My ultimate goal someday is BSN or maybe even NP (I'm talking about pursuing my BSN 5-10 yrs down the line once the kids are high school age or out of the house), but for now I'm trying to decide whether to pursue my LPN or work as a nursing assistant/patient care tech.
Thank you in advance for reading this. I know that in the end, the decision is my responsibility, I just need to get some experienced perspectives and advice on this. My head is spinning!
The story: Over 10 yrs ago I was a full time college student majoring in nursing with my target set on the BSN program. I was also working part time as a CNA in a nursing home. During this time my husband and I unexpectedly started our family! (i.e. oops, I got pregnant! We had been married for 7 yrs with no success in the baby dept. and actually thought maybe we just couldn't have them, LOL) I completed all my pre-nursing prereqs and support classes (with a GPA of 3.9) and was planning on applying to the nursing program after the baby was born, but..... well..... after she was born I just could not leave her. I became a stay at home mom. We had another child and life went on. But I always kept in the back of my mind the dream to finish my nursing degree.
Well fast forward 10+ years and I'm itching to become a nurse still. I've thought about it countless times over the years. Even after tons of hours spent reading here on allnurses, talking to nurse friends, and talking to my mom who is a LPN in a LTC (and has been for over 20 yrs now). My eyes are wide open to the struggles the nursing profession is facing, but I still want to do it. I just can't shake it. My kids are older now (almost 9 and almost 11) and I'm ready to do something part time and venture outside of stay-at-home-mom land.
But I know that I'm not ready just yet to jump back into a full time school schedule. I only want to work part time after I graduate and can't justify the student loan debt or the full time schedule for the BSN at this time (especially with the job market!). The ADN programs in my area are all full time and very very intense time wise. I'm still just too busy raising my kids for a full time program.
There is a part time (3 days a week; 22 months long) LPN program (with excellent reputation and moderate cost) very near my home and I'm considering it heavily as a way to start my nursing career without sacrificing too much time with my family. I can work part time after graduating and safe up money for my BSN and retake prereqs slowly (have to retake some due to their age). There is a LPN to BSN completion program at a highly reputed nursing school here locally and also ISU just across the border from me offers a LPN to BSN completion online (with clinicals arranged locally). So I know I have options to complete my BSN.
The hitch? ...most of the hospitals in my area only hire RNs. Getting a hospital job would mean a 45 min to 1 hour drive to more rural hospitals that still hire a few LPNs. The jobs available locally for LPNs are mostly LTC/Rehab/ and maybe hospice. I would not mind working in LTC, rehab, or hospice. I actually adore the geriatric population and am volunteering in social services at a LTC/Rehab facility currently. But I know that not all nursing homes are as nice as the one I worked in as an aid 10 yrs ago, or the one I am volunteering in now. As a new grad what if the only places that will hire me are the scary, fear-for-your-license short staffed joints? Oy. That scares the crap out of me.
The other option is to work as a patient care tech in a hospital and get some experience that way before one day just going straight for my BSN. There are tons of these jobs posted in my area for ob techs, er techs, med surge techs, tele techs, and oncology techs. The benefit to this is that there is almost no educational cost to this option and I can still save up money for my BSN someday. Although LPN would be a bit more in pay.
So experienced nurses, help me out please. What would provide the best foundation for my nursing career? I think I'm drawn towards hospice, oncology, ICU, PACU, or maybe l & d. Ultimately one day I might even like to work as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Will I regret spending money on a LPN degree when the job options are so limited?
As a straight A student and super over-achiever, will I go insane when some people assume I'm less of a nurse because I'm an LPN? Will I become frustrated as a "pill-pusher" in LTC? (not saying that is what they are, but rather that is often the mentality placed upon them, at least in my mom's case).
Will actually working as a nurse for so many years first give me more experience and make me an excellent RN someday?
Will I actually get more experience as a nursing assistant/patient care tech because I can work in the hospitals?
Will I wish I could do more than a patient care tech and regret not going for my LPN?
Okay, I know that no one can really answer these questions for me. I just really need some seasoned nurses to put things into perspective for me so that I can get my head on straight about this. I feel like I've just been going in circles over this decision!!!!
An LPN degree is a waste of your time. Actually. I think a nursing degree altogether might be a waste of your time, because I get the sense that you are not really committed to it at all. You are completely overthinking this thing.
What I get from your post is that you are a really happy mom who would like a part-time career doing something meaningful. By all means go and get a CNA/PCT and spend some time observing the milieu. THEN make a decision.
Don't spend anymore time talking to people. You know what they say about opinions; and from your letter, I think all that your "research " has done is paralyze you.
You are smart enough to make your own decision.
Yep, I do tend to over think things, especially late at night when my mind is just spinning, LOL. And I am a perfectionist, so I want to do everything just right. Be the best mom, be the best nurse, be the best whatever etc etc. Sometimes that kind of thinking sets me up for failure because you can't do everything 100% and I just end up overwhelmed instead of figuring out ways to compromise on some of my "ideals" so that everything is possible.
I am a happy mom, except that this burning desire to learn more and more about the human body and how disease works, and ways that health and wellness can be encouraged, coupled with a strong enjoyment of caring directly for people, keeps pulling me back towards nursing. I just can't shake the feeling that there is important work I'm supposed to be doing in the medical field. If I didn't think that homeschooling was best for my kids right now or that they need me in the kitchen cooking healthy meals for them, I would have gone back to school long long ago. I'm doing what I think is best for them, not necessarily what I wanted to do with my life.
But you are right. All my over-thinking has paralyzed me. I am just so afraid of making a mistake that will affect my kids and I forever. Worst case scenarios: Give up our happy homeschooling carefree lifestyle and find out that a nursing career wasn't worth the sacrifice. Or never pursue my dreams and grow bitter and resentful over the years. I know there has to be a balance somewhere between those two outcomes.
And yes, you are right. I am smart enough to make this decision and ultimately it is mine to make. But hashing it out here in concrete words (versus ambiguous feelings milling around my brain) and seeing different perspectives on things is so very helpful. Thanks so much!
Moving forward.... I'm taking a nursing assistant class in August (have to retake since I haven't worked as an aid in a long long time) and then I will start looking for a job with the ultimate goal of working as a patient care tech in the hospital. Then we will see what the next step is after that.
I got my LPN first and would do it exactly the same way. It was cheap, quick and enabled me to bridge to ADN with only a summer mini-mester and 2 semesters. The money I made working as a LPN and ADN when getting my BSN that was paid in part by my employer btw was invaluable and close to $200k. The OP should be able to just pay for and get her CNA license after the first LPN semester if desired, personally I wouldn't do a CNA's job for RN wages but in a tight market there is some advantage to having a relationship with a facility and possibly a nurse position lined up.
I got my LPN first and would do it exactly the same way. It was cheap, quick and enabled me to bridge to ADN with only a summer mini-mester and 2 semesters. The money I made working as a LPN and ADN when getting my BSN that was paid in part by my employer btw was invaluable and close to $200k. The OP should be able to just pay for and get her CNA license after the first LPN semester if desired, personally I wouldn't do a CNA's job for RN wages but in a tight market there is some advantage to having a relationship with a facility and possibly a nurse position lined up.
Yes, this is kind of what I was thinking when the LPN idea first entered my mind. The LTC/Rehab facility where I'm volunteering at right now offers tuition reimbursement for working just 25 hours a week. It could be a good stepping stone. That said the LPN to RN bridge programs in this area are almost as long as just getting the straight degree. You only get between 13-17 credits (depending on the program, there are a few in this area) for your LPN, which makes it only one semester/quarter shorter than if you had just gone straight for the RN. There are some LPN to BSN options in my area as well, but you still only get about 15 credits for the LPN status.
And yes, I don't see myself being able to work very long as a CNA/PCT before burning out physically. Being an LPN would be a little less physically demanding and the pay would be better.
Eh, see why I just keep going in circles on this! LOL! Plan right now is still to do the CNA/PCT (CNA class is a prereq for all the LPN and RN programs in my area anyways). I will work for a year and then see where life is at and whether I want to do the LPN as a stepping stone or if I want to jump into the RN. The next part time LPN class doesn't start until July 2012 anyways. But I'm leaning towards just going for the community college ADN (cheap and excellent program!) and then letting an employer pay for my BSN.
I was in a RN program. It was 7 quarters long. After 4 quarters it was a requirement to take the LPN boards. One could also opt out at that point or could continue on. The original plan was for me to get my RN. I chose to opt out though. My daughter was 2 at the time and I felt like I was working, at school, or studying and felt like I was missing precious memories. So I opted out. I do want to go back when she is older but right now I enjoy working 3 nights a week and I also work on call at a second job. But then time off is time off. It's not spent studying. It's spent making memories with my little one that I can't get back. This was the best decision for me and my family. I don't feel like I was a sell out at all! I enjoy my life! Yes their are days I wish for that RN and wish I hadn't opted out but I always have the CHOICE of going back. I work in LTC and was an aide in LTC for 6 years before becoming a nurse. I always KNEW LTC was my cup of tea so the idea of hospitals around here not hiring LPNs didn't bother me as hospital nursing wasn't my cup of tea (at least not med surg which is the jumping off point around here).
Being a CNA is a great way to find out if nursing is really what ya think it will be- I think being a CNA should be required for all prospective nurses to weed out those who don't want to get their hands dirty and be a team player...:) It's invaluable for time management skills
Thank you so much everyone for your thoughtful replies. It is really helping me wrap my brain around this. I should clarify a few things that I didn't mention earlier.
We are currently homeschooling and my kids love it, especially my son who isn't a traditional learner (more of an engineering mind) who really needs hands on, experiential types of learning. I have no doubt that my daughter would be fine and flourish in public school, but I worry that my son would be bored and unchallenged and barely get by.
Another issue is that we eat a very special diet due to neurological/digestive issues that run in my family. (It is called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet if anyone is interested). My son is the worst and I'm not far behind. I cook 99% of everything we put in our mouths from scratch. We eat a very pure, very healthy diet that is labor intensive. On this diet we thrive and are extremely healthy and my son's chronic diarrhea is cured. My son was well on his way to an Asperger's diagnosis, but everything (both physical and behavioral issues) seemed to clear up once we started this diet. So it is certainly worth the time and effort in my book. Our doctor encourages us to stay on this diet because we have all become so incredibly healthy on it. If I let my son cheat, he almost immediately starts to flare again. My daughter and I can get away with a little more cheating, but over time have found ourselves needing sticking to the straight and narrow most of the time as well. We hardly ever get sick and when we do it is over fast and usually mild. (Before we used to get sick all the time and it would take us so long to fight stuff off). Not to mention I used to weigh almost 200 lbs and now I'm 120. I have kept the weight off for over 5 yrs now, as well as recovering from my own chronic health issues. My doctor is amazed by my bloodwork!
My husband is a firefighter/paramedic and works 24 hour shifts every third day. So he has a ton of time off really. If I went to school for 3 days a week, he would be off for 2 of them and could juggle the homeschooling and cooking, the third day we would have to find a friend to watch the kids or eventually the kids would be old enough to stay home alone. My kids both are fairly good cooks already, my daughter especially, and they do help out quite a bit with chores around the house. Everyone is expected to help mom out with the household so that mom can have a life too!
GrnTea, thank you so much for your kind words of wisdom. It kinda felt like a wake up call. You are right. I would be bored with the LPN. It might take a year or two, but then I would be hungry for more. I just feel the BSN is out of reach right now due to cost (would be upwards of $24,000 which I just can't justify given the current job market for new grads). The ADN would be in easier reach financially. Our local community college ADN program is really cheap (I could finish it for less than $9000), and is a stellar program. (Some in the local community even argue that it is better than the BSN available locally here; although that is highly rated as well and both have excellent pass rates). The ADN is very time hungry though because of extensive amounts of clinical hours. I just worry realistically about my ability to juggle all my responsibilities while the kids are still at home and pursue the RN degree.
Erin, you make some excellent points. I'm not really saving any money by doing LPN to RN to BSN to NP or LPN to BSN to NP or whatever long route I take. The ADN program is actually a bit cheaper than the LPN! Hey, btw, I'm currently 35 and I took a year of accounting classes. I liked the immediate challenge of the classes, but once the initial fun of learning it all was over, I could not see myself doing that long term. That is what initially attracted me to nursing--that I would never get bored because there is ALWAYS something new to learn!
But you've all given me so much to think about. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. Right now I'm leaning towards working as a tech in the hospital, gaining experience, saving up my dough.... and who knows maybe I will get an employer who is willing to pay my way, maybe the kids will end up in public school for high school or middle school. Maybe we can find a way to juggle it all. I just know that I can't wait forever to pursue my dreams. I'm certainly not getting any younger!
I know in our area there are homeschool networks. What that means is you can have your kids go with other homeschool families one or two days a week and it gives them another perspective. Also, these would be more eager to work with dietary restrictions :)
That would enable you to free up that EXTRA day, in exchange you could do things like field trips to the fire house etc. We did homeschooling briefly and I liked it I just lack the patience. My daughter did homebound services (basically homeschooling) for the last half of the school year (due to an illness) I was amazed at 1. how fast she caught up and 2. how far ahead she got. She'll be going into 7th grade and taking her high school algebra in the fall. My 2nd youngest is going into 4th and in a gifted program (she scares me, her reading level is college freshman and math is a highschool level with comprehension to back up) but her gifted program allows for her education to be tailored to her. That might be an option also to see what support the local school system has due to dietary restrictions :)
You are absolutely right about nursing, it never gets old, you can ALWAYS learn something else. I know I sound cliche about it but really its the truth. I have talked with my husband and when my youngest (he's 21 months) gets older I want to start taking a week here or there and doing medical mission trips, I think I could get more out of it than I could give. I also discussed with when the youngest leaves for college doing travel nursing and just going.
You are never tied down. Heck what OTHER job could you work 3 days a week and be called FULL Time. Anything worthwhile is a challenge. So just don't quit. let me know how you do and what you decide, and just keep your eye on the prize and don't get discouraged!(I actually gave a pep talk tonight to a friend who starts clinicals in a few weeks and she's SCARED)
I was in a RN program. It was 7 quarters long. After 4 quarters it was a requirement to take the LPN boards. One could also opt out at that point or could continue on. The original plan was for me to get my RN. I chose to opt out though. My daughter was 2 at the time and I felt like I was working, at school, or studying and felt like I was missing precious memories. So I opted out. I do want to go back when she is older but right now I enjoy working 3 nights a week and I also work on call at a second job. But then time off is time off. It's not spent studying. It's spent making memories with my little one that I can't get back. This was the best decision for me and my family. I don't feel like I was a sell out at all! I enjoy my life! Yes their are days I wish for that RN and wish I hadn't opted out but I always have the CHOICE of going back. I work in LTC and was an aide in LTC for 6 years before becoming a nurse. I always KNEW LTC was my cup of tea so the idea of hospitals around here not hiring LPNs didn't bother me as hospital nursing wasn't my cup of tea (at least not med surg which is the jumping off point around here).
I can totally relate. They are only young for such a short time. Cherish every minute! I don't regret my decision not to finish nursing school after my first was born. At the time it was the right thing for me and my family and we've led a happy life. :)
I guess one reason I was considering the LPN is because it seemed like a less intense way to ease myself into nursing. The best and cheapest ADN program around here has just absolutely grueling hours due to tons of clinical time. That is a good thing, but oy, I don't know if I can hack that and still meet all my responsibilities. The LPN seemed like a good way to get my foot in the door of nursing without blowing a gasket. Kind of a "don't bite off more than you can chew" approach.
I know what you mean about LTC. It really isn't as bad as people make it out to be, well, let me clarify that, as long as you are in a well staffed, well run facility that is! I really honestly love working with the geriatric population. I can easily see myself in hospice or in LTC/Rehab. In my area we have many, very nice, well staffed places. I volunteer in one right now that I could easily see myself working in. But if I was an RN, I would not get very much contact with the residents/patients. LPNs do most of the nursing care and RNs do mostly management around this neck of the woods in the LTC/Rehab realm. I would not want to work as an RN in LTC (because you are responsible for many many residents and for supervising the LPNs providing their care), but I can easily see myself as an LPN providing direct care. Someday I can see myself in management, but I'd like to work bedside for quite some time first. That is what I enjoy.
Being a CNA is a great way to find out if nursing is really what ya think it will be- I think being a CNA should be required for all prospective nurses to weed out those who don't want to get their hands dirty and be a team player...:) It's invaluable for time management skills
Yes, I totally agree. I worked as a CNA in a nursing home while I was in school the first go around. It cinched the deal for me and I knew within the first week of working that nursing was for me.
I know in our area there are homeschool networks. What that means is you can have your kids go with other homeschool families one or two days a week and it gives them another perspective. Also, these would be more eager to work with dietary restrictions :)
That would enable you to free up that EXTRA day, in exchange you could do things like field trips to the fire house etc. We did homeschooling briefly and I liked it I just lack the patience. My daughter did homebound services (basically homeschooling) for the last half of the school year (due to an illness) I was amazed at 1. how fast she caught up and 2. how far ahead she got. She'll be going into 7th grade and taking her high school algebra in the fall. My 2nd youngest is going into 4th and in a gifted program (she scares me, her reading level is college freshman and math is a highschool level with comprehension to back up) but her gifted program allows for her education to be tailored to her. That might be an option also to see what support the local school system has due to dietary restrictions :)
You are absolutely right about nursing, it never gets old, you can ALWAYS learn something else. I know I sound cliche about it but really its the truth. I have talked with my husband and when my youngest (he's 21 months) gets older I want to start taking a week here or there and doing medical mission trips, I think I could get more out of it than I could give. I also discussed with when the youngest leaves for college doing travel nursing and just going.
You are never tied down. Heck what OTHER job could you work 3 days a week and be called FULL Time. Anything worthwhile is a challenge. So just don't quit. let me know how you do and what you decide, and just keep your eye on the prize and don't get discouraged!(I actually gave a pep talk tonight to a friend who starts clinicals in a few weeks and she's SCARED)
We have an awesome homeschool group here that meets on Wednesdays. Through them I have an extensive network of families that I am pretty sure would help me out with the kids on that extra day while I'm going to school (if I go the part time LPN route). If I go for my RN, there is just no way that I could get that much coverage. I would need someone to cover the kids 2 days a week. I would also be so busy that there is no way that I could do any homeschooling with them. We would have to consider public school options if I go for my RN. Our local school district is pretty fabulous though and we also have a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) school very near our home that my daughter has expressed interest in. So we really do have tons of options. It is just a matter of figuring out what is best for the family and what is best for me and making that jive, LOL.
Oh yeah, me too. I have always dreamed about doing medical mission trips. My hubby has toyed with the idea of becoming a nurse as well (he is already a paramedic) and the two of us doing travel nursing or medical missions once the kids are out of the house! Of course, I would want/need my RN for that. :)
radicalsenseofhope
101 Posts
Yep, I do tend to over think things, especially late at night when my mind is just spinning, LOL. And I am a perfectionist, so I want to do everything just right. Be the best mom, be the best nurse, be the best whatever etc etc. Sometimes that kind of thinking sets me up for failure because you can't do everything 100% and I just end up overwhelmed instead of figuring out ways to compromise on some of my "ideals" so that everything is possible.
I am a happy mom, except that this burning desire to learn more and more about the human body and how disease works, and ways that health and wellness can be encouraged, coupled with a strong enjoyment of caring directly for people, keeps pulling me back towards nursing. I just can't shake the feeling that there is important work I'm supposed to be doing in the medical field. If I didn't think that homeschooling was best for my kids right now or that they need me in the kitchen cooking healthy meals for them, I would have gone back to school long long ago. I'm doing what I think is best for them, not necessarily what I wanted to do with my life.
But you are right. All my over-thinking has paralyzed me. I am just so afraid of making a mistake that will affect my kids and I forever. Worst case scenarios: Give up our happy homeschooling carefree lifestyle and find out that a nursing career wasn't worth the sacrifice. Or never pursue my dreams and grow bitter and resentful over the years. I know there has to be a balance somewhere between those two outcomes.
And yes, you are right. I am smart enough to make this decision and ultimately it is mine to make. But hashing it out here in concrete words (versus ambiguous feelings milling around my brain) and seeing different perspectives on things is so very helpful. Thanks so much!
Moving forward.... I'm taking a nursing assistant class in August (have to retake since I haven't worked as an aid in a long long time) and then I will start looking for a job with the ultimate goal of working as a patient care tech in the hospital. Then we will see what the next step is after that.