CANT DECIDE.....

meandmine1984 · Jul 28, 2012

Go straight back to school for ur r.n. I have been an l.p.n. since age 21. So for seven years now. And I'm telling u that if I could go back and do it all again I would do r.n.BSN! With me being an l.p.n. nobody wanted to hear any ideas I had regarding nursing issues, improving patient care, nrsg asst. Didn't take me serous etc.... plus I was soooooooo much younger than all of the other nurses I was working with. I had to really really prove myself.and I did!!!! But I honestly and wholeheartedly feel if I would of been an r.n. it would have been totally different. Plus just the thought of going back to school for years to get an r.n. degree at that time just wasn't appealing seeing how I just graduated high school in 2002.and I couldn't bear The thought of 2-4 more years of school. My l.p.n. program was ten months. I figured it was shorter and i could bit the bullet and do it.and I did. But as they say hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20!!! Best of luck to ya!

Tanisha_PCA · Jul 29, 2012

Thanks meandmine 1984!! Appreciate the feedback

Pegasus65 · Jul 29, 2012

Go straight for the RN. I graduated LPN school in 2009. Unfortunately in my area, as in many other places, the jobs for LPNs are basically limited to LTC or clinics. While I have been told there are some good LTC facilities, I tried two of them and both were horrific. The amount of patients you were required to pass meds to was tremendous and boy if you had anyone fall that needed to be sent out.... not to mention some of the stuff going on in there... well lets just say it definitely wasn't for me! I have worked in a methadone clinic for the past two years. You may find a job here or there in a doctor's office, but they are far and few between.

I finished my pre-reqs for the RN program a few months ago and just got acceptance into the program, which begins on the 20th of August. I sincerely hope this will open more doorways for me!

meandmine1984 · Jul 29, 2012

Same here Pegasus! I start my l.p.n. to r.n. bridge program August 13..... im only getting my ADN. Hopefully that will be enough to open many other doors for me also.

nursetobe745 · Jul 29, 2012

Hi Tanisha_PCA, I agree with all the rest,

if your are able to stick to that position for few years i.e decent pay and likeable job, just go for your rn straight.

I passed the board in january as LPN, and as of now, I still can't get a job in the DC metro area. Even LTC now prefer new grad RN. so while waiting for that first job, I am going to start my prereqs for RN this fall.

If it was to be done all over, I would have got a pca job in a hospital since the pay is decent, and would have gone for my RN instead.