Is it possible to work as a practical nurse once I finish my ADN degree?

OhioCCRN, MSN, NP · Jul 26, 2011

Apparently an ADN is regulated per state. The only core classes needed in my state for ADN are English Comp I, Intermediate Algebra, Intro to Psych, A&P I and II, Microbiology, Speech, Human Growth and Development, and a Fine Arts (30hrs). To get BSN we need to add English Comp II, Organic Chem, Inorganic Chem, Philosophy, Pre-Cal Algebra, Statistics, Nutrition, Literature (3-6hrs) or History sequence (3-6hrs) an additional 32hrs. With ADN we have 30 hrs of core classes, with BSN it is 59 hrs.

Yes... this is YOUR state.

Because Chemistry does not make you better educated.

As ADN prepared, i took Nutrition, Chemistry AND....wait for it...... Ethics...

All college level courses that transfer for a 4 year degree....

Hmmm.........

cpl_dvldog · Jul 26, 2011

Yes... this is YOUR state.
Because Chemistry does not make you better educated.
As ADN prepared, i took Nutrition, Chemistry AND....wait for it...... Ethics...
All college level courses that transfer for a 4 year degree....
Hmmm.........

Wait for it.... Guess what.... All of my classes transfer to the University level also. Actually I will be starting my RN-BSN this Spring.

In YOUR state how many core class hours does your ADN require?

cpl_dvldog · Jul 26, 2011

Yes... this is YOUR state.
Because Chemistry does not make you better educated.
As ADN prepared, i took Nutrition, Chemistry AND....wait for it...... Ethics...
All college level courses that transfer for a 4 year degree....
Hmmm.........

Welllll.... I just looked at the ADN program in Ohio at Edison State. Seems like your requirements are very similar to mine. The only difference is you have nutrition and we take A&P II during nursing, not as a pre-req. Funny I didn't see Chemistry or Ethics listed anywhere in the required courses.

laceface24 · Jul 26, 2011

Maybe I have my degree confused...I received an A.S. of Licensed Vocational Nursing. I just assumed an associate's was an associate's was an associate's. It was definitely not a certificate, as it is 3 years of pre-reqs. Its a 3 year "ladder-program" where the first 2 years is the LVN program, and a third year RN program. When I graduate next May from the third year RN program, I will then have the holy ADN?

Not to play the ADN vs BSN game, but when I have been in clinicals at a few local hospitals, IN MY AREA, hiring managers have said they "prefer our school's ADN grads over our local BSN school's grads" because we have our hands on patients earlier and longer than them. I think its a matter of preference of the hiring managers, not that ADNs or BSNs are better than the other. At the end of the day, an RN is an RN.

rn/writer, RN · Jul 26, 2011

In some ADN programs, you can take NCLEX-PN after the first year. Some people followed that route so they could work as LPNs part time while finishing their ADN.

no you will not be able to work as an LPN because you will be an RN. that is not to say you can not get a job in a peds office and do exactly what an LPN or MA does, but you have to find an office that hires RNs, and you will most probably get paid considerably lower.

This varies by state. In some states you can hold a position that would normally be held by an LPN, but you will be held to the higher standard of the RN. What does this mean? It means that if something comes to your attention that you as an RN should have knowledge about, you have to act on that knowledge by either alerting someone else who can address the situation or, if the policy and procedure of your facility allows it, you must act on it yourself.

The obvious drawback to this is that you will have the accountability of an RN but the much lesser pay of an LPN. In this tight economy a job's a job, but few people would not want to do this for very long. They'd either quite or bug their employer to pay them what they're worth.

So check with your state BON, though. Some states allow a person to work below their highest degree/license level, while for others it isn't even an option.

DoGoodThenGo · Jul 26, 2011

Here in NYS the practice of allowing ADN/AAS and BSN students to take the LPN exam after about a year of nursing classes was ended years ago. Apparently there was enough worry by the state that students hand not completed enough areas vital to the practice to perform all the duties of a practical nurse.

Being as that may when this matter came up in another forum it was brought to our attention that one lone school in NYS does allow it's ADN students to sit for the LPN exam. However it must be noted this school also runs a practical nurse program along with it's RN school so it stands to reason they have found a way to structure the later's curriculum so it meets the states requirements.