LPN or RN

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Specializes in MedSurg.

Hello everyone! I'm an IEN here in Manitoba and I'm having a hard time deciding whether to pursue LPN or RN first because many people here were telling me that RN processing takes 2 years. Is it true? I want to be an RN as soon as possible. Hope you guys can help me out with this. Thank you very much!

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If you are sure you want to do nursing, and you plan on going for your RN, I would just start with RN.

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Specializes in MedSurg.

Yes I really want to be an RN. It's just that the time it will take is so long that is why I'm considering LPN temporarily. Is it true that for RN it is 2 years due to large volume of applicants?

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I'm unsure on that answer. I waited only a year to get into my program but that was back in 2002.

Wait lists are also misleading. Many people will apply to say, five different schools. If 10 people each apply to five different schools, and all get into a program, suddenly their names drop off all the other wait lists, which opens up spaces. I got in a year earlier than I was supposed to, and a year isn't too long to wait.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

SaoirseRN, the OP isn't asking about school. The question is about the process of having credentials assessed, gaining eligibility to write the licensing exam and getting into the workforce. (IEN is the acronym for Internationally Educated Nurse.) It's unlikely that there's much difference in the timeline for completion as an RN or as an LPN. It will take as long as it takes for all the proper documentation to be submitted, assessed and evaluated. If there are more steps required, such as an assessment of skills, that adds to the timeline. Then there's the waiting period from application to writing of the exam, then there's waiting for the results. 2 years wouldn't be unusual. And that's just to get to the point where one could hold a job as a nurse, never mind the difficulty being faced by a lot of unemployed or underemployed Canadian nurses to even find work. There isn't any fast track. Sorry.

As for the "should I apply as an RN or an LPN" question in the first place, I really think the Colleges of Nursing made a huge error in even making it an option for IENs. That option doesn't exist for Canadians... if we're educated as RNs we cannot be considered for licensure as anything but RNs. Whether we're able to pass the CRNE or not.

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Specializes in MedSurg.

Thank you for the advice. I passed the initial requirements for CRNM last Friday. Hopefully it won't take long for the process to be done. Have a great day!

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Hi! I am also an IEN here in Manitoba. I also thought about whether to register first as an LPN or RN. Right now, I just finished submitting all the requirements for credentials assessment as LPN because they say it takes faster (about 2 to 3 months but case to case basis). I will pursue RN credentials assessment next year. According to my friends here, if you are an IEN (from the Philippines) chances are you will be eligible to write the LPN exam. Prior to taking the exam you may be registered as a Graduate Practical Nurse and start working as a GPN with a slight decrease in the salary scale for Licensed Practical Nurses. I opted to go for LPN credentials assesment first because I have a friend that with more than 5 years clinical nursing experience and 5 years as a clinical instructor for nursing yet was still asked to undergo the bridging program for IENs for 6 months. So on top of almost 1 year of assessing her credentials, she still needs additional training. That would be a long wait so I figured why not be able to work first as LPN while waiting for RN registration? But nothing worthwhile ever comes easy, eh? Good luck to you!

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Thanks for posting this because I'm currently in the same situation. I'm an ADN RN (and US born) and I'm uncomfortable paying a lot of money to CARNA because I'm thinking I"ll probably be told I have to return to school or take some kind of refresher course to become an RN and that would take a long time. I think I have a better chance of applying for LPN, work as an LPN after I write the exam and get a visa, and then pursue RN.

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Thanks for posting this because I'm currently in the same situation. I'm an ADN RN (and US born) and I'm uncomfortable paying a lot of money to CARNA because I'm thinking I"ll probably be told I have to return to school or take some kind of refresher course to become an RN and that would take a long time. I think I have a better chance of applying for LPN, work as an LPN after I write the exam and get a visa, and then pursue RN.

Considering ADN only has two years of education from what I understand, and all Canadian RN's have four, I would think it doubtful you would be granted RN status here. Our LPN/RPN has two years of education.

On a side note I would be curious to see what the education differences are between US ADN and Canadian LPN/RPN

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Yes, considering the cost of registration as LPN vs RN and the possibility of taking the bridging program in order to meet Canadian standards, it's probably the more economical choice for now. Keep us posted on how your application turns out. I was just informed by the CLPNM that results of my credentials assessment will be out in 6 to 8 weeks.

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Yes, considering the cost of registration as LPN vs RN and the possibility of taking the bridging program in order to meet Canadian standards, it's probably the more economical choice for now. Keep us posted on how your application turns out. I was just informed by the CLPNM that results of my credentials assessment will be out in 6 to 8 weeks.
Do you know why it takes so long to get an "out of province" application? I had to answer three questions by email and I haven't gotten anything back. I called the CLPNA and I was told to expect the application by next Friday? And do you know how much is the application fee?
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Do you know why it takes so long to get an "out of province" application? I had to answer three questions by email and I haven't gotten anything back. I called the CLPNA and I was told to expect the application by next Friday? And do you know how much is the application fee?
Are you referring to the application package from CLPNA? If yes, I'm not sure but maybe because it was sent through regular mail and it depends on the volume of "out of province" requests they get per day. LPN assessment here Manitoba costs 315$
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