LVN programs in dallas tx... HELP PLEASE!!!

[Nursingschoolbound]

Okay, I work at a local hospital in the N. Dfw area & have finally decided to go to nursing school. I have NEVER attended college, so this is all new to me!! I have spent the last week doing a ton or research & reading alot of posts here to learn things, but still have a few questions.... What is the best school to go to in the area for your LVN? I have read there are schools in this area that dont require you to have your prereqs (for lvns only). Does anyone know first hand if this is true? If i do that & dont get my prereqs would i be able to go back & take the lvn to rn bridge program later or would i have to first get my prereqs?

Also, where in the area is the best place to work that you can utilize your skills? I know that my hospital doesnt hire lvn's at all. You have to work as a tech in the ER making like 12.00 per hour (which is less than what i make now). Im not sure if i want to go the nursing home route though.. The pedi home health care sounds interesting to me.

I will eventually go back to school & take the bridge lvn to rn program but right now the lvn plan is better for me (as far as the amount of time i can committ for school @ this very moment).

Any help/input is greatly appreciated, as you can see i need alot! :wink2:

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

The community college LVN programs in the DFW area include Weatherford College, North Central Texas College, Navarro College, Grayson County College, and a few others that I cannot think of at the moment. These schools have cheap tuition, but they all require prerequisite classes, test scores, and other admission requirements.

The private trade schools in the DFW area include Concorde Career Institute, Dallas Nursing Institute, and Platt College. These schools facilitate easy admission into their nursing programs with no prerequisites, but their tuition rates are typically expensive.

I choose to work in LTC because the pay is excellent. However, perhaps a rehabilitation hospital would be a good place to build skills. Several rehab hospitals in the DFW area hire LVNs. I would recommend 6 months to 1 year of clinical experience either in acute care or LTC before attempting any type of home health, because you will be in the home with no other coworkers. Therefore, your basic skills will need to be developed beyond what nursing school will provide.

[Nursingschoolbound]

Thank you so much for the helpful info! That gives me a good starting point. The hospital that i work for offers a generous tution reimbursment program, so hopefully I wont have to pay too terribly much out of pocket.