I need someone's help

There are many similar threads throughout this site that you mind find of assistance. Have you researched the facilities in your area? Do they hire LPNs or RNs? Look into the facilities around you so that you have a better idea of what they are looking for.

You might be able to finish an LPN program earlier - but - if you work in an area that does not utilize LPNs as much then you might be out of a job.

I'm on Valencia's waitlist and right now, the wait is not as long as it used to be. Most students start 1 or 2 semesters before their actual confirmed start date! I will be waiting less than 1 year from the time I put in my application. If you meet all the requirements for their Generic track, I would say go for your RN instead of LPN. It would only take you less than 2 years to get your ADN than doing the LPN-RN bridge track which would take a bit longer. The only good thing about going the LPN route is you can work right away after you graduate and take your time doing the bridge program. Good luck to you!

Hello boragirl02 thank you for taking your time to answer my question. I just finished applying to the generic track at Valencia East Campus here in Orlando. Hopefully I'll get admitted and start earlier like you said. I now have to wait 8-10 weeks to find out if I got admitted. :***: Another question; Do you know if once I become an RN what are the chances of me finding a job that require no experience. Is there a way I can gain experience in the field?

Hello boragirl02 thank you for taking your time to answer my question. I just finished applying to the generic track at Valencia East Campus here in Orlando. Hopefully I'll get admitted and start earlier like you said. I now have to wait 8-10 weeks to find out if I got admitted. :***: Another question; Do you know if once I become an RN what are the chances of me finding a job that require no experience. Is there a way I can gain experience in the field?

Unfortunately, the only thing that counts as RN experience is RN experience, so all of us new grads get stuck in the whole "need experience to get experience" paradigm. However, if you DO start working in the medical field, you can start building connections and work on your basic skills in order to move forward with more challenging aspects of nursing once you get into school. Being comfortable with touching patients before you start nursing school helps a lot. This can be a big barrier for some people, and they have difficulty learning much else in clinicals because of this block. Your CNA would probably be more beneficial than your LPN, as it would take less time, and you would earn almost as much.

When the time comes, start researching new grad programs and volunteer opportunities. That can help get you the experience you need.

RunbabyRN makes a great point... since the only thing that really matters about "experience" is RN experience and thus all new grads have that problem, if you work in healthcare you have a very, very good opportunity to network. A classmate of mine was a unit clerk in an ICU for a couple years (at least) and literally once she'd passed the NCLEX, she accepted a position on that unit.

That's the trick in a nutshell. If you can get a position in a hospital where you can do some networking with people, you'd be amazed what might happen if you suddenly find yourself a new grad and your network knows that you're a new grad...

Since I am still not yet a nurse, I can't really answer that question (I'm nervous about finding a job after graduation too). From what I heard, if you start working as a Tech at a hospital that you plan to apply to as a nurse, you will have a better chance of being considered for the job since you will be able to build "connections" with supervisors and managers while you work. If you know someone from inside, you have a better edge than someone who doesnt. I could be wrong, but that's what I heard from some of my friends who are nurses.

As others have suggested I would definitely check the job market in your area to see if LPNs are being hired and what type of facilities are hiring them. If the job market is not there you would be better going for your RN. Depending on the wait time of starting your program, the suggestion of looking into getting your CNA certification is a great idea. It would allow you to start getting some experience, learning some of the basic fundamentals that you would need to know as a nurse and start getting you comfortable with working with patients. You will also be able to start networking, giving you a better chance of getting a job once you have your RN.

Thank you to all the advice you guys have given me. I can not wait for Valencia's email. I hope they accept me into the nursing generic program. As I mentioned earlier I have a 3.32 General GPA and my TEAS score was 77.3. My science GPA is 3.72. If somebody out there got accepted with similar scores, please let me know how has the journey been. Thank you so much for all the help.

If you applied now it is very likely you'll start in spring '15.

Thank you to all the advice you guys have given me. I can not wait for Valencia's email. I hope they accept me into the nursing generic program. As I mentioned earlier I have a 3.32 General GPA and my TEAS score was 77.3. My science GPA is 3.72. If somebody out there got accepted with similar scores, please let me know how has the journey been. Thank you so much for all the help.

As far as I understand, Valencia accepts everyone who met the requirements and puts them on a wait list. If you do not meet the requirements they will let you know. If that happens, just do what you need to do to met the requirements and apply again.

If you met the requirments, you will be accepted and in your acceptance letter it will tell you what term you will start. (wait list) Each term there are a few students who no longer are able to attend, so others that are starting in later terms can advanced up the list and start earlier. Presently I am accepted for Summer 15. Hopefully I will get contacted to start Spring 15.

While waiting, I am finishing up my AA degree: which includes classes needed to enroll in ADN-BSN at UCF. I plan on being able to enroll in UCF as soon as I graduate Valencia. So the wait isn't really wasted, it's still busy time for me.

If/when I get into my nursing program for Spring 2015 after my first semester I plan to challenge the CNA/aide test to become certified. A few of the hospitals around me hire aids so that's my way of planning to stick my foot in the door. But I plan to only work per diem or or very little because the job I have working from home pays more than CNA. But I also plan on pursuing a summer internship, especially if I can get one in the specialized dept I want