How do I convince my parents to let me go through an LVN program?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hey everyone! I need advice for something. I'm almost done with my nursing prerequisites and I'm considering going to the LVN-RN pathway. I've heard from my nursing parents that if I go on this path, I'll be wasting my time because hospitals are phasing out LVNs. I understand that to be true but I plan to advance to becoming an RN ideally after I've worked for a few years. I say ideally cause I've been advised that if I choose to become an LVN first, that I'll probably be an LVN for longer than I think. I've weighed the pros and cons of it and I'm leaning strongly towards becoming an LVN first. (Any additional pros and cons are welcome as it is a huge decision and it'd be helpful to consider.) However my parents want me to go straight to RN and they're the ones paying for my education. I know that people who go through the LVN route do so out of economic necessity, but I have reasons. I wanted to become an LVN first so I can get work experience to make myself more hirable( yes I'm aware that I have to be creative about it, in terms of adding it to my resume but I think it helps more than just me getting a degree and having no experience), and to save up so when I get my ADN, I can move out once I get a nursing job and start living independently. Basically, I'm doing it to become financially stable in the long run. With that said, how do I convince my parents to financially support my choice to become an LVN first? They responded adversely to me suggesting it, despite me saying several times that I was going to continue my education to become an RN. I understand they want the best for me, but I have definitely thought this out. It's a matter of how they'll recieve it, which I can't control. Worse case scenario, I'll be forced to just become an RN. That isn't bad, it's something I can deal with. Ideally though, I want to become an LVN and then come back to school to become an ADN. Any tips on how to convince them?

Tiny question for the ones who suggested me the CNA option: How can I make that count as experience on a resume for an RN?

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
Tiny question for the ones who suggested me the CNA option: How can I make that count as experience on a resume for an RN?

You put it under work experience:

Certified Nursing Assistant

Orthopedic Acute Care Floor, California General Hospital

April 2018 - June 2019

- 32 bed orthopedic floor

- Patient population included post-op knee replacements, hip replacements, spinal surgeries

- Provided ADL assistance, vital sign collection, and fingerstick glucose checks

- Member of unit practice excellence committee

- Collaborated with RN team to developing bed bath best practice guidelines

They will love that you have experience working in the hospital world - working with patients, nurses, and other members of the health care team. It counts, I promise!

Everybody has the new grad problem of needing a first job when every employer wants experience. But I don't think that being an LVN first will do much to help that. Its just the first-job struggle. Get your foot in the door somewhere as a CNA, and/or be open to moving away from home for your first nursing job - even to a new state.

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You make a good point to be honest. My parents made that point a lot. But again the reason why I'm choosing it or considering it more is because the nursing job market in California is really weird compared to other states. A lot of the RN jobs I searched up require hospital, or nursing experience, which doesn't exactly mean RN experience and sometimes LVN experience counts, which makes me more hirable and gets me more pay. I basically don't want to end up just having an RN license but no RN or nursing experience, because a lot of jobs in California, especially L.A. require hospital, nursing, or RN experience. Rarely, have I found nursing jobs that accept new grads. I've heavily considered having my parents help me get a job since they're nurses as well, but they work for the County and I looked up their requirements and they definitely require experience and a Bachelor's. I'm not planning to up and move out. It's pretty hard for me because my parents don't want me to for the most part. My parents can still financially support my choice to go through the LVN-RN path. That's why I'm trying to convince them so they can pay for my education choice. I'm basically doing this because CA is a little weird on the nursing job market and the job market in general. I've heard stuff like hospitals phasing out LVNs and ADNs, but other facilities hiring LVNs and ADNs. It's also really weird in that, again, I need a degree and license to get a job, but I also need experience, but I need a job to get experience. It's full circle here. I would go through the simple plan you mentioned, if the nursing job market was more friendly to new grads with no experience here. But they aren't. I've considered volunteering in a hospital and I'll definitely look into it more, since I'll have time waiting to get accepted into a nursing school after I'm done with my prerequisites. It might be easier for me to do that and I am going to consider your point a lot so thank you.

I'm actually in your area. I know well-liked, good CNAs who were not hired on as nurses after competing school. It's just very competitive for new graduates. I also know two "old" new graduate LVNs who cannot find nursing jobs, at all. One works as a unit clerk and one works as a telemetry monitor.

My hospital had 6-8 long-term LVNs until late last year. They were all "let go" before Christmas in favor of an all RN nursing staff. At best, LVN is a gamble in this market.

Many new graduate LVNs who do find jobs probably find them in nursing homes. Those are not bad jobs, but hospitals tend to prefer or require acute care experience.

Stick to an RN program ...and even then, expect some difficulty in finding work. When I lived in Texas, I worked with a lot of new grad RNs from California who had to leave the state to gain experience.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I have a hard time believing an inexperienced LVN would have an easier time finding a job than an inexperienced RN. I'm glad OP is considering the CNA route. Much less time and expense to reach the ultimate goal.

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I'm actually in your area. I know well-liked, good CNAs who were not hired on as nurses after competing school. It's just very competitive for new graduates. I also know two "old" new graduate LVNs who cannot find nursing jobs, at all. One works as a unit clerk and one works as a telemetry monitor.

My hospital had 6-8 long-term LVNs until late last year. They were all "let go" before Christmas in favor of an all RN nursing staff. At best, LVN is a gamble in this market.

Many new graduate LVNs who do find jobs probably find them in nursing homes. Those are not bad jobs, but hospitals tend to prefer or require acute care experience.

Stick to an RN program ...and even then, expect some difficulty in finding work. When I lived in Texas, I worked with a lot of new grad RNs from California who had to leave the state to gain experience.

Yeah. I'm hoping I can land a job out of L.A. and maybe in the rural areas where there's easier opportunities for work. I heard that CNA counts as experience if you work in a hospital so I'm definitely taking that route, as it's gonna be a while till I get accepted into a nursing school after I'm done with my prerequisites. I was considering moving to Nevada but that's for if I'm stuck in a similar situation like the people mentioned. Thanks for your input.

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Thanks. I'm glad I made this post actually. It helps a lot.

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after working in skilled nursing facilities for 3 yrs. I realized working as a CNA is very very hard. Yes you can get the certificate quick but the job is pure labor.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

In your situation I see zero advantage to going the LPN to RN route. LPN experience does not necessarily make you more employable as an RN. While it might help you to have some nursing experience in terms of making that first RN job easier, it won't help any if at all in getting that job. As far as your financial stability, working full time as an LPN which you would certainly have to do to make a living wage plus going to school to get that RN wouldn't be easy. Plus it will slow your eventual earning potential as an RN down by at least a year, more likely two. Last point is your parents are willing to foot the bill for your RN education for you, why on earth would you argue with that? Trust me, that's so much better than starting your independent adult life with student loans hanging over your head. Having your schooling 100% paid for is a luxury few people have, please enjoy and appreciate it.

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In your situation I see zero advantage to going the LPN to RN route. LPN experience does not necessarily make you more employable as an RN. While it might help you to have some nursing experience in terms of making that first RN job easier, it won't help any if at all in getting that job. As far as your financial stability, working full time as an LPN which you would certainly have to do to make a living wage plus going to school to get that RN wouldn't be easy. Plus it will slow your eventual earning potential as an RN down by at least a year, more likely two. Last point is your parents are willing to foot the bill for your RN education for you, why on earth would you argue with that? Trust me, that's so much better than starting your independent adult life with student loans hanging over your head. Having your schooling 100% paid for is a luxury few people have, please enjoy and appreciate it.

I already chose not to become an LVN and decided to become certified as a CNA since it only takes a month and can actually get me hospital experience when applying as an RN.

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after working in skilled nursing facilities for 3 yrs. I realized working as a CNA is very very hard. Yes you can get the certificate quick but the job is pure labor.

I understand that. I think it helps for me anyways cause it gives me the gist of working in a hospital and gets me valid work experience when applying for jobs. But I'm keeping in mind how hard it is. Well nursing itself is known to be hard.

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but CNA work is pure labor.

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but CNA work is pure labor.

...if you're employed at a nursing home. Compared to working in a nursing home being a CNA in a hospital setting is cake. And will give a new hospital nurse an advantage IMHO.

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