nurses, lvns/rn/bsn's please advice

Nurses General Nursing

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has it been years or what? Life moves fast. Anyways, i have a question i need help with. i have a bachlors of art degree and i want to go into nursing. I'm looking into an lvn program because the accelerated BSN, and community college ADN have a crazy wait list. By the time i finish my pre-reqs, apply and hopefully get in, it'll be three years. I'm not in a position money wise to do that. A lot of people have adviced me that lvn school and the experience as an lvn will help me in the future as a nurse. My question is... once i finish lvn, is there a lvn-BSN or lvn-accelerated bsn programs for those that already have a bachlors degree? some people say i'm wasting my time doing the lvn school if ultimatly i want to be an RN. But, i'm seeing it as 1)i support myself 2)i have an idea and experience what it's like to be a nurse... i don't know. I do want to be an RN but i won't kill myself if it takes a while as i do my lvn. But i just can't wait three years to get into RN school. Anyone in my situation? Can someone help with some advice? thanks

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Specializes in Home Care.

As an LPN you'll still have to do the required pre-reqs and general ed classes for the ADN or BSN.

I got my LPN in Oct 09 with the ultimate goal of becoming an RN. I was already working on the pre-reqs for RN. The advantages of being an LPN for me are that I will skip one semester of nursing school, I have a perfect part time job working only weekends and I'm gaining nursing experience. I could not have worked part-time in my previous job.

Honestly, you're not going to cut any time off your ultimate goal of becoming an RN by going LPN first.

Would I do LPN again? Hind sight is 20/20. If I'd known then about hospital based RN programs I would have gone PCT and applied for the hospital based program. I also would have been more patient and waited for acceptance into the ADN program at my college.

I like my job as an LPN, but when you're talking money that extra money I paid/borrowed for LPN wasn't really worth it when my ultimate goal is BSN.

Hope that helps you a little LOL

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Go straight for the RN. Bridging isn't easy once you're already working.

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Specializes in Peds, PACU, ICU, ER, OB, MED-Surg,.

Many hospitals are not using LVN's. I believe the extra time is worth it in the long run to wait and get your RN. LVN's make less money for the same work and have little autonomy d/t scope of practice. Just my point of view.

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Specializes in Pedi Rehab,Pediatrics, PICU.

Some LPN-ASN progams actually ADD an extra transitional semester to orient you from the role of LPN to that of an RN. Then there's still an extra year for that so it'll come out the same, or you may waste an extra semester. If I were you, I'd go straight to RN, whoever's prog accepts you first if you don't wanna wait. After your first semester of clinicals, you can be hired as a PCT/nurse tech/student nurse, which will give you some experience in the field.

I have heard from some nurses who were LPNs that went to RN, that all the time they worked as an LPN didn't really count towards exp as an RN, so they were still considered "green" for their first year or so.

You have to look at how progs and employers are in your area to be able to make the best decision as it varies from place to place. When I applied to RN school, the prog director was talking students out of the applying to the LPN prog and into the RN prog. The next semester, the LPN prog was closed. Turns out the area I was in began hiring more RNs than LPNs and many units are RN only. Then when I relocated for work, the working culture was very different; there were tons of LPNs as well as RNs. So really it just depends on your location and working culture.

Hope this helps. :)

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Specializes in Pedi Rehab,Pediatrics, PICU.

Oh, and BTW, the ASN prog was only an extra semester longer than the LPN to begin with. Why ann another 1 to 1.5 years??

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Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

I've seen advertisements for LVN-to-BSN programs on-ine, but I'm not sure whether or not they're really valid.

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thank you guys for taking the time to give me advice. it looks like many of you suggest that i might as well wait to get into an RN program instead of going through LVN school, since my ultimate goal is to become an RN. I see it and thank you i'll look into that as well. My one fear is that because of the wait list, etc... i feel like no one will accept me and time will just pass by. thanks for the advice.

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