CONFUSED...I thought 1 yr into a 2yr RN program, you can b LPN???

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 15, 2011

In the end, it all depends on what your state's BON says. Some BONs will allow that...but many BONs require that you graduate from an LPN school in order to take the LPN test.

fleurafor · Jan 15, 2011

just another money making scam if you ask me!

JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2011

Also depends on your school. A few in my state allow you to get your LPN but you usually know that up front. You know, it will say in the catalog or on the school's website.

Boog'sCRRN246, RN · Jan 15, 2011

Your state may allow it, but it's up to your program director as to whether or not he/she will sign off on you taking the exam. My school used to allow this, but they found those that passed the exam tended to not continue on in the program. IMO, if you start a RN program, become a LPN, then choose not to continue in your RN program, you might as well just go to LPN school.

elkpark · Jan 15, 2011

In my state, it's a matter of a) does the state BON allow it (which ours does) and b) is the individual school's curriculum set up so that all the necessary content (to be eligible for the NCLEX-PN) is covered in the first year to meet the BON requirements -- so students in some RN programs in the state have this option, and students in other RN programs don't.

I notice another poster noted that students in her program tended to leave the program if they got licensed as an LPN. In my experience teaching in an ADN program that allowed this, the students who got licensed as LPNs and started working (typically in a local nursing home) were so swamped by orienting and adjusting to their LPN job that their studies in the RN program really suffered and they were likely to flunk out. (Some of our students would finish the first year of the RN program, take the NCLEX-PN and get licensed, and take a job at a local LTC that promised them plenty of orientation, scheduling to accommodate their school schedule, etc. -- and the next thing they knew, they were the only nurse on a unit, medicating 50 or 60 clients. Some of them managed to flunk out of the RN program and crash and burn as new LPN grads -- it was v. sad, as a nursing instructor, to watch them do this. But, of course, when we faculty tried to warn them about this, they didn't want to listen.)

skimpstah · Jan 15, 2011

the students who got licensed as LPNs and started working (typically in a local nursing home) were so swamped by orienting and adjusting to their LPN job that their studies in the RN program really suffered and they were likely to flunk out. (Some of our students would finish the first year of the RN program, take the NCLEX-PN and get licensed, and take a job at a local LTC that promised them plenty of orientation, scheduling to accommodate their school schedule, etc. -- and the next thing they knew, they were the only nurse on a unit, medicating 50 or 60 clients. Some of them managed to flunk out of the RN program and crash and burn as new LPN grads -- it was v. sad, as a nursing instructor, to watch them do this. But, of course, when we faculty tried to warn them about this, they didn't want to listen.)

This is what concerns me in considering taking the NCLEX-PN after the first year of my ADN program. Our school does allow us to sit for it, but I keep thinking, "will I be able to handle a NEW job as an LPN and successfully finish the final year of my ADN?" After all this is a career change for me, so I'd have a lot going on, I don't think I'd be able to handle it, despite people saying, "it's a good way to get experience/your foot in the door" I'd just rather wait.

caliotter3 · Jan 15, 2011

First it depends upon your state, then the school. If your state allows it, but the school does not, you are out of luck. One state that recently changed their policy to stop allowing this practice is NY, in 2007, as I recall.

kk83 · Jan 15, 2011

At our school, we can't test to be an LPN after a year. I think it depends on the program/state. I'm in NY btw.

KristeyK · Jan 15, 2011

My school's program director will sign off for one of us to take the PN exam, but ONLY after she sits and has an extensive conversation with you. She said that she will spend the whole time giving you reasons why you should NOT do it and make every effort to talk you out of taking the PN exam to get a job. She actually discourages us from working at all, but said that if we feel that strongly about it, then go become PCT's after our first round of clinicals are over. It's not as intense, but will still get us a foot in the door if we have no prior medical experience.

PghRN30 · Jan 15, 2011

I know in my schools handbook it states that one can test to be a CNA after first 2 terms (first term is 8 weeks, second term is 16 weeks) This is in a 18 month, 6 term, RN program. Nowhere is it that one can become an LPN after so long. I think the problem with that is that most programs from the begining are teaching you to pass the NCLEX-RN, so its not like they are teaching just LPN stuff first year, RN stuff second year, and .....they are gradually teaching you to be an RN. The two have different scopes of practice, and if you are trying to be an RN it is probably better to be learning from the RN scope of practice from the begining, then LPN first, then RN. Maybe more programs used to be structured that way, and maybe many still are, but if your program isnt structured to teach you what you need for the NCLEX-PN by a certain point in the program, i would venture to guess you likely wouldn't pass even if you could take it. I would think that some questions would be answered differently from an RN scope then from an LPN scope, so if you are taught critical thinking from an RN scope of practice from the start, that would probably answer many things wrong as to how a LPN should handle situations.

Also like other stated, would be difficult to work as an beginning LPN AND maintain work needed in an RN program, so that negates any benifit from being able to take the test

CrazierThanYou · Jan 16, 2011

In my state, it used to be allowed. Now, the nursing program requirements changed statewide and it is no longer allowed. Along these same lines, they are no longer doing the LPN-RN bridge anymore as the curriculum doesn't match up.