Whats the better way to go?

A few things to consider:

Are you starting from scratch? Have you taken bio/chem/physio/anatomy/microbio? Remeber that many colleges will not accept science courses that were taken more than 7 years ago.

How are your funds? Are the 4 year programs private or state?

There is no way that you'd get your LVN/RN-diploma in 2.5 years... let's take a look:

1) 2 solid years to take pre-reqs.
2) 6 months to apply/wait for LVN program to start (minimum)
3) 18 months for LVN
4) 6 more months to apply/wait for RN program to start.
5) 1 year for RN

All of that is considering that you get admitted to the LVN and RN programs on your first try... this is getting harder and harder. And after you graduate you'll want to get your BSN which will take quite some time.

If I were you... i'd go the four year route. It will take care of all your prereqs... not give you undue stress regarding admission into different programs... and you'll end up with a BSN!

The prereq/LVN/RN route can easily take 6-8 years without any breaks... i kid you not.. and that's just for your RN diploma with no degree.

Also, are you ever going to want to leave the US? Many Canadian provinces are now requiring the 4 year BSN. And if you ever want to go into education, management, etc., a 4 year BSN will be better for you.