I think I want to go into nursing, but not sure which field I want to go into? Help?

Wiggly Litchi · May 9, 2017

Hello, I applied for the RN program at my community college but did not get accepted. I'm actually not sure if I wanted to go for nursing. I think I do want to go into nursing, but I'm just not sure which field I want to go into. More specifically, I don't know if I want to become an RN, CNA, OR LVN? Does anyone have any advice for me or know any good website that I can look into for helping me determine which type of nursing is right for me?
I'm not sure what to do now that I didn't get accepted. I already have my AA. In the meantime, I just plan on looking for a part-time job and reapply when it's time.
I honestly don't even know why I want to go into the RN program. I'm confused and don't know what my goals are, so that's why I'm using this time to figure things out before I start reapplying again.

You mentioned CNA, LVN, and RN, but each of these 3 jobs vary greatly in scope of practice.

CNA is entry level -Courses vary from 4 week crash courses to around 4 months to complete. You're not going to administer any medications, and depending on where you work you're not even going to take vitals (most LTC/Rehab just have the nurses do it). You'll be assisting with ADLs - feeding/bathing/clothing etc, even a little room cleaning depending on the facility (some have housekeeping to do this, others will expect CNAs to pull trash, make beds and whatnot). You'll make anything from around national minimum wage, to about $15.00/hr (depending on location, experience, and facility type - hospitals tend to pay more). You'll be the eyes and ears for the nursing staff, so you'll learn when to spot that something amiss as you will likely have more hands-on time than any other staff member. At the end of the course, you'll have to pass your state skills and written test to obtain your certification.

LVN/LPN is the next step up - you'll pass meds, monitor patients, and coordinate care with providers/pharmacy etc. A little less hands on time, a lot more paperwork than CNA. Pay can be pretty respectable depending on where you work, though if you're in a long-term care facility your patient load can be a bit crazy. Hospitals in your area may/may not hire LPNs (the hospitals in my area tend not to even want ASN ). Courses run anywhere from 12 months to 24 months to complete, generally don't require any pre-requisites, but some say that it can be especially grueling due to the amount of information you've got to retain. At the end of your course, you'll have to pass the NCLEX-PN to obtain a nursing license.

RN/BSN is the other position you mentioned - this position will offer the greatest amount of flexibility and open doors for you, but it's also harder than the other two to get into. I think most do their stint as a bedside nurse before branching out into other areas - such as patient/nurse education, school nurse, clinic nurse, home health etc (there's so many specializations that I absolutely couldn't list them all here! Though we do have a good amt listed under the specialties tab @ the top ) Associate's degree courses usually take around 18 months ~ 2 years to complete (not including pre-reqs, and depends on the school too), where bachelor's degree can also take anywhere from 18 months to 2.5 years (ish), again, just depends on the school or if you're in an accelerated program and whatnot. Before deciding on which one to undertake, it's worth figuring out where you want to be a nurse, and if the facilities in your area are looking for associate degree nurses, or bachelor degree nurses mostly. After you complete the course, you'll have to complete the NCLEX-RN to obtain your license.

Sorry for the novel; it's a rather broad question (and I have a little time to write, yay!)

forevermn · May 11, 2017

Thank you :)