Nursing Degrees: The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Practical Nursing (AAS)

[TheCommuter]

The licensed practical nurse (LPN), also referred to as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) in the American states of Texas and California, is a highly valuable healthcare member of staff who has acquired basic nursing education, received training as a generalist nurse, and obtained occupational licensure to render routine care to medically stable patient populations with predictable outcomes. LPNs have been part of the US healthcare system for generations.

Be cognizant that the LPN's scope of practice is completely subject to the state board of nursing in which professional practice occurs. This means that some state boards of nursing (BONs) enable LPNs to practice within the sphere of extremely broad scopes of practice, while other state BONs employ very restrictive scopes of practice that place considerable limits on the skills that LPNs are authorized to perform.

A person who is interested in training to become a licensed practical nurse may opt for one of two stimulating academic paths. Associate's degree programs and diploma/certificate programs are the two main ways in which an individual shall gain entry into the practical nursing profession in the US. While the most frequent pathway into the practical nursing occupation is successful completion of an approved diploma/certificate practical nursing program, this option was discussed in great detail in a previous piece of writing. Expressly, this piece is going to shed more light on the associate of applied science degree in practical nursing, also known in California and Texas as the associate of applied science degree in vocational nursing.

The less common educational route to a practical nursing career is satisfactory completion of a state-approved program that results in conferral of the associate of applied science (AAS) degree in practical nursing. In fact, many members of the public and a small number of nursing professionals are unaware that some LPNs possess associate's degrees. These associate's degree programs are usually offered at community colleges, regional state universities, vocational schools and technical colleges. AAS degree programs in practical nursing tend to be more prevalent in certain geographic regions such as the Midwest, Intermountain West, and West Coast.

The associate of applied science degree in practical nursing delivers a well-rounded education with a slightly wider breadth than the diploma/certificate program. Prior to being granted the legal title of 'LPN,' graduates of associate's degree programs must achieve a passing result on the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), the national exam that leads to professional licensure as a practical nurse.

Practical nursing students who are enrolled in associate's degree programs attend classes at the different types of schools recorded in a preceding paragraph. In addition to a high school diploma or GED, successful completion of specific prerequisite courses is typically necessary for admission into an associate's degree practical nursing program. Moreover, the admissions process can be competitive if the practical nursing program receives more applications than available seats.

Most practical nursing programs instruct students in the following focus areas

• Nursing Fundamentals
• Medical-Surgical Nursing (Child / Adult)
• Clinical Practicum / Hands-On Nursing Skills
• Geriatric Nursing
• Psychiatric / Mental Health Nursing
• Maternal / Postpartum / Obstetric Nursing
• Pediatric Nursing
• Medical Terminology
• Pharmacology

All students in practical nursing associate's degree programs are required to amass several hundred hours worth of hands-on skills training, also known as clinical practicum. Practical nursing clinical rotations take place in various healthcare settings such as acute care hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, doctors' offices, group homes, and extended care facilities. Clinical practicum time is deliberately designed to provide students with valuable experiences through patient encounters and hands-on procedural skills such as vital sign checks, medication administration, wound care, injections, urinary catheter insertions and oxygen therapy.

The vast majority of associate's degree programs are approximately two years in length. Click on the link below to view the layout and curriculum of the associate of applied science (AAS) degree in practical nursing at North Seattle College:

Associate of Applied Science in Nursing at North Seattle College

[Isis Phoenix]

Thanks for the information .....What is the difference between an AAS as a Practical Nurse,and an AAS as a Registered Nurse? I know quite a few RN's that pursued the AAS for registered nurses...during the third semester they sat the LPN boards,and during the final semester of the nursing course they sat the RN boards;subsequently there are many AAS RN's who are also licensed as LPN's too.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Isis Phoenix said:

What is the difference between an AAS as a Practical Nurse,and an AAS as a Registered Nurse?

One program offers basic nursing courses in its curriculum, whereas the other program offers coursework that includes professional nursing classes.

[duskyjewel]

Cathylady said:

Duskyjewel,

Where is there an LPN program that doesn't require pre-requisites?

Cathy

Gateway Community College in Phoenix is where I am applying. Commuter's point about RN programs being severely impacted in large cities is a good one. In Maricopa County (Phoenix Metro) RN programs have waiting lists of 2 and 3 years! This LPN program sometimes gets people in their first semester after application, sometimes wait list for one semester. (I guess it's not technically correct to say it has NO prereq classes, in that there are a couple you can take, but if you are already certified as a CNA, that substitutes for the classes.)

As to the "just go for RN" attitude, well, not everyone's life is the same. This is a second career for me after 15 years as a stay-at-home mom. (PS if you want to tell me that's not a career, just keep it in, please.) I have five kids, a dog, a husband who also works full time, lots of bills and a mortgage, and I will need to still work while in school. I need to take this in small bites. My employer hires LPNs and offers tuition assistance, so LPN makes sense for me right now. Especially this particular program I'm applying to.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

duskyjewel said:

As to the "just go for RN" attitude, well, not everyone's life is the same.

Yep. many moons ago I was a 23-year-old factory worker with 3 years of service on the job, minimal college credits, no prerequisite courses completed, and no way of attending school full time while working full time.

I worked 12-hour rotating shifts at the factory from 5:00am to 5:30pm for three weeks, then three weeks of night shift (5:00pm to 5:30am). This day/night rotation continued infinitely, so there was no way I'd be able to attend school and keep this job.

So I took a risky plunge by quitting my factory job and enrolling in a 12-month fast track LVN program at a trade school. Since I had a mortgage and other bills to pay without the help of a spouse or family members, I could only be out of work for one year at the most.

The risk-taking worked because the LVN license enabled me to switch careers and eventually earn an RN license a few years later.

[chillnurse, BSN, RN, NP]

So more school for no more money. makes less sense than cents to me.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

chillnurse said:

So more school for no more money. makes less sense than cents to me.

Yes, LPNs who hold the AAS are paid the same as LPNs who have certificates/diplomas.

But would you make the same comment about the BSN degree? After all, in the acute care hospital bedside setting, the BSN-educated RN attained more schooling than the ASN-educated RN and is usually not earning more money. If there is a wage difference, it is usually less than $1 per hour.

[chillnurse, BSN, RN, NP]

I agree the bsn is just as worthless unless you plan to pursue a masters or careers that require a bsn. Paying for education for the sake of education is madness if there is no benefit.

[victoria1654]

This is very true TheCommuter! I am an LPN and already possessed my Associates Degree. My intention was to bridge over immediately and work as LPN while finishing my RN.

Life happened and I got pregnant with my first son. In the meantime the local bridge program shut down. So I at least had my LPN. I am finally ready to start looking at completing my RN even getting my BSN..

[auspicious1]

This is a interesting topic!!! Right now I'm undecided about the LPN or RN program. I'm actually done with my all my prerequisite courses. I wonder how different is the difficulty factor for the two programs. I hear so much about the type of dedication a student has to have to make it though the RN program. It seems as though the LPN program is not so rigorous. I'm not trying to take the easy way out, I'm just being realistic about my circumstances.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

auspicious1 said:

I wonder how different is the difficulty factor for the two programs.

I completed a practical nursing program (LPN) in 2005 and an associate degree (RN) program in 2010. Neither program was a cakewalk.

auspicious1 said:

It seems as though the LPN program is not so rigorous. I'm not trying to take the easy way out, I'm just being realistic about my circumstances.

In my personal experience, the LPN program was the more rigorous of the two. I attended 8 hours per day, five days per week, for 12 months straight without any breaks. I had to cram a lot of material in a limited amount of time. The RN, on the other hand, was less intense to me.

[internationalsarah]

After following my husband around the world for almost 20 years, it is now time for my career. I had originally planned on pursuing my 2-year RN degree, but after discovering that my local community college isn't placing applicants until 2018, I decided that I didn't want to wait that long. By entering their 13 month LPN program, I can then work for 3 months, take a bridge class and then be fast tracked into the 3rd semester of the RN program. There are other programs in town with shorter waitlists, but it seems to be that the shorter the waitlist, the higher the cost. I would like to think that I will be an RN by the end of 2016. Watch this space.

[shan409, ASN, BSN, LPN, RN]

Just like others, I had no idea the LPN associate degree existed. I do understand it, though I would not op to complete it myself. I have been trying to get into an accredited RN program for some time and have been on 2 waiting lists (one at a community college, one at a vocational school) and am now finally accepted into a CCNE accredited LPN program starting in the fall (Yayyy!).

But I have just completed an associate of arts (liberal arts) due to taking so many classes. So I guess it could make sense for someone going towards their BSN afterward to op for an associate degree of any kind.