Needing some advice please

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Specializes in Rehab, LTC.

So I am a career changer and I currently work in Accounting. I have always wanted to be a nurse but I ended up an accounting major instead (whole different story there). Anyway, I have 2 children and a husband and so I decided to start at a local private school because they had an evening LPN program (21 months)so I could continue to work, and no waiting list, pre-reqs, ect. I would have considered a Fast Track Second Degree BSN program but those require a Bachelor's degree in an un-related field, and I only have an Associates. SO, with all that being said I plan to finish the LPN program then either do an LPN-RN bridge at my local school, or I have also been looking into the online LPN-BSN courses. That decision will come at a later date.

My question is this. I currently work for a GREAT hospital already. I live in Louisville, KY and work for Norton Hospital in the accounting/finance department. The hospitals in our area does not hire LPN's except the VA Hospital and I think Jewish Hospital may as well.I really really don't want to work in a LTC Facility. Not that I am above it or anything like that, I just think that the job would be very monotonous and boring (much like accounting!) I am wondering if I should complete the LPN course (I start at the end of this month btw) but not work as an LPN, keep working at my accounting job, then just continue right into the LPN-RN bridge program, then get my RN license (1 yr program) and get a job as an RN at my hospital? Does that sound realistic? Can you do that? Or should I get the LPN experience? Any thoughts or experience with this would be great!! Thank you!

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MOST lpn to rn programs require you to work a year as a LPN and show proof. And if you work dayshift as an LPN in a skilled LTC facility you will not be bored.

Do what is good for schedule and your finances at the moment. Questions to ask yourself are.

Can I still work in accounting as I work towards my RN without having my LPN?

Are those online LPN to RN bridges safe? (there's lots of hidden info and fees and certain states do not accept such educations and will not let you sit for your boards)

Finances & Costs? how are they going to affect you?

Family and your family's schedule, how is this going to affect them?

Time? Which is quicker? Getting my RN.. or getting my LPN then going for my RN? The advantage of having your LPN prior to your RN is you can attempt to test out of most required classes. If you are straight up going for your RN you can't. And all RN programs require 2 A&P classes, Micro, Chem, 2 maths, 2 english, and plenty of electives, especially if you are going towards a BSN. They don't take just any associates degree. I know for the second degree bachelors program near me requires you to take all of the biology, micro, and chem if it wasn't in your previous bachelors/associates degree and must be taken recently in the past 7 years. A&P is very handy when you are doing med/surg as well as just being a nurse in general, cause then you know how the body works and when you get into med/surg you learn how these diseases affect you. When you get to pharm you understand how the drugs work.

I would get an appointment with an advisor and talk to them about the RN program and if they offer the LPN to RN bridge I would also talk to them about that.

Goodluck.

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Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.

do you have any pre-requisites classes, such as, human anatomy & physiology i & ii? what about microbiology? if possible, skip the lpn, and go straight for your rn. use only the lpn as a back up. if you choose the lpn program, would you be able to handle the load because you will be working full-time as an accountant at the same time? lpn program is not a piece of cake.

about ltc (nursing home), how do you know it would be boring and monotonous? have you worked as a nurse in ltc or at least shadowed a nurse in ltc? i don't mean to be mean but how did you come to the conclusion that ltc is boring? just like the saying goes "you have to walk a mile in another man's shoes...etc."

anyway, i wish my job is boring and monotonous so i can have the time to go to the bathroom and not eat lunch in less than 15 mins.

in addition, there are many jobs for lpns outside of hospital and ltc such as doctor offices, home health, psych facility, prisons, ltac, sub-acute, etc... but yes the majority is in ltc.

good luck to you. i am now pursuing my rn via excelsior college, one of the distance learning schools.

angel

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Specializes in Rehab, LTC.

I checked at the private school that I will be going to and I can complete the LPN program and go right into the RN program.

I am sorry if I offended anyone about a LTC being boring and monotonous, I gathered this info from all of the posts on here about a lot of people saying all LTC is passing meds, and charting, passing meds and charting. This just didn't sound like something I wanted to do.

The program I am going to isn't as intense as an all day full time nursing program. It is part time so I take half the classes, so it is slower paced. I have plenty of time (21 months) to figure out what I am going to do.

I would go straight to an RN program but all of the colleges here with an RN or BSN program are waitlisted and that is why I chose the private school.

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Well good luck!

And hospital nursing is the same as an rn only more charting cause of all the assesments and both nursing home and hospital you will have treatments to give.

You will find in nursing no matter what pt care area you get in it will seem like all you do is chart and give meds. This goes for any type of nursing. And magnet hospitals will find you more things to chart and duplicate your charting.

What school will you be applying for your rn?

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Specializes in L & D, Med-Surge, Dialysis.

wish you good luck in your new career!

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