lpn to rn-how different is it?

My LPN friends who have worked beside with me in a large suburban Emergency Department and have gone back to school and have all agreed that the year long of additional class / clinical work only helped to reinforce their groundwork of ideas and theories. Like TheCommuter said, it was definitely easier than LPN school the first time around.

However, a smaller group of friends who did not work in the hospital with me and instead chose to go the route of nursing homes, they said they seemed to struggle more having had a smaller working concept of clinical skills and treatment options. Although, they still agree it was easier than LPN school the first time around too.

All in all, I think the only hurdle to really overcome is getting accepted into a program and from there its going be such a load off.

:: on a sidenote::

I've been reading a lot of RN posts about how the ADN/ASN and BSN programs encourage stronger critical thinking skills and it was for that reason the number of LPNs was drastically reduced in the acute care setting and why now so many ADN/ASN RNs are not being hired or required to go back for their BSN. Many of the nurses I work with started out as LPNs, went to ASN RN, and then became BSN RNs. I asked their thoughts on what the difference was between the LPN and the BSN and all have agreed that the LPN was the most important and difficult by laying the ground work on how to critically think and vital to becoming cognizant of the patient's wellness needs.

In my State there are a select few LPN to RN bridge programs. Each of those programs allow the LPN to be granted the credits for the first year nursing classes in an ADN program and you start at the 2nd year nursing classes. When I asked about this, (since I was fearing I'd not get some of the important classes by bypassing them) I was informed that the CT BON believes that the first year nursing classes in the ADN programs give the exact same information/skills that the entire LPN program gave, hense, no need to duplicate the classes.

I do have a friend from my LPN schooling who attended the LPN program with me who decided she wanted to start from square 1 in the ADN program and take all the classes. Her rational was we were in LPN school in 2007 and that she was sure there were new things and didn't want to miss all the important info (I can't tell you how many teachers and LPN's who completed the bridge tried to discourage her from starting at Nur 101). She did the program and constantly complained about how she's already learned all the info she was 'learning' in the 1st year nursing classes and that she's totally competent doing all the 'new' skills taught in 101 b/c she's been doing it for years during her LPN career and that it was a waste of $ and time doing the 1st year nursing classes...well yeah! DUH! We told you that.

If you have no other option than to start from the beginning, I'd say you will rock those classes as you've already taken them..passed and have competence to do the skills/procedures. Think of it as a refresher classes that you will probably get as good a grade or better than you did when taking them during LPN school.

thanks all!!..i feel my confidence growing

:thankya:

I just finished my first semster and I may have learned one new skill so far, that was how to measure distended neck veins on a COPD patient. So far I cant say that anything has been different from LPN school in 2008. My first semster was also online with self teaching. Monday I will be in a class with 29 other bridge students and about 45 traditional students.

I start a RN ADN program, in january .

I'm also curious about differences, and how much harder it will be.

I graduated LPN school may 2009, I've been working at a sub acute rehab almost 3 years.

I just started my ADN program on the 13th of this month. I don't have much time to go on, but it seems to just pull everything together like the others said. I've noticed that it gives you those "AHA" moments! I have only worked in nursing homes, but I'm excited to learn more clinical skills!!! Look forward to it...and it will be over before you blink!!!