Associates Degree should I go for LVN or RN?

[LiLGTO]

Hey everyone! I am new to this forum and new to the idea of wanting to become a Nurse. I am 44 years old and I have an Associates of Arts Degree from my local Texas Junior College and I am just burnt out from the pressures of a sales job for the past 20 years, so I'm ready to try something new and more personally satisfying. I love working with people and believe it or not in sales you take care of people! You take care of their needs so I think becoming a Nurse isn't that far of a stretch for me. Don't get me wrong, I realize nursing will mean really cracking down to learn the technical/medical side of things, but I believe I can do it. My question is should I go to school to get my LVN and then get a job at a hospital and then let the hospital pay for my RN degree or should I bite the bullet and just get my RN degree???

thanks in advance for everyones suggestions.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

RN. Hands down. Let the hospital pay for your BSN.

I did what you're considering and am now working on the RN on-line. It's doable, but I wuld much prefer spending time studying that which is relevant to my position instead of for classes like maternal/child when I'm working med/surg and have old farts on electrolyte drips, y'know? I'd rather be reading up on 'lytes and acid-base balances and stuff that means nothing to you yet, not where the uterus is x hours after delivery.

:)

[LiLGTO]

Thanks for the advise Suesquatch. You mentioned you did what I'm considering. Did you leave a career to start nursing as a new career? How long did it take you until you completed your RN degree? From what I can tell based on the prerequisite & required courses I will have to take 5 classes before I can get into the RN Program and then I'm not assured of getting the chance to continue to the RN programs since then the school picks the top 100 students to enter the program??? It sounds like it will be an up hill battle for me with the RN program here in Houston.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Bit the bullet and get your RN degree. Hospitals don't really pay for your degree anyway, there's a cap on what they'll pay, or there's only a certain number of people that qualify for them to pay 100%.

Good luck!