Best option for me LPN or RN

WannaBNursey, ADN, ASN, RN · Apr 3, 2012

Yes you can work as a CNA and go to school as an RN, you could work weekend or night shifts. Pell grants won't cover technical schools if that's a concern for you. RN programs are usually more difficult to get into than LPN programs. You also have to consider that it usually takes people 2 years to just complete prerequistes for an ADN program.

n_cole12 · Apr 4, 2012

I finished LPN school and I really wished that I had just went straight for my RN but it is true that most schools are hard to get into for the RN program. If you become and LPN first you can get your foot in the door to a facility and they may pay for you to go back to school. That way you can get some experience in the nursing field and you will have a better chance at landing a job as an RN because you have the experience. Its all up to you in the end.

steffuturelpn · Apr 5, 2012

well like the other person said i would do the rn program if i could get right in.i just completed and passed my boards of a lpn program but i dont regret going this route but if i could have gotten straight into a rn program, without waiting then that is were i would have been, good luck

Thujone · Apr 5, 2012

Hello,
I am seeking advice. Currently, I am not working. Right now, I am thinking about becoming an LPN and after working for a while, take the LPN-RN progression program at a local college. In order to become an LPN at my local school, I have to finish a CNA program first. The CNA program is 10 weeks and the LPN program is 1 year. A RN program is typically 2 years. Is it possible to work as a CNA or find some type of job in the healthcare field while in a RN program? I was thinking the time I spent to only become an LPN, I could of been half way done with nursing school. Which is the best option? I am only receiving government benefits, I've been doing too much looking for a regular job, and I'm getting nowhere.

If you have financial support, I suggest getting your RN, that is, if your ultimate goal is to become a RN. If not then why bother. Anyway, getting your LPN would NOT be a waste of time since there are lpn to RN programs, but doing that will cause you to go to school longer to become a RN as opposed to going straight through RN school.

jchatlpn · Apr 5, 2012

I became a CNA through a certification program outside of the community college that I was attending for my prereqs. It only took 3-weeks but I did have to pay out of pocket. It was better than the community college option of the 8-10 week courses with the downside being money. I found the school I attended here in Glendale, AZ through the Dept. of Econ. Security website. I just followed links doing research for certification programs because sometimes you are able to get a small grant that covers the fee for the program. I also realized later that I enjoyed being a certified caregiver more because I could pass medication and give insulin injections. You can do that now, make decent money and find a job easily depending on your situation. Then you would be able to find work in both the CNA field and caregiving field because they are different.

I did this while I was taking my prereqs for nursing school. I was in the associate RN program but at the time there was an LPN exit option. Basically the program was 2 years with 4 blocks (basically 1 semester=1 block.) But after Block 1 and Block 2 I was able to apply for my LPN and take the NCLEX and stuff. There was even an LPN Advanced Placement program at that time that allowed LPNs to enter and complete Blocks 3 and 4 for their Associate RN. Those were the good old days. So much has changed now that when I was exiting as an LPN, all the new students entering the nursing program no longer had the LPN exit option. They would have to take a side semester of courses for that. Anyway, I bring this up because nursing school gets real stressful. I was having a life crisis during the program and I exited at Block 3. But at least I was able to get my LPN, ya know. AT LEAST I had the OPTION. So that's something to think about. I was a single mother at the time with my two sons and it just got too hectic. So I stopped school for 3 years and just worked. It felt good to work and not have to stress out about school. But I got a lot of good experience to take with me and I don't feel so scared now walking into a situation as an RN. My experiences have made me feel way more competent than I did before.

So now my latest option was going back to school for my RN. Associate or Bachelors? Well I would have to get back on a waiting list and that would definitely take a year. Then another year for the two blocks and that would get me my associates in two years. But it would only take me 3 years for my Bachelors. Well my ultimate goal is phD and eventually I have to stop taking so many shortcuts. So now I'm in a program for my bachelors and working as an LPN doing home health and I am very happy that things turned out this way.

It's also worth mentioning that if you plan on going to nursing school, please get into the medical field as a cna or caregiver because your experiences will help you greatly through school as well as add to your experiences so you can find a job when you get out of school. It's so hard for people who get out of nursing school with NO experience.

One thing about nursing school---Once you get out of it, you feel like you can survive ANYTHING.