Inexperienced LVN bridging to RN

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Hi! I am an LVN and I have only worked at a small pedi clinic and then at a jr high school. Together I have about 1 1/2 yrs experience. I took some time off to raise my kids and have started working on my prerequisites for the bridge program. I had planned on bridging much sooner but life happened.

I am worried that my lack of experience will hurt me as an RN. I have been looking for weekend positions until my kids can be in school again but I am trying to avoid nursing homes. There is a hospital that hires LVNs but I feel incompetent since I have been away from nursing for over 1 year.

has anyone bridged to RN with no hospital or nursing home experience? Any tips or recommendations? The program I will be doing is at a community college and is 2 semesters long.

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Don't psych yourself out. Your situation presents more experience than a brand new, never worked as a nurse RN graduate. Approach the RN program from the standpoint of "this is nursing school for RN", not that others will have more prior experience than you.

If you want to work on weekends or at the hospital, or anywhere else for that matter, approach your job search from the standpoint of "I have limited experience but I am willing to work hard and learn as much as possible". As for working in LTC facilities, don't sell yourself short. Many an RN got her/his start there and went on to gain valuable experience to work elsewhere. You can too.

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7 minutes ago, caliotter3 said:

Don't psych yourself out. Your situation presents more experience than a brand new, never worked as a nurse RN graduate. Approach the RN program from the standpoint of "this is nursing school for RN", not that others will have more prior experience than you.

If you want to work on weekends or at the hospital, or anywhere else for that matter, approach your Job Search from the standpoint of "I have limited experience but I am willing to work hard and learn as much as possible". As for working in LTC facilities, don't sell yourself short. Many an RN got her/his start there and went on to gain valuable experience to work elsewhere. You can too.

Thank you! I am definitely an over thinker so I wasn’t sure if I was overthinking my situation. I did a lot of clinicals in nursing homes and really did not like it, loved the hospital clinicals though. That shouldn’t be an excuse because the experience would benefit me. It’s just the nurse to resident ratio in my area at nursing homes is crazy!

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Thank you! I am definitely an over thinker so I wasn’t sure if I was overthinking my situation. I did a lot of clinicals in nursing homes and really did not like it, loved the hospital clinicals though. That shouldn’t be an excuse because the experience would benefit me. It’s just the nurse to resident ratio in my area at nursing homes is crazy!

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Don't be discouraged. Many times someone has to take a position in a LTC facility because the positions in acute care are just not there to be had. Make the most of the job that you do get, no matter what setting.

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Hi, I have been LPN for 20 years and the last 15 have been utilization review, no clinical. I have not touched a patient is 15 yrs and I finally got accepted to a program. I have been trying to go back to school forever. I made the pre exams and assessments to be able to start this Aug. I had to cram so much of what I have not been doing on my own in books. I do not know how it happened. But I made it, I start in Aug. If I could do it, you can. I have failed A&P twice, withdrew once, did not get accepted to 3 programs because of either GPA or TEAS score. 6 yrs later of trying. It can happen. Don't give up. A lot of people seem very smart and have high GPAs on this site and that is not me. So please try, you can do it.

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and also, when school starts Wed, I will be mixing myself in with the first time nursing students. I have no intention on acting like I know what I am doing. With the bridge, the LPN join with the ASN class after 1st semester. So 3 classes were skipped. I will be a nursing student. ?

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Thank you neenee45! & best wishes to you, you’ve got this! :)

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