Need Help: LPN program vs. RN program

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I am seeking advise or other's experience on the best path to Nursing to take. I was accepted to a community college, Associate Degree program for RN and was just placed on a waiting list.

It looks highly unlikely that I will get in as I believe the cap was already reached and seems more likely that I will have to re-submit my Nursing Packet again for the following Fall 2015. I have all my pre-reqs completed but will need some more science. The other option I have is that I also was accepted into the LPN program to begin this August.

Would there be an added benefit to getting an LPN and then going to the Advanced Placement to RN (basically skipping one semester)? I am thinking that this would be good experience to get in the mean time; or is this just wasting time and money? I would add that this will be a second career for me.

Any advice or experience would be so gratefully appreciated.

I'm in the same situation as you. I was not accepted into the ADN program at my choice school, but I received an acceptance letter in the LPN program. My plan is to complete the LPN program, obtain a job as an LPN, and then complete an LPN-RN bridge program while I'm employed. I guess it really depends on whether or not you're willing to wait longer to get into your ideal program or if you want to immediately get started on that path. Whatever your decision, you should consider all your options and the benefits and downfalls of each path.

I'm taking pre reqs now and was debating of I should also apply for lvn and adn programs. I think ill apply to both since I keep reding about the waiting lists. I'm based in ca

Specializes in Pediatric Case Mgmt.

I am so relieved to see that others are thinking the same way as I am. I took all of my prerequisites for ADN-RN, but have been told by two professors and an advisor that the RN program is very hard to get into due to the competitiveness. Then I was told that RN is so hard that people are flunking out and applying for LVN. I am hoping to retire from my job of 24 years and begin the nursing program in Spring 2015. So, I thought I would apply for both LVN and RN programs and see what happens. I thought that if I didn't make RN, but got into the LVN program, I could do the LVN-RN transition, too. I wondered about it being a waste of time also, but I will only be in school 1 year and then hopefully go to work. I really want to get accepted into RN, but it's a scary thought. I'm glad to see that others are applying to both programs.

Yes, where aee u located? Especially in CA, I've had this thought for quite a while.

I am in upstate NY. So far, I am going with plan B, the LPN program, since I am still on the waiting list for the RN program. I am still holding out hope to get into the RN program but as each day goes by, it looks less likely to happen. Either way I am not disappointed as it seems that their are also benefits to attending an LPN program first. Thanks for all your responses.

Specializes in Pediatric Case Mgmt.

I'm in TX. I'm still planning on applying for RN by the end of July. The LVN program is going to notify everyone by the end of August and the RN program is notifying within the first two weeks of September. So, I think I should know about both around the same time. If I got put on the RN waiting list, I'm not sure what that would mean. That I could start if someone dropped out? I would probably then commit to the LVN program. It's all a little scary. Good luck to all of you.

By me, if you go the LPN route and transfer into the RN midway, it will be three extra months than standard RN length.

If you reject the LPN acceptance you will loose out on Fall, Spring, and Summer waiting for potential RN acceptance.

Waiting another year is also a good choice if you want to hold out.

im new in this forum, i was planing to take nursing program, which i have'nt start my prerequsites yet, i was trying to find out fastest way to finish the ADN, LVN was thru my mind also, but i did survey to community collage around my area (california) they said the dont have LVN anymore, the counsuler said "they" try to get rid of LVN ( i dont know its only in ca or same in the other state) how ever the adult school still provide LVN program...my question is, in the order to get in LVN do i need to get prerequsites as well as RN? and is LVN program from adult school transfer able to RN in the comunity collage? and in the order to take LVN to RN program have to start over all the prerequsites ?

Specializes in Emergency, Tele, Med Surg, DOU, ICU.

I'd wait if I were you. LPN programs are expensive. And it is even harder to get a LPN to RN slots as they are a lot fewer than beginning nurses spots are. LPN programs are nursing programs so they are hard too. It will be a 1 or 1.5 years of hardship.

I'd wait if I were you. LPN programs are expensive. And it is even harder to get a LPN to RN slots as they are a lot fewer than beginning nurses spots are. LPN programs are nursing programs so they are hard too. It will be a 1 or 1.5 years of hardship.

Great point. Thanks, I'm going to give this some more thought.

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