LVN or should I go the RN route?

flowremix · Mar 5, 2009

i'm currently a student vocational nurse and plan on doing the lvn to rn program at my community college. My campus does not require chemistry for lvn, just CNA, pharmacology, and a body survey course (anatomy and phisiology took care of that). I would talk to someone and check the prereqs yourself. as for chemistry, i would just work at it, i know i had a hard time with it. Check your campus offers tutoring, cause i know it helped me even though i got a low B. Good luck with your career path.

caliotter3 · Mar 5, 2009

You will need to look at the requirements for any of the LVN schools that you are considering to find out whether or not chemistry is required.

firefly86 · Mar 5, 2009

Honestly I dont think you need chemistry for the lvn program, but it depends on the school. As far as the RN program some schools are eliminating this class but you should take it if you are considering in the future having a BSN. I have all my prereqs for the RN but decided to do the lvn first due to so much competition to get in the program for RN. But you do what you gotta do study and get a tutor for chemistry. GOOD LUCK , I hope I helped you but remember speak to a counselor in the nursing department where you want to apply these are all opinions we give and the best thing for you is to speak to someone at that particular school.

Bren75 · Mar 7, 2009

Is there a lower class or side class you could take that would help you? Like for me I'm scared to death to take A&PI. I saw the college I'm attending offers a basic A&P class.... I am considering taking that as a stepping stone to assist me with the reg A&P class.... My Bio class I am taking had a lot of chemistry (which I have never had) Its a tough class but it did help me understand Chem better. Chem isn't required for the RN program here but I was considering adding it on just so I have it case I EVER want to do the BSN thing.... Anyways school tutoring is great advice I know they have tutoring labs at my school you may want to look into that or hiring a tutor. Most likely even if you go LPN the prereqs will still be the prereqs to get into the RN program........ like for my school even if your a LPN you still have to do the prereqs to get into the bridge program.... ugh!

KEEP trying and HANG IN THERE!

missjennmb · Mar 8, 2009

Chem isn't required for the RN program here but I was considering adding it on just so I have it case I EVER want to do the BSN thing....

Just a heads up, there's a time limit on most science classes for nursing school, so you may want to check that before you start taking classes just in case some time in the future you want to take another degree. Its not that way for other classes, but at my school, its 5 yrs for AP/Micro/Chem/Bio and after a year of prereqs, a year of LPN, a year of getting situated on the floor... time slips away. I've heard its 3 yrs at some other places in my state, but I cannot confirm that.

As for LVN vs RN... personally I would pull out a "chem for dummies" book (not saying you're a dummy, but I have a pharmacology for dummies book that I'm holed up with this weekend - sometimes just having things broken down into english instead of science/latin mumbo jumbo is enough to make something that didnt click before, click suddenly). If I had it to do over again, I would go straight for my RN and not even bother with my LPN. The further I get in my LPN the more I realize I would have rather had my RN than my LPN. I just added an extra year of school into the mix (1 semester more of pre-reqs for the bridge, plus 1 more semester of nursing school than straight RN).

picurn10 · Mar 8, 2009

For me going LPN to RN shaved 6mo off the waiting time to get into RN school, so it's been a great option for me.

In my area, all but one of the RN programs now require Chem., but two of the schools require a lower level than college Chem I. For LPN school, none of those in my are require chem. A&P and medical terminology were the only prereq's.

You'll just have to check into the specifics in your area, but LPN to RN is a great way for many of us to start our nursing careers. I wouldn't be happy stopping at LPN because I want to be a NICU nurse and you can't do that as an LPN, plus all the constant posts about trying to move LPN's from the hospital strictly into LTC (which I think would be a huge mistake) make me nervous because I wouldn't ever want to work in LTC, but I think LPN is nursing just like RN, and if you love nursing, you'll love being an LPN!

firefly86 · Mar 8, 2009

IS it true that if have an AA degree that your science classes are locked and do not expire! But even though you dont want to let time pass to get your RN. I think I am happy the way I did it. Dont ever give up do what ever it takes to follow your dream I have lots of kids and went througha seperation and got back and now I am finally done with lpn school. Never give up there is always a way.

picurn10 · Mar 8, 2009

I don't know about that, but I know in my area they are very lenient on those classes. I took several of my sciences 12yrs ago and they are still accepted! In my area you can only do the bridge to RN for the first 5yr following LPN. After that you have to start at the beginning.

missjennmb · Mar 9, 2009

IS it true that if have an AA degree that your science classes are locked and do not expire!

Here, at the ADN programs that is not the case, but perhaps for a BSN it would be. I haven't really looked too closely at those as I am going the LPN -> LPN to ADN program -> online ADN to BSN/MSN route. I know for three schools in my area though that have LPN and ADN programs, the sciences are not locked in. I don't think it would make sense for them to be locked anyways as how much AP would you remember if you took the class 20 years ago and now were about to start applying it from scratch?

tainted1972, ASN, RN · Mar 31, 2009

i had the same problem, i failed my chemistry class. i couldnt even apply to the RN program without it.

so i decided to go to another school to get my LPN. I learned that there are schools that do not require chemistry to get your ADN. When I am finished with my one year LPN program I can transfer to another school to get my RN in one year without taking any chemistry! yay

sunray12 · Mar 31, 2009

I haven't seen a LPN program in my state that requires chemistry but otoh I haven't seen a RN program that does not require chemistry. Some RN programs will take your hs chemistry though and I've seen some that will take hs chemistry no matter how long ago you graduated. Wait until you finish PN school to try it again. It's possible that while going through LPN school you will pick up enough knowledge that will help you have an easier time passing chemistry.