Financially , would it be smart for me to do LPN first...RN? Considering finance aid?

caliotter3 · Mar 16, 2011

You can not do the prerequisite RN courses in only one semester or one year even. You can not overload yourself, there are limits on number of units a student can take, even if given a waiver due to being an honors student. Also, the prereq courses can take years to get a seat. Everybody and their brother wants to become a nurse, so these courses fill up very fast, no matter what the selection process. Another thought, if you could get the courses you need all at once, how do you think you will get a 4.0 average taking that many courses at once? Anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology are not walks in the park. And many nursing programs turn away people with perfect 4.0 GPAs. You won't be able, in almost all cases, to slide in with a C or three. Cool your jets and approach this rationally. There are people who take one course at a time to insure they maintain a 4.0 average. Something to think about.

Skylarslaughter · Mar 16, 2011

caliotter3 said:
You can not do the prerequisite RN courses in only one semester or one year even. You can not overload yourself, there are limits on number of units a student can take, even if given a waiver due to being an honors student. Also, the prereq courses can take years to get a seat. Everybody and their brother wants to become a nurse, so these courses fill up very fast, no matter what the selection process. Another thought, if you could get the courses you need all at once, how do you think you will get a 4.0 average taking that many courses at once? Anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology are not walks in the park. And many nursing programs turn away people with perfect 4.0 GPAs. You won't be able, in almost all cases, to slide in with a C or three. Cool your jets and approach this rationally. There are people who take one course at a time to insure they maintain a 4.0 average. Something to think about.

There's only 13 credit pre reqs for my RN program...so I could actually do them in one semester. And it's a communit college in a small town so the pre req classes don't fill up quick and there's other campuses maybe 30 miles away.

Skylarslaughter · Mar 16, 2011

caliotter3 said:
You can not do the prerequisite RN courses in only one semester or one year even. You can not overload yourself, there are limits on number of units a student can take, even if given a waiver due to being an honors student. Also, the prereq courses can take years to get a seat. Everybody and their brother wants to become a nurse, so these courses fill up very fast, no matter what the selection process. Another thought, if you could get the courses you need all at once, how do you think you will get a 4.0 average taking that many courses at once? Anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology are not walks in the park. And many nursing programs turn away people with perfect 4.0 GPAs. You won't be able, in almost all cases, to slide in with a C or three. Cool your jets and approach this rationally. There are people who take one course at a time to insure they maintain a 4.0 average. Something to think about.

Actually I'm taking A&P I this summer, and if I'm not able to get into the LPN program in August I'm taking the rest of the pre reqs: Human Nutrition, Pyschology, and Computer Applications in the Fall semester...that's only 9 credits, not even a full load. And being that this criteria is relatively easy to meet compared to other schools...should I take advantage of the RN program instead?

Saysfaa · Mar 16, 2011

Take the extra time and get an ADN. RNs make more than LPNs and in most areas have many more employment options. And having a degree tends to mess up financial aid grants.... although you should check into that as I don't know the details. Even assuming you could handle the loads you've been looking at, I think the better option is to take the extra year. I agree 9 credits in a fall or spring term is not a full load, but will that let take just nursing classes while you do the nursing program?

I am missing something. You are right that the general ed requirements vary from school to school but an accredited program is going to have algebra of some kind, chemistry, microbiology, and A&P II covered somewhere, somehow. And I'm fairly sure English composition also. ... is that school accredited? Or are you planning to take A&P II and Microbiology as corequisites? Or do you have college credit from Advanced Placement classes in high school? Hm, I once missed some at one of the schools I was looking at because every degree at the school required them so they were listed under graduation requirements for the college rather than with the classes specific to nursing. Another time, a school didn't list some of these but one could not take classes that were listed unless you had these.

KristeyK · Mar 17, 2011

Go for the RN. If the state will pay for it, let them. You're only 17 and have MANY, MANY years of working to look forward to. Heck, I'd say go for your BSN straight away if that's an option for you NOW. At the very least though, RN. Many places don't even hire LPN's now. (Where I live, the only places that still have PN's are LTC facilities.)

Skylarslaughter · Mar 17, 2011

Saysfaa said:
Take the extra time and get an ADN. RNs make more than LPNs and in most areas have many more employment options. And having a degree tends to mess up financial aid grants.... although you should check into that as I don't know the details. Even assuming you could handle the loads you've been looking at, I think the better option is to take the extra year. I agree 9 credits in a fall or spring term is not a full load, but will that let take just nursing classes while you do the nursing program?
I am missing something. You are right that the general ed requirements vary from school to school but an accredited program is going to have algebra of some kind, chemistry, microbiology, and A&P II covered somewhere, somehow. And I'm fairly sure English composition also. ... is that school accredited? Or are you planning to take A&P II and Microbiology as corequisites? Or do you have college credit from Advanced Placement classes in high school? Hm, I once missed some at one of the schools I was looking at because every degree at the school required them so they were listed under graduation requirements for the college rather than with the classes specific to nursing. Another time, a school didn't list some of these but one could not take classes that were listed unless you had these.

Yeah I've been stressing over what I should do but I think I'm going to just go straight for my ADN. That's what I really want anyway. And it is indeed accredited, it's Pasco-Hernando Community College...in Florida and it's well known. The BARE minimum prequisites are 13 credits total of A&P I, Nutrition, Computer Appplications, and Psychology... the general education requirements are A&P II, Microbiology, Life Development, English Comp., and Ethics. Since I have decided to take this whole next year and devote it to my pre reqs I am going to get both my prerequisites and general education reqs out of the way to apply next year and that way I'll just have my core Nursing classes to worry about. This plan is so much better than the ones I thought about before...like doing LPN while taking my prereqs at the same time...HA!

Skylarslaughter · Mar 17, 2011

KristeyK said:
Go for the RN. If the state will pay for it, let them. You're only 17 and have MANY, MANY years of working to look forward to. Heck, I'd say go for your BSN straight away if that's an option for you NOW. At the very least though, RN. Many places don't even hire LPN's now. (Where I live, the only places that still have PN's are LTC facilities.)

Lol yeah I figured that myself...I would totally go for my BSN now if my college offered it but I plan to get it pretty soon after I become an RN?

Financially , would it be smart for me to do LPN first...RN? Considering finance aid?

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