How to Evaluate the 250 hr Work Reqmnt

[merasyph]

Hi there,

I'm currently finishing up my 3rd quarter LPN clinicals. The school I attend has a mandatory/optional requirement between the LPN & RN levels. If you have failed any technical courses, by the end of the LPN program, you are required to work 500 hrs before starting the RN level. If you have not had to retake any technical courses, you have the option of going straight through to the RN program, working 250 hrs, or taking a 2-cr preceptorship program to get clinical experience in lieu of the 250 hr work requirement. Typically, only the top 10-20 students are allowed to go straight through to the RN program while the rest of the class has to either work or precept a minimum of 250 hrs.

I'm trying to evaluate the actual benefit of working 250 hrs prior to the RN level. Many students in my class are opting to work or precept even if they will be allowed to go straight through - because they feel the experience will be "critical" to their success.

In all liklihood, if my grades continue as they are, I will have the option to either go straight through or opt to do the 250 hrs through either paid work or preceptorship (instead of being told I have to do the hrs). However, I don't know how to evaluate how working 6-8 weeks prior to entering Level II will be more, less, or have no impact on my RN program.

Has anyone had any experience with a program like this?

Thanks!

Julie

[Jules A, MSN]

Hi Julie,

Do you make more money or have more flexibility at your current job than you would as a LPN? That would be my main deciding factor. If you can get a LPN job on a floor that you would like to work as a RN thats also a great segway but if not while the experience is excellent many RN students graduate without any job experience and do fine in the long run. Congrats on having so many options.

[merasyph]

Jules A -

The issue isn't the money - the question is... how valuable is 6-8 weeks of work experience as an LPN on your RN curriculum? I don't anticipate :bowingpur failing any courses to be required to work 500 hrs before entering the RN program. However, if I am in the top 10-20 students - which is likely, I will have the option of either doing the 250 hr work requirement or going straight through to the RN program directly from the LPN program. I've been hearing alot how much more successful students are after doing the work requirement. But it doesn't seem to make sense to me - 6-8 weeks of work experience wouldn't seem to me to be a critical factor in a student's success. Yet I have no idea how to evaluate the effectiveness of a short work experience on learning.

In all honesty, I hate living where I am despite the school having a good nursing program. If I had my druthers, I would go straight through from LPN to RN. But I don't want to shortchange myself if the 1 quarter's worth of work experience would make me that much more successful in the RN program.

Julie

[Jules A, MSN]

If you can get a LPN job on a floor that you would like to work as a RN thats also a great segway but if not while the experience is excellent many RN students graduate without any job experience and do fine in the long run. Congrats on having so many options.

Keep reading. :)