Help Needed From Virginia Rn's!!

Flames9_RN, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jul 26, 2008

That blue ink sure makes it difficult too read,lol

serenity67 · Jul 26, 2008

Oops... sorry about the blue ink. I just wanted to draw attention to my thread. I didn't even REALIZE it would be hard for folks to read. :imbar

STD RN · Jul 26, 2008

Sorry, but I am with the VA BON on this one. You can't just skip clinicals and be properly prepared to care for patients. While I have worked with many wonderful LPNs, I would not want one of them caring for my family in the ER or ICU as an RN with only Excelsior courses.

Can I take a few classes and become an MD without going to medical school and residency. I don't think so.

I support you advancing your education, but only if you do the class work and the clinicals like the rest of us did.

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 26, 2008

I also support the BON's decision for all of the same reasons. While I am sure that there are SOME LPN's that can be great RN's this way ... there are many people who can qualify for the EC program who will not make good RN's this way.

It is not good for the nursing profession to allow such programs.

Now ... if only I could the BON to close some of the lousy brick and mortar nursing schools I know of. We have a few that need some significant disciplinary action and perhaps, closure. So, before the EC supporters point them out as reasons to allow the EC graduates to practice as RN's ... let me remind you that 2 wrongs do not make a right.

A strong nursing profession is good for nurses and good for society in general. I don't support anything that lowers our educational standards and/or weakens our profession's identity or respect from other disciplines.

serenity67 · Jul 27, 2008

There are factual statistics to back up both the success of the Excelsior College nursing program as a whole, as well as the high quality of associate degree RN's that manage to graduate. I say "manage to graduate" because I assure you, the program is far from easy. Please keep in mind this bridge program is for an ASSOCIATE degree... in order to obtain a BSN there are additional clinical rotations required. That being said, I appreciate your opinion, perhaps with one exception in regard to having an LPN "take care of your family"... I've worked in many settings, one being a critical care step-down unit. My pt.'s and their families were not only 100% satisfied with my nursing care, but would REQUEST me. I think it's bad to make the generalization that every LPN is not a capable nurse. Just as it would be an unfair generalization to say that ALL RN's are AUTOMATICALLY good nurses. Anyway, I respect your opinion regardless of our differences in the rationale.

FA to CRNA2b · Jul 27, 2008

I support the VA BON and my hospital only hires RNs.

serenity67 · Jul 27, 2008

Actually, I understand that hospitals are moving towards only hiring RN's and I have no problem with that. That actually wasn't the point to my post. I am in NO WAY implying that LPN's are interchangeable with assoc. RN's. ABSOLUTELY NOT. I am fully aware of the differences in the educational curriculum. Just as there are differences between the Assoc. RN and the BSN curriculum. That's actually the focus of the Excelsior College LPN to assoc. RN bridge program, the additional education provided focuses on the portions of the Assoc. RN curriculum that are NOT part of the LPN curriculum. There is a "base" of nursing that is universal, therefore one has to admit that there is an "overlap" in BASIC curriculums. The focus then is placed on the additional education required for the degree. I realize this concept is hard for many who chose the "traditional path" to wrap their heads around, but if I'm ALREADY licensed to provide nursing care in a similar (though more limited fashion) wouldn't it make sense to educate me on what I'm NOT licensed to do? Although we may disagree, I still appreciate ALL of your comments. I realize I'm on the "unpopular side" of this debate, as evidenced by the underlying supercilious tone... a tone that, sadly, transcends beyond this message board and out into the workforce between RN's and LPN's. I'm not trying to have "that type" of a conversation here. I simply look at this interaction as a way to have a constructive conversation about the topic, in an attempt to understand all points of view. I believe there are a lot of nurses out there who are unaware of the "true" Excelsior College curriculum for the bridge program and it is simply my intent to provide that info. (info is located in my profile on my homepage, factual links about the Excelsior College program are located in the column on the left side of the page). I also think it's important to stress that their nursing program is geared towards the LPN obtaining an ASSOCIATE RN DEGREE not a BSN. An associate degree, as we all know is generally a 2 year degree (for a fulltime student). So it's not as though a bridge program should sound so drastic or foreign. Here is an analogy that comes to mind for me in simplifying the concept: "When you enter college, you aren't asked to repeat your years in primary/secondary school... you just build on the base of knowledge that you have already achieved." or how about this one... "when you specialize in your field, you are not asked to repeat nursing school from scratch first, you are instead educated on the finer details of the specialty you've chosen". Anyway, thanks for all of your thoughts on this topic. Though I feel some seem to have taken offense to it and found the need to "put this little LPN in her place", please know it is out of my repect for our field that I came HERE to have this discussion. That's actually a COMPLIMENT to all of you, even those who have chosen to be condescending.

delvenia · Jul 27, 2008

I am a current RN student in and ADN program and I agree with you. LPN's and CNA's can also attend my school in their respective programs. And what I have noticed is that the LPN's actually do way more clinicals while the RN student's focus on care plans and much more theory. I dont see what problem you graduating from a bridge program would cause if you are in fact recieving so called "catch up training/education". RN's also have bridge programs to go from an ADN to a BSN and also from a BSN to CNP....

serenity67 · Jul 27, 2008

Thanks for your positive message. It seems the positive messages are few and far between... I'm getting "eaten alive" in here by my own topic! lol!

Flames9_RN, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jul 27, 2008

There has to be some common sense, or maybe not. A brand new RN right out of school (like myself hopefully in May 2009) has a lot to learn still. School/clinicals is just the very beginning. Who would you rather have at your bedside, a fresh RN out of school or a LPN that has 19 yrs of service? What I'm getting at is clinical hours at school are nice, but experience at a hospital most likely counts for a lot more. Maybe they could compromise and state one has to be a LPN for 5 yrs, etc etc A fancy degree is nice and all, but I will take a nurse with common sense any day!! best of luck

serenity67 · Jul 27, 2008

Actually, I agree that some sort of adjustment to this type of educational avenue would be a good idea. I have also thought that putting some sort of "minumum number of years clinical/work experience" requirement for those who wish to enroll in educational programs like that of Excelsior College might be something that could be considered. It just seems too general to just stop accepting graduates from this college altogether.