Lvn's who became Rn's... how did you do it?

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hello everyone... last night i posted regarding my dilema of doing RN straight or doing the LVN then RN. this is part of my research... can anyone tell me how it was for them to work as an LVN and go to school to get a BSN or ADN? IS it more stressful? Did you find your work was willing to work with you when you went to school? Oh, was there any bridge programs to get into? thank you so much for taking the time.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.
hello everyone... last night i posted regarding my dilema of doing RN straight or doing the LVN then RN. this is part of my research... can anyone tell me how it was for them to work as an LVN and go to school to get a BSN or ADN? IS it more stressful? Did you find your work was willing to work with you when you went to school? Oh, was there any bridge programs to get into? thank you so much for taking the time.

I'm currently in an LPN/BSN bridge program. I've been an LPN almost 15 years. I work in home hospice and work on Wednesday and Saturday plus take call every other week. My employer is very good in working with me and allows me to pick up extra hours between semester breaks. I'm finding the stress level about the same as it was in LPN school...lots and lots of reading. The big difference is when I went to LPN school I was a single mom with 4 kids at home--now I'm married and all my kids are grown. Good luck to you!

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I worked as an LPN for a few months before I started the LPN to BSN program. I had been working Monday through Friday 7a-3p and my job accomodated me by switching me to a weekend Baylor shift. I worked every single weekend, 12 hours on Saturday, 12 hours on Sunday. For studying purposes, working these weekend shifts allowed me to have a tremendous amount of time to focus on school during the week. Now that I have a few months until graduation, I have switched to working as a private duty nurse. There's tons of flexibility, time to study, and a great opportunity to provide one-on-one care. Working as a nurse and going to school full-time has been stressful, but it's a temporary situation. For me, taking the LPN route first has allowed me to financially support myself independently (after only 9 months of schooling) and gain work experience. I have already been hired at a nearby hospital as an LPN. I'm trying to get my foot into multiple doors before I acquire the title of "New Grad RN!"

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Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
hello everyone... last night i posted regarding my dilema of doing rn straight or doing the lvn then rn. this is part of my research... can anyone tell me how it was for them to work as an lvn and go to school to get a bsn or adn? is it more stressful? did you find your work was willing to work with you when you went to school? oh, was there any bridge programs to get into? thank you so much for taking the time.

if your ultimate goal is to be an rn, then try your very best (by getting excellent grades on pre-reqs) to get in to an rn program first. use lpn only as a back up. i tried the rn program first and got tired of being put on a "waiting list" so i did the 15-month lpn program and became an lpn in 2008. i used my lpn to get in to a bridge program and i am happy to say that i am graduating from my rn program in two months. yay me! i worked full-time during my lpn and rn program so it is doable. you just have to be dedicated and stick to your schedule. i owe everything to my lpn because i am making good money now as an lpn and it helped me fulfill my ultimate goal of rn. good luck to which ever program you choose.

angel, lpn and gn (soon to be rn) :D

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I did LPN first, with every intention of going to RN eventually because I was already on all the waiting lists for the RN programs. I completed LPN school before my turn ever got called on the RN waiting lists. It worked out alright because my employer paid for part of my LPN to RN program (and I would not have otherwise been employed by them if I wasn't an LPN, so therefore would not have had the help to pay for school if I had gone just straight RN).

I worked full time at an office LPN position while going to RN school. I did the Excelsior ASN program. It took me 10 months from starting until graduating passing the NCLEX RN. I am happy I chose this path for numerous reasons: the employer sponsorship, LPN experience made RN school so much easier, hands on experience for the clinical finals, ability to work full time while going to school and making decent LPN money at the same time, a shoe-in with my company for an RN job once I graduated.

Good lucK!

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I applied for the LVN and RN program after I finished the pre-reqs for the RN program but of course I got rejected. I was on my way to a university but I received a letter a acceptance to the LVN program. So I stayed in my hometown and attended the LVN program. After I finished I went to the university for my BSN but had to wait a semester to get in the program. I worked as a LVN while at the university and with my parent help I graduated debt free. So I would say if money is an issue or you want to gain experience as hospital jobs these days want experience do the LVN program so you could work while in RN school. If money is no issue go straight to RN school as it saves time.

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

I signed up for both programs, LPN had the first open seat, did the LPN first. Graduated in December, started the RN in August. I worked 3 12s, Thur-Fri-Sat, and basically was sleep deprived, miserable and started having BP problems, would fall asleep driving, etc. I had no life, and almost just said forget it and went back to computers a couple of times because I stayed broke and exhausted. Now that I'm done, I really don't know how I did it except sheer stubborness; I didn't have the management backing -- it was like pulling teeth to try to use my own vacation to get off the day before finals...

I will say that as an LPN, I rec'd better clinical instruction, and that made the RN easier, because I already knew 90 percent of it (think about it, by the time I graduated, I'd been working on a telemetry floor for almost 3 years). Other than the "management" stuff, which was a joke, and one critical care class, we didn't cover anything I hadn't learned in LPN or picked up/studied up because of the criticality of our patients.

I don't know if I could have worked full time and went to RN full time without some kind of background -- LPN, EMT, CNA, something.

Sometimes you could study; I found that I rarely could with our patient load and criticality -- on the "slow" nights, I would go over my notes, but I never busted out books or anything. It just seemed like the minute I was really getting into the topic at hand, a call light would go off, or someone would need to boost a patient, or someone would start down the drain, and my thoughts would scatter like startled ducks.

My best advice if you want to do this is stay as far under the radar at work as you can. And don't be surprised if you get blowback as other LPNs you work with may not like you going back, and some RNs may look down at you because you started as an LPN; not all, by any means, but there will be some.

Good luck

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

My husband was in the military for 23 years and we were overseas for many years. When we returned to the states in 1990 (Las Vegas), I was desperate to go to NS. However, the wait list for RN was 3-4 years and who knew if we would be transferred and when. So, I went to then-Clark Community College, now Community College of Southern Nevada and started their 1+1 program: the first year, you did pre-reqs, then the second year, you did the LPN program and the third year, you did the ADN program.

Well, hubby came down on orders in 1991! and we left in 1992 - I was able to complete the LPN program. When we moved to Indy in 1992, again a 3-4 year wait for the BSN program. So....I bit the bullet, took out student loans and did an LPN to ADN bridge program and finished in 1994.

I worked full time throughout both programs: while in the LPN program, I did medical transcription. Then, I worked full time nights as an LPN while in the ADN program.

Doable but not too much fun.

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I got my LPN and graduated last August. My plan was to go right into a LPN-RN bridge program from there, and get a job that worked around that. I ended up taking the first job I could, 8:30-5:30 m-f which pretty much nixed it for me. I figured I'd work until my pre-reqs were done and then figure something else out, but now that I'm working, and really enjoying my job, going back to school is harder and harder. If you have a choice to go straight through your RN or do the bridge program, please take my advice and do your RN up front. It means struggling for a few more semesters, but it is SO much easier to go straight through than to stop and go back.

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Specializes in Home Care.

I got my LPN license last October and my intention was to go on to RN. I finally started the perfect job for me in April. I work Baylor weekends....every Sat and Sun 12 hour day shifts with pay incentive and an extra 8 hours of pay.

Working weekends is perfect for me while going to school. My school schedule for this semester is Tues Wed and Thurs and my school day doesn't start until 1pm.

I have lots of time to study :)

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

I was an LVN for 4 years before I became an RN. I attended an RN associates degree bridge program that was about 1 year long.

I worked weekend double shifts (16 hour shifts every Sat. and Sun.) at a local nursing home while attending school during the week. It wasn't very stressful, and the time passed by rather quickly for me.

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I am now a bsn holder will seat for my RN nclex in october. I am currently an lpn. it was my best option. while workig as lpn, I took classes at community college to help me get into university for eventual RN. My previous education was in political science. didnt have anything to do with nursing so it was no easy but the knowledge that work is availaible upon graduation gave me the strenght and determination. I have full time job while attending lpn vocational school working in a group homes. I accumulate some college credit (A&P.Micro,Nutrition,Psychology, Philosophy etc) after 18 months , i graduated with bsn. Being an lpn first made a difference. I WORK DOUBLE SHIFT ON weekends so I can go to school on week days. IT Was a breeze. EVERY SITUATION IS DIfferent. do you have family or spousal support?. you gona need it either way. time mgmt is essential. forget social life while you are in school cos you wouldnt have any. Good luck

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