LPN or RN?

nicuRN2007 · Sep 12, 2006

Quite naturally I was referring to BSN. In my opinion going to an LPN program then to an ADN program then to a BSN that is a waste of time and money when you think about it logically and I am not trying to step on anyones toes. How can someone possibly think that you need to be a CNA to understand what a nurse does or that it will make you understand how your assistant feels. Do you hear a dentist saying that they need to be a dental assistant first, or an attorney saying that they have to be paralegals first. I am not saying anything is wrong with a person who wants to take a long traveled road to get to a profession, but why would you if you didn't have to. If it was up to me LPN and ADN programs would be eliminated. It makes the profession looks bad when you are working with other healthcare professionals who alot of the entry level programs requires a masters degree. I know because I am also a physical therapist. How can you expect other professionals to hold our opinions in high regards when we have people in our profession who doesn't even hold a college degree. I am not saying that this would make someone more intelligent over another but when you don't have the fundementals that hopefully you obtained from a bachelors degree, i am sorry but your opinion wouldn't matter much. And yes some nurses with a ADN or LPN's may have alot of clinical skills that was learned by doing the same thing over and over again, but that does not make you a professional. A true professional understands why they are doing what they do and can anticipate outcomes based on learned knowledge. Say what you like keep giving your money to schools. I also noticed alot of nurses don't want to be challenged or understand what they are doing. They are content with taking orders, pushing pills and running around all day like a chicken with their head cut off instead of sitting down and thinking about what is going on with the patient and how their interventions will affect the patients outcomes. Oh and before anyone comments my entire purpose of becoming a RN is to go on to CRNA school which I am doing after 1 year of bedside nursing.

I can't believe anyone would have the nerve to post this. So, because you have one more year of schooling than I will have with my associate degree, you will automatically have the necessary skills to "think about what is going on with the patient and how your interventions will affect the patient's outcomes?" An experienced RN with an associate degree doesn't have the ability to "think about what is going on with the patient and how his or her interventions will affect the patient's outcomes?" And that extra year will prevent me from being a professional? I'm not even going to comment on your grammar.

Now, to the original poster:

If you have the time to work as an LPN while finishing school, why not become one if it isn't going to postpone your associate degree? I think that you will be fine in either situation, but in my experience, students with experience definitely have an advantage. There was a CNA in my clinical group my first semester, and while most of us were a little freaked out on the first day of clinicals (having no experience with patient care), she just jumped right in. We all thought, "Wow, she really knows what she's doing." Her comfort/experience was definitely advantageous to her.

I really believe that becoming an LPN will give you an even greater advantage. Think how much you will learn working as a nurse! It won't hurt to try, will it? If you feel like it's not working out, you can always quit. Good luck in your decision!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2006

Closed down for a cooling off period.