LPN to RN?

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Specializes in ICU Stepdown.

I know there have been posts about this before but I just need a straightforward, clean cut answer. What are the pros and cons of going for LPN before RN?

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Specializes in ER, Trauma, Med-Surg/Tele, LTC.

Everyone's reasons are personal as no one two people's situations are the same. Here were my reasons:

1. I needed to start working ASAP. I finished a Bachelor's and could not find a job. I could not afford to go back to school for another 4 years without working.

2. I had no pre-reqs completed.Completing my pre-reqs for an RN program first had the same problem as number 1. I would either not be working while completing them or working in a low-paying, perhaps not even health care related field. By becoming an LVN first, I already had 2 years of nursing experience under my belt by the time I finished my pre-reqs.

3. I knew I'd have a job after graduation. The job market for new grads is tough in California, but due to personal connections I knew I'd have some sort of LVN job after graduation.

4. I got into an adult school that cost less than $5000 for the entire program. Paying $30,000 for a private LVN program would definitely not have been worth going the LVN route first, but $5000 that I paid completely out of pocket? Worth it.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

PROS:

1. I was able to earn decent money and live a middle-class lifestyle as an LVN while completing the LPN-to-RN bridge program. During my four years as an LVN I lived in a newer construction house, had two cars in the driveway, took trips, and had a five-figure savings account, all without a spouse or boyfriend.

2. My training as an LVN laid a decent foundation for the rest of my nursing education. The LPN-to-RN bridge program was much easier because I had covered a great deal of the material in the VN program that I had attended.

3. I had an relatively easy time finding employment as a new grad RN due to my four years of LVN experience.

4. My math skills are subpar, so the LVN program allowed me to circumvent this issue since it required no math prerequisite coursework.

CONS:

1. Stair-stepping from LPN to RN can sometimes take longer than simply pursuing a BSN degree right out of high school. You know the old saying: "The shortest distance between two points is a straight line." Going from high school to BSN is the straight line, whereas going from high school to workforce to LPN to ASN to BSN is the pentagon (read: it takes longer and includes many stops).

2. Some employers do not grant credit for one's years of LPN experience when applying for RN positions.

3. While working as an LVN I developed a certain mindset that involved task orientation, but I had to undo this line of thinking as I became an RN.

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

It cost me $2,500 to earn my LPN license back in 2002. Tuition, books, uniforms, and all. I earned $32k my first year as an LPN, so I believe that I got a pretty good return on my educational investment! The affordable tuition meant that I didn't have to take out student loans. Like The Commuter, I was able to live a middle class lifestyle while pursuing my ASN degree. My husband and I bought our first house almost immediately after I began working in a LTC facility. The only con, in my opinion, is that it is easy to get complacent as an LPN, especially when you are earning a decent salary.

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I agree with what others posted. It's easy to get complacent and distracted.

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@TheCommuter and @fawniemarie thank you very much for providing pro:con details for taking this route. What was your first new grad lvn job?

Its really nice to read that you can make decent money working as a lvn and take care of yourself. Thanks

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

My first LPN job as a new grad was in a long-term care facility. I live in Tennessee, where the cost of living is low, that is something to keep in mind. $32k was a comfortable salary for me at that particular time in my life, before my children came along. Once my first child was born, it became painfully evident that I would need to further my education. Paying for diapers and preschool consumed all of our extra "fun money." Honestly, I had no real desire to become an RN until I became a parent and the reality of being financially responsible for a child sank in. My husband contemplated returning to college, but we ultimately decided to invest in my ASN degree, since it could be done faster. Many LPNs I've worked with are happy with their salaries and have no plans to become RNs. As Squishy said above, no two people have the same story.

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My first LPN job as a new grad was in a long-term care facility. I live in Tennessee, where the cost of living is low, that is something to keep in mind. $32k was a comfortable salary for me at that particular time in my life, before my children came along. Once my first child was born, it became painfully evident that I would need to further my education. Paying for diapers and preschool consumed all of our extra "fun money." Honestly, I had no real desire to become an RN until I became a parent and the reality of being financially responsible for a child sank in. My husband contemplated returning to college, but we ultimately decided to invest in my ASN degree, since it could be done faster. Many LPNs I've worked with are happy with their salaries and have no plans to become RNs. As Squishy said above, no two people have the same story.

Thanks Fawnmarie, did you ever work as in a medical center or hospital as a LVN in tennessee? I actually plan on moving to TN (memphis/nashville) from CA after my lvn program is finished. What lvn-rn bridge program did you go to? I'm currently a cna with yrs of psych and would like to get in med/surg during lvn school to hopefully enhance my chances for a job when I become a lvn. How is the market in TN?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I became an LVN first because I wasn't sure if nursing was for me. I wanted experience first. Becoming an LVN was fast & without as much of the responsibility as becoming an RN.

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

Tasha, I sent you a PM, as it appears we have a great deal in common (I see you also work in mental health.) Contact me & we can discuss the job market in TN. :shy:

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Hi fawnmarie,

I am just now seeing your message. Yes, I've been working a stable job in psych as a mental health worker for six years. I would love to discuss with you the job market in TN. I have family out that way and researching different lvn-rn bridge programs all over.

What school did you complete your LVN-RN in TN?

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Con: double tuition pay :-(

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