For Current working LPN's

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

This is by no means a way to bash the LPN's who have taken and passed boards after there 1st year of the ADN/RN program. Question is this- Do you as a seasoned LPN think that it is a good idea for the students to be able to take and pass boards after 1 year of RN school? (for the 2 yr. ADN program)? I have found that the few that we have working with us lack the skills- such as IM injections " I only got checked off on it once" or Cathetars, "I dont like doing those". I know that the LPN programs are strong in skills, I do not know about the RN programs. It is just something I have noticed lately. Again, not to bash anyone. And personally, I wouldnt even attempt nor want to sit thru RN boards with out taking the RN program!

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i am by no means a seasoned nurse....new LPN....passed boards in Aug....anyway.....i have heard about RN students being able to take the LPN boards after a year......always wondered how that was,since the LPN program is skills oriented and the RN students always wished they could learn more skills....uummm....

i can cath someone with my eyes close now...do a straight cath 3x day on an individual....i love being me!!!:redpinkhe and a NURSE!!!:prdnrs:

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I too am proud of what I do and who I am. Like I said before, I am not bashing anyone. I just really worry about this. One of the nurses I work with said that doing it this way was the "fast track" to an LPN. She had no intention of finishing the RN program. I just worry about it.....

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Specializes in Hospice, ER.

I have attended both LPN school and RN school. I learned far more in LPN school than in RN school, both clinically and in the classroom. So, no, I don't think RN students should take LPN boards. Also, their training was RN level, not LPN level, and that can lead to problems with working within the scope of practice. If LPNs can't challenge RN boards, RN students should not challenge LPN boards. The education is different.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Don't the RN programs that offer the LPN option make them take an extra summer semester? I don't see much wrong with it. Its probably more about the individual student because some of us in the LPN program did a lot of IMs but some of us didn't. If like you said someone is saying they aren't comfortable doing catheters now would be a good time for them to get more practice while you are able to oversee. :D

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Not all LPN/LVN programs are skills-focused. Mine certainly was not!

I attended a for-profit trade school which basically prepared students to pass their NCLEX on the first attempt (nothing more, nothing less). I never learned to catheterize patients during my program. I only gave one IM injection and a handful of SQ injections during the entire time. By the time I completed this program, my skills were poor.

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Specializes in LTC.
Don't the RN programs that offer the LPN option make them take an extra summer semester? I don't see much wrong with it. Its probably more about the individual student because some of us in the LPN program did a lot of IMs but some of us didn't. If like you said someone is saying they aren't comfortable doing catheters now would be a good time for them to get more practice while you are able to oversee. :D

Ding, Ding, ding ! We have a winner. Yes, I'm in a program as to where RN and LPN students are toghether for the first year, after the first year LPN students take a short summer course ( which is the second year, pushed into one course) and there fore sit for the License. RN students who wish to take the nclex pn, must do the same. Just for the record, I did IMs in my first semester. I love to learn, and take initiative to make sure I get the hands on experience I need.

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When i was doing clinicals for my LPN, some times we were worked with RN students. I'm not sure if they were 1st or 2nd years but, we knew way more skills than they did. We sometimes had to walk them thru their skills. I know you actually learn more in an RN program but as far as skills, I'm not so sure.

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I have attended both LPN school and RN school. I learned far more in LPN school than in RN school, both clinically and in the classroom. So, no, I don't think RN students should take LPN boards. Also, their training was RN level, not LPN level, and that can lead to problems with working within the scope of practice. If LPNs can't challenge RN boards, RN students should not challenge LPN boards. The education is different.

Just wondering about how different RN school is from LPN. I want to do LPN in a year or so. I completed the first semester and a bit of RN school. It was too much for me as a single Mom. Also, I'm very theory oriented and wanted to understand on a deeper level-like the level of A and P. I'm re-reading my A and P book and will read HUETHERS pathopysiology book to prepare for LPN. Please tell me it is less intense than RN school. I welcome an emphasis on skills. If they dont focus on the why of things I'll have that covered myself. I also dont want to be sleep deprived during lab time like last time.

Thanks.

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

I attend a tech college that has the lpn program in with the rn program. Honestly, I have no idea the difference between lpn schools and ADN schools. Any ADN program will be much heavier on skills than a 4yr program. There is alot more theory type classes in 4 yr programs.

Lpn school is just as long as the lpn portion of an rn program from what I understand. It's a one yr program after the prereqs have been taken. That actually comes out to about 1.5-2yrs.

Many times I think students that have patient experience such as cna will be more comfortable coming out of the gate than lpns with no experience except for clinical. After a year or 2 though, everything seems to catch up.

I took and passed my pn boards this past August. I just started working in ltc and everyone tells me that we all start out scrambling and it gets better. I can only hope this is correct.

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I became an LPN in a 1-1 program. No extra terms, nothing like that.

My clinical training was a joke. One SQ, 1 IM, never cathed a human or did a dressing change on anything but a dummy, and the RN year (which I didn't take) no one learned to start an IV.

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Just wondering about how different RN school is from LPN. I want to do LPN in a year or so. I completed the first semester and a bit of RN school. It was too much for me as a single Mom. Also, I'm very theory oriented and wanted to understand on a deeper level-like the level of A and P. I'm re-reading my A and P book and will read HUETHERS pathopysiology book to prepare for LPN. Please tell me it is less intense than RN school. I welcome an emphasis on skills. If they dont focus on the why of things I'll have that covered myself. I also dont want to be sleep deprived during lab time like last time.

Thanks.

I haven't gone to school to become an RN yet- but i am in the semester of school to become an LPN and i honestly cant imagine anything being much more intense, and our teaches tell us all the time, if we make it to graduation and we want to go onto becoming an RN to go for it. Cuz if we could make it there, we could do anythign we put our mind to.... as for experience, in my program, we learned so many procedures and skills, that some of them didnt stick-honestly and before i perform anything I am unsure of, i look in my fundamentals book at clinical. But to answer your question- yes you do learn many skills and have alot of lab time. In my case, all of our lab was done 1st semester(with 2 days clinical about starting after the first quarter of the semester) and now our clinical days have increased since we are in our second semester, we no longer have lab, were putting our work to practice- we're at 3 now and in about a month and a half, well be at four,in our senior rotation...my program is less than a year so imagine cramming ALOT of info&procedures in in that amount of time. I wouldnt say all of the material is hard to comprehend- you just have to spend alot of time preparing and studying and learning and at times it is overwhelming, but also being a young (basically single) mother myself- this route is the best option for me... I will be done in june- so ten months of sacrificing my time with my son is gonna be well worth it so i can provide a better life for both of us. I do plan on continuing on my education, part time though because it is alot of commitment and i thank god everyday that i have a lot of support- A nana that loves to have sleepovers with my son! Any ways, whatever choice you make will be the right one, even if you decide to go to school for LPN and you feel liek you cant do it anymore- just think, it will be over before you know it! GOODLUCK!!!:up:

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