is LPN a good choice?

[studentstorm]

I really want to be a nurse, and I was thinking about becoming an LPN. I'm a senior in HS, and one day I would like to become an RN. But I'm ready to start a career, and I honestly don't want to do another four years of school yet. I like the idea of being an LPN, but everyone expects me to go the BSN route. I know RN's make more, but I'm young, and I don't have any kids, so I should be ok.....so basically, I'm worried about everyone thinking I'm taking the easy way out, and doing LPN. Because the people around me think degrees make the world spin. What should I do? Is LPN a good career choice for a 18/19 year old?

[nursel56]

DON'T do it! I am an LPN, a young LPN at that. I'm 21 and feel like I need more life experiences to handle this. GO for the RN and soak up all the guided experiences you can... Sometimes we need more "seasoning" before we can seriously be trusted to care for people. Also basicly the only thing an LPN can do is pass meds in LTC and you will get NO respect for the aides!

Well I'm going to have to disagree on that one! I graduated from LPN school and got my first job at age 19, floated to every unit in the hospital, and could seriously be trusted to care for people.

to studentstorm: if you are really anxious to be out on your own and making money, and you don't have an intense desire for a specialty type of nursing, LPN training will get you out there pretty quickly. I never regretted going to LVN school right after high school, and as a single person for many years, I did pretty well financially.

You mention that you want to become an RN someday, and you can always do that. I lost a feeling of forward momentum after I was away from the college routine for a while, but thousands of LPNs have become RNs despite those challenges. Your choices aren't limited to LPN or BSN anyway. You could probably get your Associates in an RN program in not much more time than an LPN program.

Whatever you decide, shut out the noise and ask yourself what you feel right doing at the gut level. You have a 100% chance of people kibbitzing and offering their opinions of every size, shape and color. They are not going to be the ones studying all night and slogging to their 8 am class.

I remember my best friend in high school telling me that her career goal was to be an EKG tech. I found that sort of a puzzling choice for an 18 year old, maybe in the way people will view your LPN choice, but darn if she didn't do that perfectly happily for decades. She wanted to be an EKG tech, and she knew it. Didn't matter if anyone else agreed. Best of luck to you.