New Lpn wanting to start bridge program asap but scared!

[Lovecats85]

Hello my friends:) So I am debating if I should go back to school or not. I graduated in May from my Lpn program and started working in August. The first two months were awful! I felt as if I never went to nursing school. All the paper work, mean doctors, rude families, and older nurses judging me all the time just stressed me out so bad! Things at work are somewhat better, but I think that is because I am getting the hang of things. anywho to make a long story short, if I can barely handle being an Lpn, I am afraid of what will happen when I become an RN. What keeps me going everyday at work is God and remembering how hard I had to work to be where I am now. I am really scared basically. I want to start applying to schools but i am just so nervous. Can any of you please give some advice of how you juggled school and work. Or do any of you relate to me or am I just being a big baby. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

[PaintedWings♥]

I think it's normal to feel apprehensive about returning to school, especially having some not-so-fun experiences as a new LPN. I graduated 2 years ago and I am starting a transition to RN program this January. I actually wish I had gone back right after I graduated. That being said, I do have a lot of friends that are LPNs and are not very encouraged to go back to school. They also feel similar to the way you feel. Personally, I am so excited to go back and advance with my career. I am ready to pursue other areas of nursing and hopefully, one day, find my niche. My advice is to do a lot of reflecting and think about where you hope to be with your career a couple years down the line. If you find that you do not wish to advance, that is perfectly okay. Good luck with your endeavors!

[SquishyRN, BSN, RN]

Take solace in the fact that you will never be as fresh a new nurse ever again as you are right now. Even when you finish your RN program and are a brand new grad RN, you can't undo the experience you will have already gained as an LPN. A lot of what burns out new grads are what you just described: families, doctors, paperwork... And you will never be brand new to that ever again, even if you start in a completely different specialty as an RN.

When I was a brand new LVN grad I started in a SNF with only 3 days of orientation. I felt like crying after I finished my first day of work. There were many days I felt like crying. I dreaded every day I'd come to work. Since I only worked per diem, I would only work whenever I was called in, but I dreaded getting calls, not only because I was scared to work, but also because I was scared that I was in trouble for forgetting something and had to come back. I used to think I would never cut it in nursing, that I would never be competent. I felt this way for 6 months before it even STARTED to get better. As a new grad RN, however, I have none of those feelings. I'm excited to learn new things and to take on new responsibilities instead of fearing them. The families, doctors, and paperwork are nothing new and just part of another day at the job.

So don't be scared. It will never be as scary again as it is where you are right now.

[Aongroup1990, CNA]

First of all I PM'd you on here, lol but let me say that you are lucky to even be an LPN. I was in one of the LPN program in Indiana and wish I could start over again. Now I am considering investing in Everest. I actually looked through all of the other schools but they require pre-requisits.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I juggled school and work by working 16-hour weekend double shifts every Saturday and Sunday as an LVN at a local nursing home. The 32 hours of work per week was more than enough for me to live on.

This schedule also enabled me to have five days off per week in a row from Monday through Friday, so I attended school during my free time.

[pookyp, LPN]

I juggled school and work by working 16-hour weekend double shifts every Saturday and Sunday as an LVN at a local nursing home. The 32 hours of work per week was more than enough for me to live on. This schedule also enabled me to have five days off per week in a row from Monday through Friday so I attended school during my free time.[/quote']

This is what I want to do.

[Toby1225]

GO BACK! It is totally normal to feel like you never went to nursing school when you are a brand new nurse at your first job. The first thing they said to the new nurses at my orientation is that you will hate working, and not feel like you know anything until you have been working for at least six months. I worked for five months and then the school that I went to PN school at started a bridge program and I was accepted. I now graduate in April and I cant wait! Don't wait to go back too long, because all the LPN's that I worked with that had been nurses for years said that they wished they had gone back, but got lazy and never went. Good Luck!! You can do it!