CC vs other schools, and LVN vs RN

[babs4u]

Ok, Im a bit confused and am hoping someone on here can offer some knowledge and/or advice.

I have been slowly working on the pre-reqs at the CC here in Bakersfield. Now Im not totally done with them yet, but thats ok cause I cant even apply for the lvn program until next Feb (1 yr away) and then there is a 2 yr waiting list! Thats 3 yrs before I will be in an lvn program. Now, there is a private school here that offers the LVN program (SBBC) maybe some of you heard of it? It is expensive, but there are no pre-reqs needed and they offer the program part time and at nights (which the CC doesnt offer any of those options but is ALOT less expensive) SBBC has a financial solution fit for every situation, to make it easier to pay the tuition. But I dont know how much the monthly payments will be yet. (I am still in the process of taking the acceptance tests right now. passed the first one already. I am not really sure if the SBBC (private college ) has a waiting list yet, I forgot to ask. But even if they do, it will most likely still be alot faster than the CC here. I am just not sure of which one I should go with. I am pretty sure I just want to remain an lvn and not go for RN. But I would like to work on an L&D one day (doing anything there really) but I keep hearing from this board, that they dont hire LVNs for that floor. So... Im a bit confused. Also, at the CC I took a nurse student development class, and the instructor said that hospitals and such prefer to hire someone that did their nursing schooling at a CC rather than a private vocational school. Is this true?

I just think its really stupid to wait 3 yrs to get in an lvn program as well as paying 20-30 grand for an lvn program too. So I dont know which one to go for! WHat are your opinions on this?

I also dont understand why alot of you always say (well why not just go straight for RN) BEcasue I tryed. And it is waaay harder, just the pre-reqs are hard to complete. I dont think I want that much responsability, I already have a husband and 4 kids, I just want to be a nurse. The biology teacher at the CC, its a pre-req for the RN program was putting up a slide show of the different body systems, and she kept saying that you should all know what this is already. And that RN's more or less protect the patient from the doctor, were there to make sure the doctor doesnt kill the patient. And I was like HUH, are you kidding, I felt totally out of place, and the first week we were jumping head first into chemistry, which I never even took in high school. So, yea, the pre-reqs for the rn are hard. This is when I decided I dont think I want THAT much responsability and that I should focus on going for lVN first and IF later I decide that I do want to be an RN I will go from there. I mean there are LVN's that stay LVN, right? They dont ALL want to be RN's.

I think I am rambling now, sorry bout that.

Has anyone here been in the same position as me, deciding on which type of school to go to, and wether LVN or RN.

[Faeriewand, ASN, RN]

My opinion: take your pre-reqs as quickly as you can and get them finished so you can get on that wait list! Don't take your time! After you are on the wait list then take classes to get your associate degree. Tale classes that might in some way help with nursing like nutrition for example or especially take Spanish! That two year wait list will fly by and sometimes they even call you sooner. :)

Don't pay a lot of money for a private program. Everyone I have talked to IRL says they are sorry they paid so much. My LVN program is publicly supported so it only cost me $2,500 which included all the books and the uniform too. Some people who paid a lot of money for their private LVN program said they didn't know about mine. But every community has one somewhere! Just do your homework.

Also, just do RN. You can make so much more money and you can work anywhere. As an LVN you are really limited. I don't know where this nursing shortage is, but hospitals want to hire RN's. Those of us in the LVN-RN program really struggle to get back to school and back to clinical and we are in with awesome students and teachers and we didn't get that in our LVN program. Just do RN the first time around unless you can find a program that is cheap like adult school or ROP like I did.

JMHO

[babs4u]

AT the CC I was talking about, the RN program is lottery based. I wonder how long it would take to get into that one?

I just spoke with someone at that private school, and she told me that their lvn program is 12 months long! That may be harder on me. I think most programs, like the CC here, their lvn program is 2 yrs, I believe. To cram the lvn program into 1 yr is crazy to me! and its 34,000 bucks! I think I may stick with the cc i guess.

Well, Im sort of scared to go straight for RN. Like I said above I did start on the RN pre-reqs, but quickly dropped the classes because it was crazy! Lots and Lots of homewrok due in just one day, and the bio teacher acted as though we should already know some of what she was talking about, which I did not! I just felt really stupid in that class.

So I dropped those classes and changed to LVN.

But because there is such a long waitlist, and because I couldnt really make up my mind, (LVN vs RN) I decided that I will take the LVN pre-reqs, apply. and while waiting, start taking the RN pre-reqs, apply and see which one comes my way first. I guess I should go back to that plan huh.

I wonder if it would even work out that way though. For the LVN program is 2 yr waitlist and the RN is lottery based.

There is an adult school here, but they dont have an RN program, only CNA, MA, and LVN.

But everyone is always telling me to go for RN first. And if I do, it would have to be at the CC where its lottery based.

Decisions, decisions!

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

I was in an LVN program that cost about 17k (they've raised the private tuition quite a bit in the last 6 years!). I was able to pay it off fairly quickly, but I had no other debt, no car payment, and my husband and I shared a completely ghetto apartment for 600/month utilities included.

The estimates on a 34k loan would be around 420$/month. Be prepared to dish out those payments should you decide.

And considering the economy there isn't really that many jobs currently, rushing to complete a program will not do you any good if you cannot find work after.

In retrospect, I had wished I'd completed more research prior to picking my LVN program. I found out after I had already finished my LVN there was a adult school about 15 minutes away from me, that would have cost me 5k (less than a 3rd what I paid) and only taken 6 months longer.

Whatever program you do decide, make sure it is accredited by the board, or you will not be able to take the NCLEX and become licensed after.

Everyone pushes everyone to become an RN. I'm not going to do that, I have met nurses who were perfectly content to be an LVN, after 20 years. I had this great job at a University Health Clinic, minimal responsibility, decent pay, and I got 2 months of a year PAID. Honestly, had I stayed at that job and put in my 20 years, I would have had great retirement. We also got free tuition at the university for our kids. At first I was like "these LVN's are smart, why arent they getting their RN?" Now that I'm an RN I realize how fantastic our job was. And perhaps I was the crazy one to leave....lol.

I do like being an RN, and ultimately it was the right decision for me, but it isn't for everyone.