Need Help!!! So confused !!! :/ Future RN student

[FutureRnNay]

Hello, I am a college student taking basic courses at a community that I need to take in order to even get into a nursing program. So far I am doing really good but my counselor said that I probably won't be able to finish all of my classes until 2016 or 2017 due to the budget cuts and over crowding at school. Now I think that is an extremely long time to be at a community college without even being able to start any nursing programs I was thinking of leaving community college and going to a trade school to be in a Lvn program then move on to RN to hopefully become a neonatal nurse, I don't know what to do or where to start please help!!!

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

You should look at a variety of factors. Will the LPN credits transfer to any college? A lot of LPN programs near me are trade schools with a few in community colleges. See if it will transfer before spending the money otherwise you may be retaking some of the classes like English and math or even pharmocology.

Is there a waiting list for the LPN program? We had a waiting list as long as the RN program.

We had a OB instructor who did this route. She went LPN to ADN to BSN to MSN to become a NICU NP. However, it'll be longer than the traditional route and you may rake up quite a bit of loans.

[CDEWannaBe]

Keep pursuing the community college option but you may also want to check into local universities BSN programs. It would take you the same amount of time but you'd have an advanced degree.

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

There are a couple of things to think about. First, if you decided to pursue your LPN, you could then begin working and earning a living. There are several LPN to RN and LPN to BSN programs out there. Some employers continue to offer tuition assistance. So, let’s say you complete your LPN and begin working. If you play your cards right, you may be able to finish your RN or BSN without having to take out additional loans. One other advantage is experience. So, when you earn your RN, you have LPN experience, which puts you in a better position than a new grad. It simply depends on what your goals are.

Good luck!

[CDub72]

Hi FutureRnNay-

I would just like to first say, congrats on doing well in your courses.. your hard work will definitely pay off for you. Although there are many routes for you to chose from, choosing the fastest route doesn't always mean better.. Depending on how many pre-requisites you have left to take you may want to consider checking out a nearby university and view your options for transferring before going to get your LPN/LVN. A lot of nursing programs have waiting lists. 2nd if your school is overcrowded they may begin implementing waiting list themselves. Also since you've already began taking your pre-requisite courses you may want to enroll in a university and go straight thru to get your BSN. If you take the LPN /LVN route you will have to wait just as long as your school is saying to get your end result (being an RN/ Neonatal nurse) if not longer depending on how you look at it. Just think really hard and maybe talk to a nursing program counselor at other * accredited nursing schools in your area. Good luck