anything else with it. (I'm part-time) Try to make it as enjoyable as possible, some act as if they're in a horrible situation & are miserable. I feel so fortunate to finally be able to do this after all these years, I'm very excited, and even though it's work, I'm really enjoying it, I love medical learning.

Best of Luck to you, I hope you'll have as much fun as I am

Kellylpn07 · May 7, 2011

Thank you so much Kelly R. for your post! If I am understanding this correctly the school that you are attending accepted 110 LPNs? The school I applying to accepts 10 maybe a little more than that. I am nervous because the school is extremely competitive. I am praying that I get in but I am also coming up with backup plans in case I do not.

LOLA-- We have 110 people who started the program and 10 are only LPNS, s yes it is very competitive!

We'llSee · May 7, 2011

I started my RN pre-reqs right after finishing LVN school. The LVN school I attended didn't require any pre-reqs as they were all "built into" the program. I did very well in LVN school and worked as an LVN while doing my two years of pre-reqs for the RN program. I think RN school is the hardest thing I've ever done, and the careplans are the bane of my existence. Concept maps make sense, but they are the worst part of careplans, in my opinion.

MelissaLPN, I think the biggest difference between what I learned in LVN school and what I'm learning now is that in LVN school we learned about different illnesses, but we didn't go into depth. In RN school we not only learn about the illnesses, but we learn WHY and HOW, on a cellular level. In LVN school, we were taught that if we saw something unusual, we should report to the RN. Now we're learning why those things are unusual (again, on a cellular level). Does this make sense?

LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN · May 7, 2011

you asked:

my question to you lpn-rn students is what should i expect in rn school? how is the knowledge different? -- as an adn or bsn student, you will be expected to read, write, and research at the college/university level. the books are designed for college level students and the knowlege you are expected to absorb will be detailed. previous posts correctly outlined what to expect when you are in the program. i also suggest you get lippincott's how to get an a in (fill in the subject). the are written with the basic info you must absorb for peds, med surg, critical care, ob, etc. the regular rn books go into depth, but the concise books help. especially when reviewing.

"how to change my thinking to the rn level." at the present, you are working under a rn or a physician. the training you will receive in the rn program will prepare you to be responsible for your work and to work alone following the physician's orders. an rn is trained to 'critically think.' many refer to critically thinking but seriously it means that you have the training and knowledge to look at a problem, think it through, examine the data, come up with a solution(s) and apply the solution(s). then you will assess what you have done and if it needs tweaking, make changes. it is a way of thinking and eventually you will do this subconsciously. you may say you are doing it now, but honestly you do not have the indepth training or education that you will receive in the program.

"i work in long term care so in some respects i work very independently, doing my own assessments and act on my information independently ( ie call the md with my findings)." where you work will be very helpful in your rn training; you are already one step ahead of other nursing students.

"but having just the prereqs as a guide i know i am in for a huge difference in nursing school." the prerequisites are essential and once you are admitted to the program, you will start learning additional information--how to draw up and apply a care plan and how to write term papers about your patient (among a few things that come to mind). you will be trained to do this; nothing will be thrown at you without first receiving what must be done and how it is to be done.

"what were some of the big differences you found? what surprised you the most about the lpn vs rn?" the big difference is the rn program is far different from the lpn/lvn program--initially most lpns do not understand this. by the end of the first semester, the difference between the education received as an lpn and the education you are receiving as an lpn to adn/bsn will be very obvious.

the one thing i want you to remember is to take one step at a time. do not worry about the future. concentrate on what you must do for the week and break it down so you know what must be done each day so you are prepared for the next week. do not fall behind. read, make notes, before class go over your notes, take notes in class, and after class review those notes.

remember that everything you are absorbing will be useful in the future and is preparing you for the nclex. keep a positive attitude (although sometimes it is difficult). remember, if you have a bad day or week, this too will pass. keep you eye on the future. becoming an rn is difficult but remember why you are in the program and in no time you will be taking the nclex.

passredskins1 · May 9, 2011

i just became an rn on april 26 after doing the lpn to rn bridge program at CCBC IN MARYLAND.....what i can tell u about the difference btw lpn and rn role ...was for me in class there wasnt much difference...you STILL have to study...study hard for the exams....dont assume b/c u arepn you will make it based on "prior knowledge" you have to study for the exams..... The difference i saw in clinicals was during passing meds...u have to wait for an instructor to pass your meds...but i can tell u my LPN experience really helped me...and i am glad i had it b/c i could pick up things faster than some students....some students had trouble reading doctors handwriting in chart...as an LPN in long term care ...i am sooo used to crappy writings...lol..... The one thing i would take from the bridge program is when i entered the second year of the RN (after testing out the first) with the other students....we were preety much all in the same boat hoping to PASS out of the school...graduate and BE AN RN!!!!