Is it too easy to become a LVN nowadays??

Cuddleswithpuddles · Nov 6, 2011

It was not easy for me, especially since I had no prior experience in healthcare. I am in the LA area as well. I am curious to know your friend's reasons for her statement.

allnurses Guide · Nov 6, 2011

There might be a zillion schools but I don't see what that has to do with how easy or not easy it is to become an LVN. I don't believe they've dumbed down the NCLEX-PN since I got my LVN license. Maybe she was talking about all the competition there is now for jobs.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Nov 6, 2011

The NCLEX-PN doesn't get easier regardless of how many programs there are out there. I don't think its easier to get licensed..just easier to get into school to prepare you to sit for the NCLEX.

ETA: We started with around 66 students, 15 months later we only had 23, all of whom passed the NCLEX.

Elleveein, LVN · Nov 6, 2011

Were talking about the low job market.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 7, 2011

I'm going to go against the grain and say that, yes, obtaining an LVN license is too easy these days. In fact, obtaining an RN license is too easy these days.

Other health professionals (physical therapist, dietician, speech language pathologist, pharmacist, occupational therapist, physician, etc.) have high barriers to entry of their respective professions, which prevents too many people from entering these careers. Therefore, plenty of jobs can still be found in the aforementioned professions because they are not flooded with too many people.

However, nursing does not have a high barrier to entry when compared to other health professions. A person can become an LVN/LPN in one year after passing an entrance exam or doing well in a few prerequisite courses. A person can become an RN in a little more than two years after passing an entrance exam and doing well in a handful of prerequisite courses. Since there are relatively few barriers to entering the nursing profession, many people have become nurses over the past few years, and local job markets are flooded with too many nurses competing for precious few jobs.

By the way, I completed an LVN program in the greater Los Angeles area back in 2005 and an RN completion program in the Midwest in 2010, so I know whereof I speak.

Cuddleswithpuddles · Nov 7, 2011

TheCommuter,

Very interesting viewpoint. What of the stiff competition to enter nursing programs? I am in the LA area and people wait for years to move up the waiting lists of community college programs, or never get considered at all for BSN programs if their GPA is not outstanding. Does this not count as a barrier, even if there are still too many new grads in the job market?

What would you change in the process of becoming a LVN or RN?

allnurses Guide · Nov 7, 2011

I'm going to go against the grain and say that, yes, obtaining an LVN license is too easy these days. In fact, obtaining an RN license is too easy these days.
Other health professionals (physical therapist, dietician, speech language pathologist, pharmacist, occupational therapist, physician, etc.) have high barriers to entry of their respective professions, which prevents too many people from entering these careers. Therefore, plenty of jobs can still be found in the aforementioned professions because they are not flooded with too many people.

I thought the purpose of education in any field is to prepare that person to safely and competently do the job - whatever it may be and not to manipulate when the economy grows or contracts. If you add time to the education of an individual as a "barrier", would you add and subtract class time based on the GDP?

My daughter is in a physical therapy/ athetic training program now - everything about how they teach the subject matter is different from nursing school, and I would suppose the same would be true of pharmacy school and the others you mentioned. I asked her if the subject of artificially tightening the applicant pool was ever discussed by her academic counselors or instructors -- she said huh? No. However, she will be able to operate as an independent practitioner - another fundamental difference between the two.

Nursing is the only profession I know of who's "spokespeople" are actively promoting the message that is the opposite of what is actually happening on the ground, and it will stay that way as long as those with a vested interest in convincing everyone of the dire shortage are the only people with a media strategy of any sort. It seems like nursing must have the most fractured relationship between it's academic insitutions and the actual issues encountered when the student becomes a working nurse. It's sad in a lot of ways.

If it's too easy to become a nurse - perhaps they should make the NCLEX more difficult to pass? Seems like the only real world way to assure the final product of any of the many variations of nursing education there currently are produce graduates who meet a uniform basic competency status. The length of time becomes less relevent when you have so many 1 year long 2nd degree RN programs and online advanced practice degree (fast-fast-fast!!!) programs sprouting up like mushrooms. :)

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 7, 2011

Does this not count as a barrier, even if there are still too many new grads in the job market?

The stiff competition, prerequisite courses, entrance exams, waiting lists, and lotteries are all barriers to entering nursing, but these barriers are not as stiff as the ones placed by other health professions. In addition, people who wish to get around some of these barriers can do so by attending nursing programs at overpriced trade schools with no prerequisite classes, waiting lists, and minimal competition.

People were once able to become physical therapists and pharmacists with only a bachelor's degree. Then the bar was raised to a master's degree. Now the bar has been raised to a doctorate program. Guess what? The leaders of these professions have manipulated the barriers to entry to keep many people out. As a result, physical therapists and pharmacists have far less problems finding employment than nurses.

What would you change in the process of becoming a LVN or RN?

Many new nursing programs have opened up for business since 2000. For example, there are more than 200 LVN programs in the state of California when the demand for LVNs can easily be filled with 50 or so LVN programs. There are too many low-quality nursing schools that need to close.

In addition, I think we should go back to the diploma model of educating all nurses. If I had it my way, all nurses would have thousands of clinical hours over the course of two or three years before being allowed to graduate. The LPN would be an 18-month to two-year diploma program and the RN would be a 3-year diploma program.

Employers do not want to hire today's new nurses because they would have to pay thousands of dollars to get those poor clinical skills up to par. The new grad is a risky financial gamble that many employers do not want to take due to a lack of skills and lack of realization regarding the real world of nursing. The diploma nurses of yesteryear were able to be up and running from day one, and I'd like to see a return to that particular method of training nurses.

NamasteNurse, BSN, RN · Nov 7, 2011

Easy? :lol2: Um, NO! we started with 54 people in our class and graduated 16! They dropped like flies, a lot at first and then trickled as they failed each unit in tears. Not easy at all. A LOT of information in 10-12 months, only the smart survive!

NurseLil-lea · Nov 7, 2011

by no means was lpn nursning school easy. it was alot of information to take in :no: , in 17 mths, alot of sacrifice between family and friends. it was like i had no life, none of us didn't. we started with like 58 people and it trickled down to 43. namestenurse your right, only the smart survived:d

Elleveein, LVN · Nov 7, 2011

@Commuter I think your right. Now that i see how many schools there are i understand why jobs are scarce.