LPN or RN

Emergency RN · Dec 5, 2009

Firstly, I think it's laudable that you're continuing to try to advance yourself despite your chronic and often insidiously devastating diagnosis. Depression, like other psychiatric disease, is nothing to joke about, with symptoms that are often vague and hard to detect. Coming to terms and recognizing that oneself has such a disease is not easy; I applaud your courage.

I would suggest that you speak with both your mother (whose wishes you seem to respect very much) and your therapist or psychiatrist. Your doctor may provide insights into whether you're ready for such a burden right now, and may provide guidance into important illness aspects (which may be impacted by your doing this) that you perhaps may not have yet considered.

As for the LPN versus the RN programs; both are about the same in terms of academic workload, with the RN program being slightly longer. However, upon completion, LPN positions usually pay less (sometimes substantially so) than the RN positions for essentially the same type work. The choice ultimately remains yours.

Good luck with your career choices, and again, your courageous endurance through the miasma of illness is indeed humbling. I thank you for your post and I wish you well.

KTdragon78 · Dec 5, 2009

Hang in there! you can do IT! :)

d_downer · Dec 5, 2009

you have to do what is right for your life-not your mothers. she is probably trying to overprotect especially with you being on antidep-which btw, you need to stay on...and you need to go for the rn if that is what you want. you have to be able stand up and say this is 'my' life and i know what is best for me. parents have a lot of insight, but do not necessarily know what is always best when forming a career judgement. know that working and doing any nursing program is going to be difficult-but go for it if that is what you want.

dec 02, 2009 01:54 am
lpn or rn degree
by woodyma
registered user
years exp: 6
nursing specialty: cardiologist, and med surg
join date: nov 2009
posts: 3
i am stuck. after high school i want to a nursing program got accepted, but trying to graduate for the pass seven years, they let me go saying that i need to go see a pschyatrist. i now i am not crazy. my friends persuede ( took a long persueding) me to go and see what she has to say. from my answers to her questions she diagnose me with depression, i had this for a long time, since i was a child, but did not know. few more years went by was on and off depression meds, and seeing a psychiatrist, and going to school and working as a cna at nursing homes, to hospitals still could not get that rn degree.
my mother decided she wanted to move down south that was her dream after her retirement. we moved to me this would me a new start. i decided, and push myself to stay on the antidepression meds, irealize that i need it, it helps. my mother would want me to go for the lpn program, because i have been trying to get the rn degree. i look into it the lpn programs will not fit into my schedule, because i need to work, maybe not full time but part time. i am ready to go to school for the rn degree, but do not want to upset my mother, and do not want to upset myself if i do not make it again. what would u do, if you where in this situation?

MedSurgeMess · Dec 5, 2009

Does your mother financially support you? Are you under her roof? To everyone that says just go for it, regardless of mom, this is something that needs to be considered, especially from a cultural standpoint. Sometimes mom's word is the final one (sometimes it dad, etc), and going against it can land you out in the street with just the clothes on your back--been there, done that, and got the T-shirt. Talk to your mom, let her read these posts. Let her know what you're doing and why. Educate her, and let her ask questions as well. I wish you luck, whichever route you take.

CathyLew · Dec 5, 2009

just trying to be a little realistic here. You have been trying for 7 years for your RN? Maybe go for the LPN, which is a shorter course. If you have depression, I would think an accomplishment at this point would do wonders for you. Im not saying the LPN course is easy, or the job is easy. But maybe take it in steps.

Hope2017 · Dec 5, 2009

Seven years is a long waiting time to be an RN. Would suggest try the LPN program first. LPN sound easy but its not for me... subject like Pharm, Med Surg, Nutrition... I sweat, cried, and lots of nite with only few hours of sleep specially before the clinical days.. If you can handle this stress, go for it girl and live with your dream. However, if its too much for you... there are other medical field you can get into as well. Good Luck.