Anyone work their way up the ladder?

Specialties NP

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Specializes in Rehab, CICU, ICU Pulmonary, ER, OB.

I am starting a LPN program in april, I graduate in march 2009. I return to school April 2009 and will become receive a ADN in july/aug 2010. I plan on either doing a bsn then masters or a adn to msn afterwards. Anyone else do this?

I am getting a bunch of flack from my family because I want to go on after RN, and I know that BSN isn't the stopping point in my education. I would like to teach eventually, esp with financial and physical issues coming up. I would like to do DNP so that I could teach APN's. I have a congenital knee defects and know that I will have bilat. total knee replacements probably in my early 40's, so I can't see me going back to floor nursing after that. Also, If you teach at anyone the colleges around here your family goes for FREE! And since I am not making college optional for my 3 girls, I am going to have to either fork out the money for me or then, Why not for me and then they could go for free or for a fraction of the price?

Anyway I am rambling. I just wanted to see if anyone else 'worked their way up the ladder".

Thanks

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Specializes in LTAC, Telemetry, Thoracic Surgery, ED.

That is exactly what I'm doing. I did my LPN, then my ADN and now I'm working on my BSN/MSN and plan on going on to NP afterwards. I am a 2nd career nurse and know that at 33 (almost 34) I only have about 10 years of floor nursing in me before things start to go. So I'm just preparing for my future.

Good luck in your studies.

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

I did, though at the time I became an LPN I had never heard of a nurse practitioner. I didn't decide that was my goal until I was in my BSN completion program.

I don't know that I'd do it exactly the same way again, but if that's what works best for you, go for it.

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I did that- LPN right out of high school- Associates of Applied Science graduating right before marriage. Worked nearly 20 years with ASN, then BSN to MSN graduating with advanced degree in 2006. Certainly made life interesting! I am all for lifelong learning.

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Specializes in Rehab, CICU, ICU Pulmonary, ER, OB.
I did, though at the time I became an LPN I had never heard of a nurse practitioner. I didn't decide that was my goal until I was in my BSN completion program.

I don't know that I'd do it exactly the same way again, but if that's what works best for you, go for it.

Can I ask why? Sorry if I'm nosy! This wasn't my first choice of ways to go but I have been waiting on a wait list for the college here and it has been 4ish years. Granted I did turn it down because of a pregnancy. At last check I was looking at around 2 years of more waiting. I have 3 kids: 7, almost 5, and 10 months. So I feel like I don't have the years to wait or time to waste. I have all my pre-req's done and nothing to do so I would have to waste money (Out of pocket) to take some b.s. classes, where I get my adn in 27 months this way, just half way through I can work as an LPN.

I live around a ton of colleges/university's in ohio, but my gpa dropped when I got discouraged about having to be wait listed again. So I am at a 3.1 right now and the lowest they excepted this last quarter was a 3.5.

I plan to do my BSN online through wright state univ. since it is so close to me and its a good program and go on to their masters program. Also I think I need to work as a RN for awhile since I have a few passions: Trauma, ER, icu/nicu and L&D. So I am not sure what my specialty will be, I need some experience in those area's to see which area I like the best.

Thanks so much for your input!

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

I went the way I did because I had no intentions of going past the ADN!

I had a BA before I went into nursing. I could have gone to a BSN program about as quickly as the ADN route.

However, there weren't long waiting lists for nursing programs at that time, so I didn't have to factor that in.

I don't regret taking the slow route, and I am not knocking ADN programs. Mine was excellent.

There's nothing wrong with your plan if that is what will work best for you.

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Specializes in Rehab, CICU, ICU Pulmonary, ER, OB.
I went the way I did because I had no intentions of going past the ADN!

I had a BA before I went into nursing. I could have gone to a BSN program about as quickly as the ADN route.

However, there weren't long waiting lists for nursing programs at that time, so I didn't have to factor that in.

I don't regret taking the slow route, and I am not knocking ADN programs. Mine was excellent.

There's nothing wrong with your plan if that is what will work best for you.

Thanks I was just wondering! I was hoping that schools didn't look 'down' on going up the ladder, not that I think they should. Thanks again for your input!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Well, I'm one of the ones who did the LPN, ADN, BSN, MSN, post-MSN. Would never ever advise that if anything else possible. Get your ADN then go for the MSN or DNP whatever option is available. Unfortunately, I am very aware that some folks don't have the choice. However, if given the choice, I would have just started with the BSN and gone from there. I wasted a lot of time, effort and $$$. In retrospect, with all the moving I had to do with my husband's military career, I couldn't have done anything else.

Good luck in whatever route you choose.

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Specializes in Rehab, CICU, ICU Pulmonary, ER, OB.

TraumaRUs - I definitely see what your saying about the money. I am going to have about 20 thousand in student loans after my ADN, but it's going to take me 26 months to finish it, where as going to the community college is going to take around 4ish years with all the waiting I would have to do, and to get a bsn would take about 5-6 years because of getting my GPA to a 3.5ish from around a 3.1. Then you have to get excepted and then the program is 4 years. If I go lpn-adn-bsn the whole process is going to be around 3.5 -4 years. Plus I will have a higher GPA to get excepted to a bsn or msn program.

I am seriously thinking about the ADN-MSN option, but I have heard a lot of people say that you need the bsn. So I am kind of worried about that!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

The reason I had student loans was similar to yours: I did private colleges too because of the waiting times and this was back in the earl 90's! (Not much has changed with regards to waiting lists).

I did look at some ADN to MSN programs and the only reason I didn't do that was because I was concerned that if I got halfway thru and we had to move, then I would be left with debt but no degree. If you are more settled in the area, that is what I would have done (ADN to MSN).

However, hindsight is always better - lol.

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Specializes in Rehab, CICU, ICU Pulmonary, ER, OB.

However, hindsight is always better - lol.

Isn't that the truth! If I knew then what I know now, I would have toughed it out 5 years and two kids ago! Ahhh, they say we get better with age.... that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Mine too - lol.

I went to nursing school in the beginning in 1977 right out of high school, quit going to classes (read: I was stupid and didn't DROP them, just quit), joined the Navy the next day and off I went!

Fast forward to 1990 - been married 10 years now with two sons and voila, I'm in nursing school again. Kinda hard though because my GPA is 0.7 which isn't much! At all!

We all do the foolish things when we are young. Its only important if you don't learn from them - lol.

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