I am confused with route into nursing

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I am 28 year's old I have no idea or direction where want go go with life/career. I have five year's of patient experience as an EMT, a tech, a counselor. I love working with patients many people say should be a nurse. Have a lot of nay sayers saying won't make it and to tough. I guess have it in my head don't have the chops for it.

I work with nurse's who love and hate their job. They really don't like the politics of nursing. Where they feel it is being regulated too much and old school nurse's questioning some of the nurses coming into the field. Going on about experience vs education on a piece of paper. How nursing has loss sight of patient care. It scares me a bit and turns me away from nursing.

I love to continue working with patients providing them care and treatment.

I am in a rut on how to become a nurse. I have a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. My GPA is 2.5, which knocks me out of the accelerated program's. I can just take the pre requisites go into a BSN program if not accepted fall back to an Associate program.

However, completing the pre reqs in a year be taking 3 sciences over 2 semesters and one in the summer. Plus add on math class and studying for the TEA'S sounds like a recipe for disaster.

I know LPNs are disappearing and many places don't want to hire them....especially where I live. I be open to move to an area where can guarantee work as an LPN.

Anyways the LPN is three semesters long. I can be a nurse in 15 month's. I also complete all my nursing prerequisites during that time as well. Pay between an LPN and RN are almost comparable. Then complete my RN in 6 to 8 month's. Then can to a RN to MSN online in a year. That's about 36 to 40 months of school but in the end have my BSN or MSN. It's the same amount of time if I went into a BSN program. Except only difference is those three year's during school I be a nurse.

Appreciate any guidance or feedback that can be given to steer me in the right direction?

Also looking to go back for my EMT cert. I can work nights and go to school full time during the day. I only have class and clinical with the LPN School three days a week.

Again seeking some directional advice.

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Weeellll....you have a lot to consider, and while I cannot make any decisions for you, I can offer these pieces of information:

Competition into a nursing program is usually quite stiff; your GPA as it now stands is not adequate to get you in the door. You mention "falling back" to an ADN program; these are usually MORE competitive than BSN programs because of the generally-shorter time frame for the earning of the degree. Competion is tight enough that even schools that say they accept a minimum of say, 2.6 GPA REALLY mean they can afford to accept only 3.7 GPAs. They can fill the program seats with the higher-rated students, so.....they do. It isn't just the accelerated programs that want the higher GPA, it's ALL of them.

About pre-requs: you will need them completed prior to applying to ANY nursing program, ADN or BSN. You will need to get them done and have them be A's prior to being considered a truly competitive candidate for a seat.

You would be in a much better position to know which license is more likely to be hired in your geographic region, but typically RNs do earn significantly higher pay than LPNs. That may not be true in every setting and I'm sure people will give you anecdotal stories about how So and So made $$, but take a look at the job postings and you will see what's what in your area.

Again, generally speaking, there are fewer and fewer LPNs hired into acute care facilities; it sounds like this might be what you're looking for and are less likely to find as an LPN. On the other hand, if you would be happy in any setting as long as it's nursing, you could certainly pursue the LPN option.

Lastly, I would suggest you brush up on your written English skills. If your post here is indicative of your typical writing style/ability, you might not do as well on entry exams (TEAS, for example) as you'd need in order to be considered for admission. There are many grammatical and punctuation errors in your post that give me pause....maybe English is not your native language? Again, only you can know the answers here, I'm just telling you what I'm observing.

Whatever you decide, good luck to you!

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If I did the BSN pre reqs I make sure to keep my GPA in a competitive level...which hopefully would be the ticket in to a program. Grammar has always been my weakness I struggle writing my soap notes a lot. Doesn't help most of my post are on my phone here, ha.

I mean LPNs are not really being hired in our state. It is what it is. Accept I would be a nurse a lot quicker if went through the LPN program then it takes to do an Associates or BSN program. Can then bridge over bridge over as I go.

I am okay moving to a state that hires more LPNs.

The cost of an LPN program is 12,000 compared to the 20,000-25,000 for an associates of nursing. So if I did bridge only have to pay another 10 to 12 grand not a big difference in cost. The BSN is about 35 to 40 grand. Only another additional 10 to 12 grabs for the RN to BSN online program I looked at.

The state run LPN programs here guarantee acceptance if can achieve a passing TEA score and already hold a bachelor's degree.

The LPN program besides stats and Chemistry includes the pre reqs of A&P 1/2, Math, Intro to Psych, and Life Span Development. Since the program does not run during the summer could take my Chemistry and Stat pre reqs then.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

WOW that's a lot of money for an LPN program. Are these commercial (investor-owned) schools?

I would also encourage you to take a look at other health careers with similar educational prep such as Respiratory Therapy, Radiology tech, Physical Therapy Assistant, etc. Admission is not quite as competitive as nursing - at least in my part of the country.

I am totally sympathetic about the whole grammar/writing thing. My offspring - software engineer with 2 masters degrees- frequently comes across as a non-native English speaker when communicating in writing...

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As far as I know been told by resp. Therapist to stay far away rub if you can from a degree in respiratory therapist...being there are not many or of any job's. Same with radiology tech, it's not as bad, but getting there.

I looked into physical therapy, but not sure if it peeks my interest.

$12,000 is relatively cheap I mean private college is $30,000 here for LPNs. The LPNS who get jobs in my state make about $25 on average.

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Did some more research. Going into a LPN program with the state schools seems the best route. Relatively inexpensive and has payment plans set up. Additionally, it is a 15 month program...3 semesters. If I start in the Spring of 2016 I would be done by the Spring of 2017. If I start in the Fall of 2016 be done by the fall of 2017.

RN/BSN routes have to take pre reqs which take up three semesters. Then most schools have a fall start date I wouldn't be a nurse until 2019. This gives me about a 2 year advantage.

Also Connecticut is one of the highest paying states for LPNS averaging $25 to $28 an hour.

LPNS are in more demand it seems in the state. Saw five openings that you work with the state. Many of the group homes hire LPNS here. Three to four hospitals hire LPNs. One actually only hires LPNS and BSNs. A lot of job applications for MAs I saw said they prefer LPNs.

Also the community colleges reserve X amount of seats for LPN bridge students every application period. Only have to do two semesters before becoming an RN.

This is a huge bonus checked with the schools for LPN guaranteed admission of can pass the TEAS and already hold a bachelor's degree.

Now just have to find a night gig so I can go to school full time during the day.

Appreciate the feedback.

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