Calling for Advice...

caliotter3 · Mar 15, 2007

Welcome to allnurses. Do a search on the site and you will find many discussions with the pros and cons and some heated talk about the subject.

The answer depends on what your personal circumstances are. How long do you want to wait while you are trying to get admitted to an RN program? Most of them are difficult to get into. How much money do you have to spend? Are you supporting a family? You can get your LPN license as a stepping stone to RN if you want. Many do that so that they have a way to get experience and earn money for an ASN or BSN program. Others do not want to waste the time. However, if you can not get into an RN program near where you live right away, you might want to consider the LPN option. Good luck on your decision and have fun reading all the threads on this subject!

Soup Turtle · Mar 15, 2007

My friend and I decided to go to nursing school. She ended up choosing an LVN program and I ended up choosing an RN program.

She chose LVN because it was faster. She disliked her job and wanted out. She also didn't find 3-4 years of school appealing. She makes all A's, but doesn't consider herself much of a student. She also quit working to go to school, and her husband and children rely on her income to some extent. She has a nice house and a nice mortgage payment to go along with it. She needed to get back to work sooner instead of later.

I chose RN because the requirements for the LVN program were changed and I no longer qualified! They started requiring all three hepatitis immunizations, instead of just the first, before classes started. Since I had to wait anyway, I figured I'd get some RN prerequisites out of the way while I waited. Then, I decided why not just do RN, now? I also don't plan to quit working although I do plan to cut back. I have a husband, but no children, so I can live cheaply. My husband and I don't own a home and moved to a less expensive area of town where the rent is low. I love my job. The pay is not great, but it's above LVN starting wages in my area and I'm very happy with my employer and coworkers.

I think I'll have more options as an RN than I would have had as an LVN. On the other hand, my friend is already working and I think she'll eventually sail through an RN program because of her experience. I still have two years of school left!

TazziRN, RN · Mar 15, 2007

LVNs are an important part of the nursing profession but there are more opportunities for advancement as an RN. Depends on how ambitious you are and what you want in the end.

One route to take would be to get your LVN and work for a while, then if what you see the RNs doing appeals to you, go back to school. A lot of people do that.