Confused!--ASN or LVN 30 unit option

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Dec 27, 2007

Does your BON have a list of accredited schools on its website? Most BONs do have such a list. If you can't find it, I would go ahead and call or email someone in their nursing ed dept. and ask directly. You'll want your school to be accredited anyway, so your credits will transfer into your BSN program.

Also, if you are getting financial aid, you may be restricted to one school at a time, which means you can't concurrently do the ISU program with your LPN program.

Good luck to you! I have gone the LPN-RN-BSN road myself, and will also go on to the PhD. You can do it!

kat7ap · Dec 27, 2007

Ok, if I understand correctly...You are in an LVN program that offers an associate degree with the correct amount of general ed requirements. However, I don't think that that qualifies as an ASN degree unless you are taking those additional NURSING classes. Otherwise wouldn't be called an RN program? If you have any doubt check your state board's website for the list of approved programs. Good luck in your education pursuits, you sound very motivated!

AriesMoon · Dec 27, 2007

Does your BON have a list of accredited schools on its website? Most BONs do have such a list. If you can't find it, I would go ahead and call or email someone in their nursing ed dept. and ask directly. You'll want your school to be accredited anyway, so your credits will transfer into your BSN program.
Also, if you are getting financial aid, you may be restricted to one school at a time, which means you can't concurrently do the ISU program with your LPN program.
Good luck to you! I have gone the LPN-RN-BSN road myself, and will also go on to the PhD. You can do it!

Hi,

Yes I've already checked with my BON's registered nursing and licensed vocational nursing---my school is accredited as an LVN school, but not registered nursing---however, the way it was explained to me by the coordinator of my program is that since they are an accredited school, they can offer an associate of science in nursing is transferable to other colleges---I thinking that most of this is due to the fact that our general education requirements from taken from a local community college---so therefore California allows them disburse a degree if qualifications are met. There are only 3 of us in class who meet the qualifications to even receive the associates because we have A.A. degrees outside of this school.

As far as financial aid goes, I've taken out a loan for my LVN school, which since it is a private college, is very expensive in my opinion--no way I could have paid it directly out of pocket. ISU knows that I'm currently going to LVN school and I've still been offered financial aid while concurrently taking their courses because I used a loan---which is still considered out-of-pocket expense to pay for LVN school, so grants I can still get. I only have to take a few classes through them anyway---not the full 18 class prerequisite load --my A.A. degree covered most gen ed requirements already, so I'm only doing 6 classes through them as gen eds. However, it has been explained to me that I can't start the real core BSN classes until I've finished LVN school, but from my understanding, there are 4 RN to BSN track courses I can take without having a license that still apply to the BSN program.

My main issue was had anyone heard of this loophole where if you're a license vocational nurse with an ASN, that you can sit the NCLEX-RN...and it's not possible to do this, is it then recommended as beneficial for me to go the lvn-30-unit-option route (since I've basically already completed the requirements, save for one class) to become an RN and gain experience while I'm still finishing up the BSN program through ISU.----I think if I did that and already had title as RN, then I'd just keep going right through school and wouldn't have to stop at any point in my career to transition to RN at a much later point---this would basically prevent interruptions in my education.

I know it sounds like I'm planning so far ahead, but my plan is to finish my educational goals before I begin having children, so that's one of my incentives to finish earlier. I want to still be a young mommy and I figure if I'm done with school before the babies come into the picture, then I can give them more time versus if I went to school, worked and tried to raise a family. My husband has also attempted to put himself on an accelerated track in pharmacy school. It's just so much to handle right now, but we have to keep trying...

Thanks for the reply, Baptized. I wish you the best of luck in your educational endeavors as well.

Aries

AriesMoon · Dec 27, 2007

Ok, if I understand correctly...You are in an LVN program that offers an associate degree with the correct amount of general ed requirements. However, I don't think that that qualifies as an ASN degree unless you are taking those additional NURSING classes. Otherwise wouldn't be called an RN program? If you have any doubt check your state board's website for the list of approved programs. Good luck in your education pursuits, you sound very motivated!

Hi Kat,

I was confused about the title of the associate's degree myself when I first went to orientation, but after talking with the coordinator of the program and president of the school, they assured me that it will be a legitimate associate of science degree in nursing. They also informed me that the classes we're taking as LVNs are actually on the more advanced level and can qualify as RN courses because they are not basic---I forgot to mention to Baptized that my school is currently working on an RN program right now but have not announced it and don't know exactly when it would be available---probably not within the next couple of years. I believe they made the LVN courses with the thought in mind that they could transition previous LVN students over easily to their future RN courses without requiring them to take too many additional (and repetitive) courses to meet core RN degree standards.

I have a friend who is also going to a private college as an LVN (she registered late with the school I'm going to and couldn't get in) and yes her classes are different than mine. They are very similar to the ones I took in medical assisting school, only differences being that she takes a nutrition course and fundamentals of nursing---The ones we take seem to be a lot more in depth and challenging. Also they start doing hands-on-work and clinical rotation 6 months into the program (3 months prior to graduation), whereas we started clinical rotation within 3 weeks of school and will continue until the end of the program. However, the perceived difficulty of her program is left up to the individual and their personal observations.

I really want to get some clarification on that ASN degree though---it'd be awesome if I could use it to get a limited RN licensure while I'm working towards my real goal. If an LVN with 30 unit option can get RN credentials, couldn't I do the same thing with a degree and those classes that are required to meet standards of 30 unit option or would I still have to go through that route if the ASN is not accepted.----Confused!

Thanks for your response!

AriesMoon · Dec 28, 2007

bump *more input is definitely welcome :balloons: thanks!

Little Panda RN, ASN, RN · Dec 28, 2007

I do understand what you are asking. I also have my Associates of Applied science in Practical Nursing degree, but that does not make me eligible to sit for the nclex-RN. You can have an associates degree as an LPN/LVN but you classes are still LPN/LVN classes. Here the associates degree for RN is an Associates of Science degree and not applied science. I think this is the difference between the two degrees.

All my pre-reqs from my LPN transfer to the RN program here, which makes the transition easier. The RN courses go deeper into the physiology of diseases and critical thinking skills. I have heard that the RN program is intense and I have known a few LPN's who have failed out of the program.

Not sure if california will let you sit for the RN, but some how I do not beleive it to be possible.

I wish you the best of luck!

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Dec 28, 2007

i do not live in ca but it is my understanding that the lvn to rn 30 unit option does not give you the mobility to obtain a bsn or even practice outside of ca... someone please clarify this ....

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 28, 2007

i do not live in ca but it is my understanding that the lvn to rn 30 unit option does not give you the mobility to obtain a bsn or even practice outside of ca... someone please clarify this ....

this is correct. the california 30 unit option is terminal, and the licensure is limited (cannot be endorsed to any other state).

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Dec 28, 2007

i don't think this is going to be possible for you to do. you need to research the 30 unit option, like the commuter said this is a terminal degree...

okay, if i am not eligible for the aforementioned route to rn, then the lvn-30-unit option sounds appealing to me because i've met every requirement for it, even some of the core classes for the 30 unit curriculum will be completed by the time i graduate lvn school---so i was wondering; would it be worth it to do this quick 30-unit option (which would only take 6 months for me) while i was doing online school with isu to get my bsn---you know just to have some rn experience in my pocket while waiting to complete the bachelor's portion.

AriesMoon · Dec 28, 2007

i don't think this is going to be possible for you to do. you need to research the 30 unit option, like the commuter said this is a terminal degree...

hi tx,

i am still able to begin work on my bsn (the prerequisites that i don't already have completed through my a.a. that is) and gain entry into the program as a pre-bsn student. i am currently enrolled at isu (indiana state university) and have started taking classes with them already, so that isn't an issue at all--my bsn is already in the works. my thing was, i wanted to be able to work in the field of registered nursing while going to school for my bsn (since this will probably take me a couple of years to complete anyway).

my route to earning my bsn and getting the 30-unit option are not connected. i was qualified for isu because of my prior a.a. degree and my current standing in the lvn program i'm attending---but i can't begin the actual core bsn classes until graduation from my lvn program. right now i'm just doing the few gen eds i have to complete and the five lvn/rn to bsn track classes required before moving on to the next phase.

i figured since i already have the requirements completed to do the 30-unit option that i could go ahead and do that in a semester's time while i'm still participating online at isu for the bsn. i made some phone calls today and the college i'm looking into doing this 30-unit option with will accept all my transfer credits and will only require me to take two classes to get the limited rn license through them for the state of california. it's just going to cost about 4,000 dollars however. i wanted to save this money by trying to sit for the nclex-rn with my associate's degree, but that might not happen. i'll still keep researching the issue until my graduation from the lvn program (which is still a few months off). after graduation from the lvn program i can go right into the 30-unit option one---that's why i'm trying to find out before school is over. it's looking like the 30-unit-option might be the most likely route for me at this time to get the limited rn license. oh well, either way i'll be satisfied because these are all steps to help me get to my main goal of drnp.

thanks for your response!

aries

AriesMoon · Dec 28, 2007

I do understand what you are asking. I also have my Associates of Applied science in Practical Nursing degree, but that does not make me eligible to sit for the nclex-RN. You can have an associates degree as an LPN/LVN but you classes are still LPN/LVN classes. Here the associates degree for RN is an Associates of Science degree and not applied science. I think this is the difference between the two degrees.
All my pre-reqs from my LPN transfer to the RN program here, which makes the transition easier. The RN courses go deeper into the physiology of diseases and critical thinking skills. I have heard that the RN program is intense and I have known a few LPN's who have failed out of the program.
Not sure if california will let you sit for the RN, but some how I do not beleive it to be possible.
I wish you the best of luck!

Hi NDMOM,

Thanks for the clarification on the degrees--that was very, very helpful. It's nice to hear the experience of someone else with an associate's in vocational nursing. From what I understand, my degree will indeed be an associate of science degree and not that of applied science, but as you clarified, it will still be in the major of vocational nursing. So the route I'm going through with ISU for my BSN is satisfying enough, I just wanted to get my limited RN license to be able to work as a registered nurse while still pursuing my degree, since it will take me some time to complete.

However, it seems that I'll just have to do the 30-unit option in order to get this privilege. This actually works out for me because I'll only have to go for one semester (I've already completed several of the classes required for this option)---so it won't be a waste of time---just more money spent.

Thanks again for your informative message.

Aries