LPN or RN program?

[east2010]

I am on a wait list for RN and LPN program at a cc. Last week I was told that I wouldn't start clinicals until fall 2012 for the RN program but...that I could start PN program fall 2011. The only thing about PN program is you get dropped of RN list if you take that clinical seat. I don't know what to do because I dont want to settle but I also don't want to attend college the rest of my life either. What would you do?

[mangopeach]

If you know you ultimately want to be an RN, wait for the RN program. OR you could do the LPN program and later bridge to an RN program. How long would that take? It might work out the same in time, just a matter of when you do the time.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

I would wait for the RN, and in the meantime, take courses that could count toward a higher degree later that you may not have already taken.. (Govnt, Humanities, History, Stats, etc. etc.) This way you are in school making progress the whole time. Good luck.

[east2010]

Thanks for replying. The LPN program is 2 semesters and the RN is 4. If I do the LPN program, when I finished I would have to go back on the waitlist for the RN program which is about a year wait. Then it would take another 2 semesters of clinicals to graduate the RN program.

[Roxyann57]

I was wait listed 3 years for the RN program and ended up jumping right into an LPN. I am happy I did, I graduate in Jan 2011 and it will help me with experience. It was what I wanted to do though, if you have no other classes to take to go towards your degree it's hard just waiting around for that RN program.

[Jmb002]

I struggled with this decision as well. I ended up finding another local community college that offered classes a different way. You apply to the nursing program as a whole and start in the L.P.N. program and immediately bridge to the R.N. program. It is a hard decision, but I think you have to do what is best for you. If you think you can get into an L.P.N. program right away and then bridge to R.N. without much wait go for it. Otherwise, if being an R.N. is what your goal is, I think taking classes that will be needed anyway in the meantime is a good idea. If you do it that way, you may end up being on the waiting list for a lesser amount of time. Do your research check out all the colleges that offer the program you are looking at. That is actually how I found the college I am applying to. I did my research when I was trying to make the same decision as you are. I ended up finding a college that I had to drive a little longer to get to (about 40 minutes away), but in the end I will be in an R.N. program and out before I could have even started at the other college. Good luck to you in your decision.

Jenn

[savnlivzPRN, LVN]

@jmb002 what school did you go to in what state?

[Jmb002]

I live in Nebraska and just applied to Metro Community College in Omaha.

Jenn

[OBplease]

If you will be done with all of your pre-reqs and co-reqs for both, I would do the LPN, then RN, if you are guaranteed a spot for LPN. At my school, there is only LVN and then RN. I'm told you are able to pretty much go right into the RN program if you did LVN there, though they do take people from other schools. Sounds like your school doesn't do it that way and you would be put back on a wait list. If they are saying it will take an extra year for you to get into RN and you could be put back on the list to finish up with RN after LPN, then you would finish up approximately the same time anyway. The difference is that you have the option to work and be getting experience, with the LPN option. You also may have the option to apply to other schools as well and start into an RN portion the semester after you finish your LPN.