Military spouse and nursing school

[patiencejade1311]

Hello everyone,

my name is Patience and I am currently a CNA. I would love to become a nurse one day, but I am confused at how I should go about it. A little background. My husband is currently enlisted in the Navy and on shore duty in Boston, Massachusetts. We just moved here February 2013 and will only be here until March 2016. One of my long term goals is to eventually get into an RN program. Considering that I do not have a lot of time here in Massachusetts, I was considering taking an LPN program in the mean time until we are assigned to his next sea duty station which he will be stationed at for five years. I just need some advice as in what I should do. I love my job as a CNA but I would love to advance. My grandmother is an LPN and has told me I should not even bother going the LPN route because she feels LPNs will eventually be phased out, and I should just go straight for RN but that is hard considering I do not have much time here in Massachusetts. We are already almost in summer here and soon fall will come creeping in, so I will not have enough time to even consider taking a RN program here in Massachusetts. All help and advice is extremely appreciated! If this helps we are planning on heading towards the west coast, like San Diego, CA for his next sea duty rotation. It is not guaranteed but a possibility, maybe even Norfolk, Virginia again.

[jennco]

Do you have any prerequisites done yet? If not lpn may be a good way to go right now then do an LPN to RN bridge.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I was a military spouse when I decided to become a nurse too. I opted for LPN first too as I had a short timeframe too.

Best to get started ASAP with pre-reqs, do the LPN, then do an LPN to RN program at next duty station.

Thanks also for YOUR service as military spouses also sacrifice much for the active duty spouse.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

If there's a risk of you relocating somewhere in a couple of years, I think the LPN followed LPN-RN may be the best way for you to go. Start on the path ASAP, especially since--and I speak from experience--tour lengths are not always as long as they tell you they're going to be. Sometimes they can get cut short: even the golden cookie of "shore duty" can be truncated if the Navy decides they need your spouse elsewhere.

[Skyetropics]

Hands down LPN first! I am a military spouse too (Army) and only staying put 3-5 years is not enough time to realistically get tons of prerequisites done, interview for programs, wait times (I'm in an area where RN programs start once a year) etc. Some people get lucky. I have a friend here at this post that already had her Bachelors degree in Exercise Science and prereqs were all done and still good. She was accepted to the RN program within 4 months of coming here! An LPN bridge is a good idea and most have gone that route. Dont worry about all the phase out talk. LPNs are a still needed and its not lile you are planning on staying one.