LPN or RN?

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi all!

I am new to this forum...hoping for some advice and/or suggestions.

I am a new mom and 33 years old, desperate for a career change and have always wanted to go to nursing school and make a difference. The medical field has always fascinated me, but getting started seems to be the most difficult part of all. My question to you all is...in the interest of accelerating my progress and starting a career as quickly as possible - should I take a course where I can receive my LPN or do the extra schooling and finish my RN? I would prefer to get my BSN but just can't find any loans that allow you to use the funds for your living expenses as well? That is my primary obstacle..how to go to RN school FT and still pay the bills with a student loan? Honestly, that's why I keep going back to the LPN route, I figure if I can graduate from the LPN school in 1 year that I then could start working while I was finishing my courses for the RN? Any help out there would be beyond appreciated!!

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If you qualified for grants, etc then it'd probably serve you best by taking your prereqs and moving straight into an RN/BSN program.

If you don't qualify and need money fast your best bet would probably be to get into LPN school, finish 12 months later, and take your prereqs (all of which are doable online) while you're working and then go up from there. You could do an LPN-RN or LPN-BSN which do exist. You just pick the RN up along the way.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Many of my classmates work & go to school, it can be done, some have moved back in with family (not sure if this is an option for you), and have even become room mates to help pay the bills.

Best of luck to you.

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