Can you become an RN WITHOUT a degree?. Only LVN certificate?

[KLARISSA]

I was curious..

I have read a little bit about LVN/LPN''s getting certified and jumping into the 2nd year of the RN program. Is it possible to get certified as an LVN and become an RN without a degree?. If this is possible, are you less desirable because you don't have a degree?

[elkpark]

Not sure what you mean by "without a degree." There are still hospital-based diploma programs leading to RN licensure that award a diploma, not a degree. In my experience, in ADN programs that offer an option for LPNs to complete the second year of the ADN program (and I used to teach in one of those programs), the LPN students end up graduating with an ADN, the same as the "regular" students in the program. CA has a weird option that allows LPNs to get licensed as RNs by completing some additional courses, but not completing a nursing degree. However, individuals who become licensed via that path (the "30-unit option") in CA receive licenses that are only recognized by CA and cannot be endorsed to other states.

Whether or not an individual nurse is "less desirable" because of not having a degree is up to individual employers, and the expectations are different in different parts of the country. However, the national trend seems to be in the direction of preferring (if not requiring) BSN degrees.