Can't decide what route to take to RN

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This is my first post here and I hope I'm putting it in the right place. I want to become a nurse. I'd love to be an L&D or NICU RN or go further and become a CNM. I have a bachelor's degree in biology already, but I got cancer in college and that impacted my GPA. I was stubborn and didn't want to put my schooling on hold and didn't want to let cancer hold me back, so my GPA isn't super competitive. I did my pre-reqs exactly 7 years ago, so I will have to retake a few classes no matter which way I go. I've got 3 possible routes to RN:

1) LPN, then do RN bridge. LPN would be at Concorde Career institute, RN bridge at a local college. The pre-reqs will still need to be done because they won't transfer from Concorde (the license will)

2) ITT-Tech just opened an RN program. I've been researching them and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about them. I would still have to retake some pre-reqs online to go beyond RN into an MSN program because while the license transfers, the credits from ITT don't. The admissions director at a local BSN program told me that to get a job, it doesn't really matter WHERE you go to school, as long as you have your RN license. But it does matter in that I will still need pre-reqs to transfer.

3) Retake pre-reqs for the next year and then try to get into a BSN or RN or even an accelerated program to MSN since I have a degree already.

If I do 1 or 2, I will take the pre-reqs until the programs start (fall), and then will do them once I start working as either an LPN or RN. Any advice?

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If it were me, I'd avoid going the LPN route. Around here hospitals seem to be moving away from hiring LPNs. Yes, they're still hiring them, but it may be harder to find a job.

There's all kind of debate about whether ADN or BSN is better. (I assume ITT is a ADN program?) You can do some searches here to pull on some threads on that. If you're thinking about doing the CNM I'd start looking at programs you might be interested in and seeing what their pre-reqs are. It'd suck to get through school only to find out that the program you really want to get into requires a BSN.

I'll admit I don't know anything about accelerated MSN programs, but I'm in an accelerated BSN program now and it's intense! I can't imagine doing this and working towards my masters at the same time! But hey, that's not to say you aren't an academic badass who can totally pull it off! :)

FWIW, I graduated last year with a BS in biology. Decided to go the accelerated BSN route, since my local CC has a year and a half wait list for their nursing program.

Oh, and you might want to see if the mods can move this over to the general nursing forum..might get more response there. :)

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

Do you have any community colleges in your area that offer ADNs?

That's the route I'm taking, starting in the fall. At the end of the first year I can take my LPN boards and work as an LPN while I finish the second year to get my RN.

My plan is to (hopefully) get hired as an RN and get tuition reimbursement for my BSN. I'd love to go on to be a certified nurse midwife, but I'm not sure if I want to give up that much of my life -- I may just get my kicks working L&D instead. (I'm no spring chicken, which also affects my decision.)

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I has a BS in animal sciences and biology. I am going the ADN route because of my low GPA. Also the CC is walking distance from my lab where I work. My GPA was not very competitive but they considered my BS and high SAT score and so I was chosen as an alternate. I am number 8 out of 40 alternates, so not too bad and everyone says I should make it in. I would love to just do an accelerated BSN, but without the competitive grades and ability to quit my full-time job, ADN it is. I am lucky enough to have tuition reimbursement as long as I am working.

I agree the LPN route is not worth it, I thought about it but stuck to my guns. The ITT tech is not the best choice, but if it is your only option, maybe it will work out. Have you looked into other schools around you? I would also contact admissions and explain your story and see what happens.

ETA, my goal is to be a NICU or psychiatric NP, so I don't plan on stopping with just the NP.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

I suggest trying for the RN. Hospitals don't really seem to want LPN's anymore. Nursing school is hard and have had to get lots of help from my instructors. I am attending a community college and we have 23 nursing students in the class. I am able to get 1:1 help from my instructors. I really enjoy the school I attend. I think a small community college is the way to go.

Good luck with your endeavor!!!

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Thank you all for your insight. I really appreciate it. If a mod moves this, that would be great. :) I think that I'm going to take a pre-req or two over again this summer and in the mean time REALLY do my research on ITT-Tech. ITT isn't my only option but it is certainly the easiest to start in the soonest amount of time... Once I start working as an RN I can continue pre-reqs at the CC and then decide how to proceed. LPN is not anything I'd want to do longer than about 6 months to one year before moving on I think.

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