curious.....for who ever became lvn first

[dark40]

What made you decide to do lvn school first instead rn school. Did/do it make a big difference when you go to rn school?if so, please share your experience.

[kcochrane]

I went to LPN school first because I needed to get back into the workforce quicker and the waiting list at the colleges for RN were long. I was able to work while obtaining my RN. Once I had my prereqs I had no wait to get into the nursing program. I was able to challenge the first nursing course also.

Sometimes having my LPN helped at school - with the basics. Sometimes, it was difficult. I had to learn to get out of that "thinking as a LPN mode". Having my LPN is helping as a I orient to an acute job. I don't have to focus on basics, but only the extras that I didn't know as a LPN.

[metfan]

I also became an LPN first so I could get back in the workforce. Also, I did not know if nursing was for me so LPN felt like less of a commitment. I got my LPN after 10 months. It worked out well because I am making a decent living while taking classes to get my RN. I tested out of nursing 1 but found it difficult to jump into nursing 2. I did not know the teachers or my classmates. They had already bonded during the first semester. I graduate in May (hopefully). I think it was the best way for me to do it because I seriously lack confidence and have anxiety. I don't know if I could have jumped into RN without the basic knowledge I got as a working LPN.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I completed an LVN program first because, like the previous respondents, I really needed to jump into the workforce quickly with a decent wage and without devoting several years of time for prerequisite classes, testing, waiting lists, and lotteries.

At that time in my life, I was working 12 hour rotating shifts as a factory worker. The long rotating shifts were not conducive to any type of school schedule, so I had to quit this job if I wanted to return to school. Since I could only afford to be unemployed for a maximum of 1 year, my only reasonable schooling choice was a 12 month LPN/LVN program at a private trade school that did not mandate any prerequisite classes or have any waiting lists.

If all goes well, I will graduate from an RN program in a few weeks. While the LVN schooling was tremendously helpful, I still had more to learn about leadership aspects and other areas that generally are not taught in many LVN programs.