Can RN student be eligible to become LVN?

ZooMommyRN, ADN, RN · Mar 17, 2008

the requirements vary from state to state and from program to program, best way to get the right answer is to ask the director of your program since if it is possible you have to have their signature to challenge the lvn boards, good luck!

caliotter3 · Mar 18, 2008

Your dept. head will have to sign the paperwork attesting that you have met the requirements, so you will have to ask them. Suggest you get a copy of the application for the exam from your state's board, make certain you tell them that you are applying under the RN school equivalency, so that they send you the proper form, and take the paperwork to your nursing school office. All they can say is no and give you the reason why not. Not all schools allow this. If you don't want to go through this trouble, then call your school and talk to your counselor in the nursing dept. and ask first. Good luck.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Mar 18, 2008

you're talking about getting an lpn license by educational equivalency. (1) it depends on the rules of your state board of nursing of the state in which you live, and (2) whether or not the dean of your nursing program will cooperate with you in meeting the state board requirements to take the nclex-pn which you will have to take. most will not because they feel it is contrary to the aims of their rn programs. the educational equivalency allowances were put into place in most states to accommodate those who were trained in the military, in foreign countries and those who did not complete more advanced nursing programs. there are some schools that do allow this as part of their curriculum, but it is well known to the student body.

i must tell you that as a manager i would never hire a newly licensed lpn who was also a current rn student. this kind of person has too much on their plate and i don't want the patients on my unit to be the ones who are going to suffer the consequences. a newly licensed lpn goes through the same learning difficulties during their first year of clinical work that new rn grads go through. and, they think they can also handle a senior year of nursing school? get real! not on my nursing unit. let some other foolish manager who doesn't care about her patients or liability hire someone like this.

wannabenirse · Mar 18, 2008

My goal is to work as an LVN. Due to certain situations in my life I no longer will pursue the RN position for now. I am young and need experience and I feel this would help after undergoin a year of the RN program.

MiaKeaRN · Mar 18, 2008

We had an older gentleman who took some type of transition course to cover what he was missing for the LPN licensure exam. We do not have classes during the summer, so it was very doable for him to take this course between May-August. He worked very hard at it, but he was able do it (and if I remember correctly, he was in his 60's.....one of our instructors told us the story).

He obviously didn't have any problems getting a job as an LPN and recently graduated as an RN.