Becoming an RN via LPN route

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first off, hello!! this is my first post and this website has been of great help to answering some questions i've had.

prior to getting to my question, i think it would behoove any answers i may receive to have a bit of knowledge regarding my background. i graduated five years ago with a bs in biology. i'm currently a research associate in a molecular biology and pharmacology laboratory(academia setting) doing basic research. i've been in the position for approximately five years. as you all may or may not know, in order to climb up the "company ladder" it is necessary to get a graduate degree and after long deliberation and experience, i've come to the realization that becoming a p.i(primary investigator), professor or perpetual post-doc is not something i would like to pursue for a multitude of reasons....mainly being that the constant grant proposal writing is just not for me. albeit, with that said, i do like the "research aspect" of being in a laboratory and feel that i would also like to incorporate a clinical and patient aspect. i've done a plethora of research regarding the field of research nursing and feel that this is something i would certainly love doing. however, my issue does not lie in what branch or really any detail of research nursing...it's simply a matter of hopping over that first hurdle....attaining an rn. i have been extremely lucky to have been hired by a p.i while i was still wet behind the ears and even over-looked my horrid final, cumulative gpa(2.36) and have since gained an abundance of knowledge, skills and publications. as i've progressed in sifting through admissions requirements for attaining an rn. i've come to the conclusions that it will be nearly impossible to get accepted to any nursing school b/c of my terrible gpa. to even raise my gpa up to the 2.7-2.8 range, i would need to take at least 14 to 16 classes....this is certainly not attainable for a myriad of reasons(costly, i work full-time, time span, etc). it's starting to prove quite difficult to jump through the admissions hurdle and i've just about given up. i know full well that i can handle the course work and pressures of nursing school. i'm positive my other bullets on my c.v would undoubtedly garner me a position in nursing school...unfortunately that gpa looms over my head like a terrible nightmare. i know not what to do and feel extremely jaded that my gpa will cost me an admissions seat. i know that's the nature of the beast, but i refuse to give up because i'm positive i would make a great nurse....unfortunately...classes got in the way of my college career(when i was young and immature) and now i'm paying the repercussions for such deeds. to make my long story even longer(and thank you for reading even this much), i'm looking for ways to get that rn now besides the asn route and would like to know if anyone here has attained an rn via the lpn route(seems to have lower admissions criteria to be met) and if they could give me any suggestions otherwise....(i.e., how long did it take, how long of experience of being an lpn did you have to have before getting accpeted to an lpn-rn program)

signed,

plagued by an abhorrent gpa

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

We have many members that have done the LPN to RN route. Check out the distant learning forum (in the student section), General nursing discussion forum and nursing career advice forum (they can both be found under the general tab above)

Welcome and good luck

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Hi and welcome,

You aren't the only one to face a less than stellar gpa due to being young and immature. Have you looked at how many pre-reqs you will have to take toward your RN or LPN. My LPN had mostly the same pre-reqs less a few for the ADN program and at that time it was hugely competitive, 400+ applicants for 40 spots. Taking necessary pre-reqs might be enough to raise your gpa and in any event if you can get 4.0 in them it can help show that you have the drive and smarts to succeed. Unfortunately it will probably take you longer because of all this but it is what it is and if you want to be a nurse you will find a way to make it work. Good luck.

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Hi MelbaToast007,

I'm impressed by your research experiences. Just wanna let you know that with your background and degree, you can go for the 'accelerated bachelor route'. It's for those who have a bachelor degree in non-nursing degree.

When I was an undergrad, I didn't have a good GPA and I decided to apply to a private nursing school for an accelerated bachelor and master degree. During my interview, I explained to my professors of the reason why I didn't do well in school (full time job and taking 6 classes at a time). They were glad that I was able to learn from my mistakes and willing to improve. Then I got into the nursing school... Right now, I'm a RN working in the critical care field.

Please don't get discouraged with your GPA, you can retake some of the pre-req classes to boost up your resume. Apart from that, you can work as a volunteer in a hospital or community settings to boost up your chances of getting into nursing school.

If I were you, I'd go for RN instead of LPN because most hospitals only hire RNs.

Good luck.

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Jules A...thank you for taking the time to respond. I very much appreciate it. With regards to pre-requisites, I've done my homework and ascertained that I'm in need of a total of four. Most of the required courses were already acquired through my Biology bachelor's degree. I have also figured out that with my awesome GPA of 2.36 and quality points of 381 plus total hours attempted of 161, I would need five classes to raise it to a 2.5, 8 classes to raise it to a 2.68 and a total of 18 classes to equate it to a 2.77(hardly a competitive one). However, I do know that if I even make it to an interview, the committe may acknowledge that the last classes I have enrolled in were all taken while I was employeed in my current full-time position, thus alluding to the fact I have learned from my mistakes and now am at a point in my life to were I can tackle and excel in nursing school. Unfortunately, it's proving to be quite difficult to even make it to the interview.....

Are you currently working as an LPN?

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Diaper, I very much appreciate your input. Thank you for the advice. I feel that in the last five years, I've proven to be a competent individual, expressing critical thinking skills and have been given the role of managing a lab, writing journal publications, collaborating on grant proposals and even presenting our group's research at many society research meetings(domestic and internationally)...for this I am greatly thankful to my P.I and mentor for giving me a chance right after graduation to run his lab. Staying in this field even though I truly enjoy it is something I've contemplated...the end thought cloud leads me to believe, I would be much happier working in a clinical based setting with patients rather than at a molecular and cellular level. I have attained much information on accelerated nursing degrees geared towards individuals with a bachelor's degree. I applied to an institution that offered such program and unfortunately was rejected. Upon speaking to the director she told me that the committee felt I would not excel in their program because and I quote, "You did not meet all of the admissions requirements(GPA) and had to immediately be placed in the rejection stack. There are far too many individuals that meet all of the requirements to screen and unfortunately, this is how we handle it".

I figured this would be the same song sung to me if I kept trying to apply to other institutions nearby that offer accelerated programs.

I've thought about volunteering at local hospitals to have that bullet on my C.V. I have done volunteer work in the past but not within a hospital setting.

So you suggest not going for the LPN? What if it comes down to not being accepted to any nursing schools(ASN) and having to reassess the route to attaining an RN? Would you mind if I bogged you down with a few questions? How do you think you were asked to have a personal interview even though your GPA wasn't up to par? Do you think there was something on your C.V./application that shined light for the committee to award you an interview. I can't seem to even get there....

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I'm also doing the lpn to rn route. I'll graduate with my Pn December of '10 and then hopefully go straight into the Rn program. I'm knocking out my remaining prereqs this coming summer.

I'm not sure how it is other places, but admission to my lpn program was VERY competitive. I go to Uaccm in morrilton ar. Only 20 of us get in and ALOT of people apply. Pretty much you've got to have all A's, or atleast close to it. There are other places that take everyone that applies, like Baptist in little rock ar. They're a hospital but they've also got a nursing school and they do lpn and rn and all sorts of other stuff. But Baptist also eliminates a lot more people through the course of the program. I think they accept like 200-300 and only about 30-60 graduate I think whereas my school about like 98-99% graduate I think.

I really hope you find a way to get into school. It is really stressful and really hard but I LOVE it :)

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Thank you Brittanylaine2788 for your response. Things would bode easier for me if I didn't have ties and was able to move out of state. I'm currently in Louisiana. My husband and I just built a house and he is very established in his job and makes good money. He knows full well what is on my plate and stands one hundred percent behind me. I do not wish to bring to the table a suggestion to move out of state just to attend nursing school. That would put another myriad of problems on our plate from having to find a place to live, him finding another job, etc. We are already contemplating moving, but not until years from now. My goal was to attain my nursing degree(crossing fingers) here in LA, possibly some work experience and then make the jump to move out of state.

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The problem with nursing schools across the country was that they dont have a national standard in relation to academic performances. Yes .... the better GPA you have, the better chances you will get into a program however, this is not true here in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have a community college here that offers Practical Nursing and Associates Degree in Nursing. Your GPA is not going to be your problem but the time you'll wait to be in the program is. For current NM residents, Average waiting period is at least 2 years. There are also 3 private schools that have ASN (PIMA, APOLLO COLLEGE, ITT) Im not sure about their residency requirements are but I know that GPA is not an issue as well. These places however are costly but why worry about the cost if you are eligible for loans or grants. These ASN program are 6 semester straight. Check it out and see if its something for you. If you get a chance to finish your nursing here, dont worry about relocating your whole family. Cost of living here in Albuquerque is not too bad. You can find a decent size room for $300 a month, $ 50-100 dollars on food and groceries depending on how much food you eat, $ 50 dollars on gas if you use your car only for school work and home, and your utilities and leisure expenses. if you have $500 dollars a month, it is morethan enough money to live a very humble life here.

I know that I havnt answered most of your questions yet but I will be adding more next time....... I gotta be somewhere right now thats why... sorry...

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

It all depends on your program so definitely ask them if your calculations are correct. Our gpa only included the pre-reqs that were required for the course so that helped many of us with so-so grades early on.

I'm a RN now.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I have been extremely lucky to have been hired by a P.I while I was still wet behind the ears and even over-looked my horrid final, cumulative GPA(2.36) and have since gained an abundance of knowledge, skills and publications.

My friend is in a similar situation. She attained a B.S. degree in public health from a private university about 8 years ago, and worked as a case manager and social worker. Although she wanted to pursue her RN licensure, her cumulative grade point average of 2.6 was a hindrance to that goal.

She completed an LPN program at a community college several years ago. After attaining the LPN license, she was granted advanced placement into an RN-ADN program and will graduate next year.

You might want to apply to LPN programs at private trade schools and technical colleges because many of these institutions will admit all qualified applicants without regard to grade point average, and some schools don't require any prerequisite classes.

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Hello. I just have a quick question (OR TWO) I will be attending UACCM this spring to start my prereqs to go into the PN program. I was just wondering how those classes were for you Brittany, the anatomy and physiology, where there alot of lectures? Did you get into the PN program after applying your first time?

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