LPN to RN to BSN or Second Degree BSN?Please Need Advice

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Hi, I am in need of helpful advice. I am a working LPN. I am wanting to advance career to RN and BSN. I also hold a bachelor degree in Agriculter Business and Economics. I can not afford to completely leave work to return to school on a campus full time. My options are a bridge lpn to rn program that will not start until 2011 summer, 2 nights a week. I am familiar with Excelsior, but do not like the option of 2.5 days of clinicals only. I have found some LPN to BSN degrees online, or with my bachelor degree, I could do a second degree BSN. I am aware that there is an accelerated BSN or second degree BSN at a much slower pace. I know with me I could not work and do the accelerated BSN and expect to pass. My QUESTION is? During a BSN program obviously you acquire your RN license by taking NCLEX. At what point in that program do you acquire that? Would it be in the middle of the program or at the end of the BSN program. For what I understand in a BSN program the first 2 years are your RN classes. I guess I am looking to acquire my RN the quickest way I can, but also will continue til I get my bsn to my masters. I am wanting to do this online also. Please any advice and experience on this subject will be greatly appreciated. Thank you

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Specializes in Oncology,longtermcare, homehealth, Rehab.

HI! Not sure about any programs except Excelsior and Indiana State University. I did Excelsior and really liked it. If you are an IV certified LPN, then the lack of clinicals doesn't really matter. You can learn the additional skills in a workshop. I am not sure where you live, but I live in Colorado and we are required to get an RN work permit for 350 hours after graduation in lue of the clinicals. This is paid in most cases and can be in an area of your choice. Check with your state board and they might offer you the same type of permit to get in and learn these skills if that makes you more comfortable. Look into Indiana State, I have seen them popping up on searches lately, but not sure of their details. Good Luck!

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Specializes in Memory care, Psych, Med Surg.

Hi, I was having a similar dilemma when I was considering LPN school and even when I was finishing my LPN program. I initially wanted to do an accelerated BSN option as the program near me is only 15 months, but since my BA is in Poly Sci, I was lacking all the "hard" science pre reqs for the program. I am now doing the LPN-RN bridge through Excelsior, although I considered still completeting the accelerated BSN while working as an LPN. Really, the most important thing to me at this point is getting my RN license fast. If I decided to do the BSN option now, I still would need more pre reqs and since admission is so competitive at the program near me, I may not even get in. From my understanding, you do not get to sit for boards until you complete the entire BSN, so getting the RN would take even longer. This is why I decided on Excelsior. I also cannot afford to not work while attending school. and to my knowledge, there is no online second degree BSN program available. Depending on how many pre reqs you have and how soon you could get into a BSN program near you would probably determine which route would be faster for you. Good Luck!

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At my previous BSN program, one could take the RN boards after completing 75% of the program. The school changed this policy stating that too many students were taking the boards for practice and making the school look bad when they didn't pass. At that time it became a requirement to finish the entire program before being allowed to take the boards. The policies in place might be different for various schools and should be investigated for those programs that you are interested in. Typically, though, you take the boards when you finish because the BSN program has the nursing courses during the final two to three years. If you are in an entry level MSN program you might be able to take the boards at the point where they are willing to award a BSN (if the program offers a BSN option).

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Thanks everyone for answering my questions to the bsn program...

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Thank you for your information. I am IV Certified which I failed to mention in the thread. It looks like Excelsior would be the only way to gain an RN license quickly. I was hoping my bachelor degree was at least worth something in this journey. I just can't financially take off school to use it in a BSN program. I am in MS and Boards here do approve Excelsior program. As for the credit hours you were talking about I will have to check and see if required here. So what do you think of Excelsior so far. My biggest question about them is do they have live streaming video via internet for some classes or is it in the form of a DVD sent with books?

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I have a question I'm curently a patien care technician working in the emergency room Which mean i have my phlebotomist , ekg, CNA , certification i also have my associate in health care adminitration ... And i took my intravenouce certification which mean i can put iv .. But im not allowed to ... Lol.. Im also a medical assistant and biller and coder .. Well the question is since i have all of my nursing pre - req i would like to know which would be a smarter route for me ... if going to lpn school then BSN or just going straigth in to RN - school then to BSN .... I was also wondering since i have my associate in health care would it shorten the lpn to bsn process ... Lpn is 11 moth RN 2 years Lpn to bsn 2 - 4 years RN to BSN 1.5 year But i would like to know if having an associate plus lpn plus Rn pre- re would only mean i have to go,for school for 11 moth plus 1.5 year to get my BSN. .? Is that posible ? Because i heard of people who has a BA in what ever concentration and obtain a master in nursing so lpn plus Ass degreed would be a short cut rigth ?

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Hi Nursevaldez2:

If you have all your nursing pre-req's just go on and get your BSN.

Unless you have small children, or have some reason why you have to do a little bit, then go on. If you go LPN to ADN to BSN it will take f o r e v e r.

Get your BSN NOW you won't regret it!

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Thank you for your advice

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