LPN or RN

foreverLaur · Jan 23, 2010

Hey,
It's me again. Took all the great advice and decided to go full steam ahead with Nursing. I have run into a little confusion. I met with the nursing school advisor today at Essex County Colllege. She says that I should start with the LPN program as opposed to the RN program. Her reason for this according to her is that I can find work faster via nursing homes an LTC and then pursue LPN - RN. Anyone has any advice on this matter? She also stated that I would not need as many prereqs to get in. I would only need to be on college level reading, math, english and good scores on NLN PAX exam.

Yes, prerequisites tend to be a less for the LPN programs. However, quite a few LPN grads on this forum have had a terrible time finding jobs. Is LTC something you are interested in doing? If not, I'd just do the ADN program. It is 1 year versus 2 years at most. At my school, LPN is 3 semesters and ADN is 4 semesters.

I'd just get the ADN done. You can always work as a nurse aid or patient care assistant in the area you wish to work. There have them on virtually every floor in a hospital and most love to hire nursing students. Some schools will even let you challenge the LPN exam during your ADN program.

IMO, just do the ADN and go all the way. You don't want to have to deal with finding a job, going back to school while trying to hold the job and arranging your courses/clinicals around your work schedule, graduating, and then having to start the job search all over again. Just get it all done in a little bit more time and land the job you really want.

RN_Moe960 · Jan 23, 2010

Thank for the reply. I think what you said makes alot of sense. My actual career goal is to become an nurse educator. It hard sometimes to know what the correct path is to take. Everyone I talk to has so many different views. I don't really know anything about the LTC facilities, but based on some of the comments I see posted, it seems as though that area is not really desireable. Is working in LTC facility a terrible thing? Do you have any suggestions as to how I can find out more about what particular field of nursing I would like to work in? How does one know exactly what field they want to work in. And do you have a choice in this now since the economy is so bad?

foreverLaur · Jan 23, 2010

My only experience in LTC is visiting my great-grandmother there for many years and doing my two day nurse aid clinical there. I know I couldn't do it.

It can be rewarding work. The people there tend to be very lonely and depressed as they have been forced to give up their independence and often no longer have family and friends to socialize with on a frequent basis. You can almost become their friend as you will see them every single day that you work and residents do not change that often.

Me, on the other hand, want to truly save lives and I live for the the adrenaline rush. I'd love to go into flight nursing or trauma nursing.

It is really hard to know what area you want to work in. Clinicals in nursing school will help somewhat. I worked previously as a nurse aid on a meg/surg floor and while I can see how you would learn a lot there as a new nurse, I don't think I could do it. I was bored out of my mind. I switched to an ortho floor. My job duties also increased and that may be in part while I like it better.

While working as a nurse aid, I also snuck down to the trauma bay some and picked up some shifts on the mother/infant floor, ICU, neuro stepdown, and trauma floor. Doing something like that as a job while in school may help you out in that aspect a lot too.

Have you thought about shadowing? Some hospitals will let you shadow a nurse and see what that nurse does during a particular day. You also need to self reflect on yourself.

Why are you going into nursing? Do you prefer a crazy chaotic environment or a structured and calm one? Do you like patients that will be there for a day or two and go home or do you like patients that may die under your watch but you can play a part in keeping them comfortable? Do you prefer adults or kids or babies? What do you think about births?

SL2014 · Jan 23, 2010

Go straight for the RN. LPNS have a much harder time finding jobs and you would be better off just getting your ADN then your BSN versus getting an LPN then an ADN then maybe a BSN. Save yourself time, frustration and money.