Confused Mom

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My daughter is a HS senior and we're exploring nursing as a career choice. I'm so confused about the education.

Does she pursue an associate's degree or Bachelor of Science in Nursing? Can she earn an associate's degree then transfer to get the BSN? What are the different degrees of nursing and what do they mean (we've heard of LPN, RN, etc.)? I'm not having very much luck finding the basic information online. What are the advantages, disadvantages of these different levels of nurses? What are their educational requirements?

I appreciate y'all steering me in the right direction if you don't have the time to type out all the answers to my inquiries. Thanks!

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

There is a student section on here that you might find very helpful :)

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Should I move my question or copy it there?

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she can either do an adn (associate degree nursing) or bsn (bach. science nursing). an rn either way. since she is young and presumably doesn't have any other family obligations (i.e. kids, husband), encourage her to go for bsn. there are more job opportunities because some hospitals claim to only hire bsn nurses. she can do a bridge program but like i said, it may be easier to find employment with a bsn (although many new grads are having trouble finding a job no matter what degree).

cna- certified nurse aide

lpn- licensed practical nurse (or lvn licensed vocational nurse in some states)

rn- registered nurse

there are higher levels beyond this but i am not familiar with them since i am only starting nursing school. (nurse practioner and advanced practical registered nurse being a few of them)

whatever you decide to do, encourage her to take a few general education classes at a community college while she is in high school. it took me 1 1/2 years just to get the prerequisites and general ed. classes i needed for my nursing program just to start this fall. good luck to her!

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ky_grl82,

Thank you SO much. The fog is beginning to clear up! You have been very helpful. Good luck in your education & career!

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

ADN is the fastest and in most cases the cheapest route. Check your area because some places require a BSN even for entry level. Once she has her ADN and passes boards she can work as a RN and do an on-line RN to BSN. A BSN with bedside experience can open may doors in management if she wants that later in life.. I am going back for my BSN because I don't see myself at the bedside forever. With her age, I would go for the BSN, it will be better for her in the long run if she wants to continue her educate in the nursing field.

RN is a registered nurse, she can get that with an associates degree (ADN) or Bachelor's (BSN). LPN is a nurse also but the scope of practice is limited. Some hospitals no longer employee LPN's so that is something to think about before going the LPN route. However, doctors offices hire LPN's as well as LTC facilities. It really depends on your area. Good luck to her in which ever route she takes..

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Thank you, sun0408! This is helpful too. I will call inquire with area hospitals.

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since she is young and presumably doesn't have any other family obligations (i.e. kids, husband), encourage her to go for bsn.

this, absolutely. i am a nurse who has worked her way up through the ranks, from aide to unit secretary to lpn to associate's degree rn to now finally finishing a bsn program. ultimately i have spent a lot of money retaking several classes that didn't transfer or were too old (some of the sciences, some nursing theory courses, and for some reason one of my english classes...), and it has been a long and drawn out process.

if you can afford it, she should definitely do a four year bsn program. it's only my opinion, of course. however, i am the parent of a high schooler who is looking into the medical/nursing field as well, and i am very adamantly encouraging her to to the bsn program, should she choose nursing.

here are a couple of different sections of allnurse.com that may help you make some decisions:

registered nurses: diploma, adn or bsn? - nursing for nurses

nursing student - nursing for nurses

pre-nursing student - nursing for nurses

hope that helps!

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Thanks for the confirmation, bluegrassRN. I now have more definite direction.

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Rehab, Home Health.

LPN = Licensed Practical Nurse - This requires an 18 month -2 year long program usually in a vocational education type setting. This prepares one for basic bedside nursing, but has a limited scope of practice. Typically the LPN works in nursing homes, doctors offices and clinics. Although some hospitals still use LPNs, most have gone to all RN staffing.

RN= Registered Nurse - There are several levels of education but all of them take the same licensing exam.

Diploma - 2 year course usually connected with a particular hospital. These have been all but phased out. There may be a few left around but for the same time investment one can have an Associates Degree from a university.

Associates Degree- a 2 year college course - can be found at the community college level. A great choice for those looking for an entry level degree and have limited resources as this allows the student to live at home eliminating the cost of dorms, food etc. The ADN nurse works in most all direct patient care settings but is limited in advancement into senior management positions.

Bachelor Degree- 4 year degree - the first 2 years may be done at the community college level then transfer to main campus(like Kent State U in Ohio has Regional campuses which are like community colleges and a main campus) or do all 4 years at 1 university. This is the basic level for most senior management positions and for being a nurse educator.

There are also Master's degree and Doctor's of Nursing. Before pursuing the advanced degrees, I would suggest getting no more than a BSN until one sees what one would like to do ultimately as it is possible to "degree" one's self out of a job. Employers are afraid that advanced degree holders will want more money or be dissatisfied with basic bedside jobs and leave too soon to recoup the training investment.

For those going into nursing directly from high school with no severe budget limitations, I would suggest getting at least a BSN as it gives the most career options and once you are out of school and are making money, getting married, having children etc it gets harder and harder to go back to school despite one's best intentions.

Hope this helps somewhat.

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FLArn,

This part:

For those going into nursing directly from high school with no severe budget limitations, I would suggest getting at least a BSN as it gives the most career options and once you are out of school and are making money, getting married, having children etc it gets harder and harder to go back to school despite one's best intentions

Makes so much sense. We will hope for some financial aid and scholarships along the way, but it just looks like the BSN will save time (credits that might not transfer) and money (by sticking with the same program) in the long run. Thank you so much!

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

You can be fine with a ADN (associate's) and be fine with that - many places hire ADN's but I keep hearing that a lot of places are starting to make having a BSN a minimum requirement. Basically the only difference between a ADN and BSN is (other than the extra year of school) you have "theory" with your BSN. If your daughter decides she wants to get her MSN or go the CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) route or become a CNS (clinical nurse specialist) or NP (nurse practitioner), she will need to have her BSN first. You cannot have an ADN and go straight for your MSN. Pros to the ADN, however, is that it's a fast program (2 years) and offered at most community colleges, which are generally a lot cheaper than universities.

The BSN is a 4-year program. 1 year is spent completeing your prerequisites (anatomy & physiology, chemistry, microbiology, statistics, ethics, etc...) and then the other 3 years are spent completing your actual nursing classes (along with some co-requisites, for example at my school we have to take a Science of Nutrition of class).

LPN is a license practical nurse (or LVN - license vocational nurse). Generally LPN programs are about 18mos in length, I believe. LPNs are still nurses, but their scope of practice is limited - for example, an LPN cannot do an initial assessment on a newly-admittted patient. There are also certain things with medications that an LPN cannot do that only an RN can do. As stated by some other users, some places aren't hiring LPNs anymore so if your daughter decides to do that, she should check into the area to see who they are hiring.

You can do an LPN-RN(BSN) tract. There are several LPNs that I go to school with that are currently in the BSN program waiting to get their RN.

If you can afford it and do not have any other obligations, getting a BSN is the best way to go because it gives you the most career options. You also will need at least a BSN to become a clinical instructor at a school if your daughter wishes to down the road; and a minimum of an MSN to instruct a nursing class at a university (at least that's how it is here in OH)

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