finish bachelor's degree or start pre-reqs for lpn school?

leenak · Sep 15, 2010

Ok, take my advice with a grain of salt, I'm not in nursing (yet!) and my first degree is in Computer Science. A math degree is very useful and there are a lot of things that can be done with it. If you go into nursing and decide you don't like it, you have a math degree. If you go into nursing and love it, you have a bachelors which you can leverage later.

Having said that, you aren't very far in your program. If you were a year away, I'd say continue on with math and then go into nursing. 2.5 years (5 semesters) is a bit far in terms of college degree. The good news is you've probably gotten some of your basic geneds done with which may prove useful later. So I'd say the LPN program sounds promising.

knottygirl · Sep 15, 2010

hey leenak,

thanks very much and you're right, I am just now on the cusp of getting into the upper level math classes and I know how many things can go wrong during a university experience! Things happen, life happens, ish happens ya know? My gpa isn't that great and getting my lpn would most definitely be the quickest way to becoming a nurse even though it would take the same amount of time. Ahhh, you would think I'd have some of the pre-reqs right? No. lol, I still need anatomy I, med terminology and all the other nursing based pre-reqs which is why I wont even get in until next fall IF I get in, which I'm going to make sure in every ounce of my being that I get in. And then when I thought about it after I posted this I was like ok, two and a half years to get the bachelors and then I'll still have to do pre-reqs to get into an accelerated bsn course, that could be five years. So yes, LPN is looking quite promising....say, your degree in comp sci, wow and you're going back for nursing, cool!! Thanks so much!

jjjoy, LPN · Sep 15, 2010

Can you get some of the nursing pre-reqs out of the way while continuing to work on a bachelor's? Having a bachelor's degree can be very useful and a degree in math shows you've got certain skills. So if you like math okay and do well at it, I'd encourage continuing with that while also continuing to work towards nursing. If it were a matter of you being just 1 year into college with an immediate spot in a LPN program waiting for you, then I might weigh things differently. If you hate math, then you probably want to reconsider your major regardless.

Meanwhile, maybe you could also volunteer and/or become a nursing assistant or EMT to find out more about patient care first hand and get experience that may help with your nursing school applications as well as give you an idea of what direction you might like to go with nursing.

If you're willing to move out of the area for a year, there are accelerated (1 year) second bachelor's BSN programs out there. If you got good grades in the pre-reqs that might be enough to make you competitive.

**I've got to say that if you do like math then I strongly encourage you to get first hand patient care experience before jumping into nursing. The two fields demand very different skills and ways of thinking and interacting. Few nurses liked their math classes, and I doubt many mathematicians have transitioned to nursing. You may be one of those who does well in and enjoys both - just food for thought!!**

luvthegsp · Sep 15, 2010

why does the LPN program take 2.5 years? I am in an ADN (RN) program that is two years with pre-reqs...

knottygirl · Sep 15, 2010

@jjjoy-I used to be a CNA in one state and then I moved and my certification lapsed, that was back in 2005 and I've worked as a CNA for about a year previous at various nursing homes. I remember how hard the case load was, all of these residents and very few people. I definitely will have time to get my CNA.

@luvthegsp-Well I'll start this quarter, mind you I have no pre-reqs already. Math has nothing to do with biology (anatomy, micro etc). As I said I love math, and that's why I majored in it but I haven't been in school since 07. The reason why it's taking 2.5 years for lpn? Well, I don't have the pre-reqs (anat, medical term, nutrition diet therapy etc). This school will not even let you submit an application until all the pre-reqs are done and the next deadline is March '11. I'll be done by then and ready for the actual program to start in the fall. So this year I'm waiting for the program to start. The program is a year and a half I think. But they're going to semesters but I still think the program is going to be a year and a half, so all together that's two and a half years.

knottygirl · Sep 15, 2010

@jjjoy...I'm not so sure math and nursing are too different. The more math you do the more lazy you become. Here's why. When you're working on a problem you think about what could be the easiest solution or at least the most logical. In nursing wouldn't you do the same thing, asking yourself what the most logical solution to a problem is? I think it's the same thinking, not saying totally but I don't think they're that different.

jjjoy, LPN · Sep 15, 2010

The difference, as I see it, is that in health care there are more variables than anyone can truly account for. Each patient is physiologically and psychologically different. Many disease processes still aren't well understood and treatment success and adverse effects can be variable. Many patients have several different health conditions that can muddy the clinical picture. Patients may have mental or emotional issues that provide unique challenges. And unlike a math problem which will sit there unchanged while you try different methods, check references, put it aside for awhile, etc clinical issues may be changing by the minute. Also, the math problem will have an answer - one answer. If you understand the math and do the work methodically, you'll get that answer. And so will anyone else who works the problem. Many clinical problems do not have one distinct solution to the problem. You can understand pathophysiology inside and out and there just may not be a definite solution to the problem.

knottygirl · Sep 15, 2010

Yeah that's the obvious, obvious there are a lot of variables when it comes to humans but they don't call it mulitvariable calculus for nothing! lol.. There are a lot of factors in math and a lot of variables, but with a math problem it could be like oh who cares, obviously with a human as far as nursing is concerned it's different. If you take math above cal I you might have a different opinion about math, but again, I'm a nerd. There are a lot of different ways to do a math problem, but you still want that same result a well patient/correct answer. Math can be applied to more than people think. It's about the process, being able to think critically beyond a basic level.

Math is awesome. I do calculus when I get bored/mad for a quick pick me up, it calms me down. But I want to be a nurse and I wonder if they could be used together in some way. I'm really good with software. I don't know, I'm just thinking getting an LPN would get my foot in the door and would allow me to work with it while I'm finishing my bachelors degree.

jjjoy, LPN · Sep 16, 2010

It's great that you like math! And, in that case, I would encourage you to continue working on that degree and still continue working towards nursing as well. In 2.5 years, you could well have earned bachelor's degree AND finished your pre-reqs & been accepted to a nursing program AND have recent, first-hand experience in patient care & networking connections & income from a part-time job in health care. A degree in computer science or health informatics might be something to consider depending on what your school offers and what classes you'd need.

Of course, there are also many other alternatives. You asked for opinions, and mine is just one!

luvthegsp · Sep 17, 2010

thanks for the clarification

Moogie · Sep 17, 2010

Yeah that's the obvious, obvious there are a lot of variables when it comes to humans but they don't call it mulitvariable calculus for nothing! lol.. There are a lot of factors in math and a lot of variables, but with a math problem it could be like oh who cares, obviously with a human as far as nursing is concerned it's different. If you take math above cal I you might have a different opinion about math, but again, I'm a nerd. There are a lot of different ways to do a math problem, but you still want that same result a well patient/correct answer. Math can be applied to more than people think. It's about the process, being able to think critically beyond a basic level.
Math is awesome. I do calculus when I get bored/mad for a quick pick me up, it calms me down. But I want to be a nurse and I wonder if they could be used together in some way. I'm really good with software. I don't know, I'm just thinking getting an LPN would get my foot in the door and would allow me to work with it while I'm finishing my bachelors degree.

Hmmmm....you sound like you'd be a great fit for informatics. There are several master's programs and even a few DNP programs that offer concentrations in nursing informatics. I think you could have many possibilities and combine both passions.

One the one hand, there are increasingly more options for LPNs to get into BSN programs but on the other, the job market is tight for all nurses. It seems that LPNs and ADNs are having a little more trouble than BSN grads finding jobs in some areas. (Right now everyone is having trouble finding jobs so the LPN vs. BSN difference might be moot.)

You could also drop some of your math courses, take the pre-reqs for your school's BSN and boost your GPA. Or you could talk to someone at your college's school of nursing to see what your chances for getting into an accelerated second degree BSN program might be.

Best of luck to you in whatever you decide!