Please help me resolve my dilemma!!!

Published

Hello everybody,

I was trying to enter in a nursing field and i am not sure which way is good. Do RN directly or first do LPN and then RN. Which way is better?

Please give me some advice

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think this issue depends on where you live. In my area, becoming an LPN then doing the LPN-RN bridge takes roughly the same amount of time, but costs more money. Whereas, it seems like in Cali, they have a crazy lottery, so becoming an LPN then doing the bridge could be a sensible option.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There are benefits and drawbacks to both, depending on your particular situation. Try searching the site, there have been numerous threads about this. Before you decide, consider your likelihood of getting into an lpn program, rn program, or bsrn program. Is it important for you to get employed within the next year/year and a half, or can you wait four years? It is beneficial to wait four years, hoping that the nursing employment rates for new grads have improved by then? What's the difference between lpn and rn scops of practice in your state? What's the difference in pay? Do you have a bachelor's degree already (is an accelerated bsn appropriate for you?) Do you have familial/financial responsibilities preventing you from going to school full time (or full time for several years)?

You might benefit from talking to someone close to you in the field, or a guidance counselor, etc.... If you're actively looking at programs, you should have no problem getting your questions answered.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank You all for replying to my question. I am the actual bread winner of the family. I am a

environmental engineer and has a salary with in the range of 45k. I am not satisfied with my job and the money which i am making now. So i decided to change the career so that "Godwilling" I have financial freedom and less pressure at work plus always will be in demand. I live in upstate NY. If i do any of this course i will do fulltime . Do you guys have any idea how much a LPN makes in a place like mine?

All your valuable reply will help me decide the right thing for me and my family.

Thank You once again

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing.

You probably aren't going to make nearly as much as you do now as an LPN.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

So i decided to change the career so that "Godwilling" I have financial freedom and less pressure at work plus always will be in demand.

Nurses are not in demand right now. There is a surplus of new grad nurses so please keep in mind that you may not get a job as an LPN or RN for a while. Of course, that may change when the economy bounces back(hopefully by the time you graduate), but please do not go into the field for salary reasons.

Also, nursing is an extremely high stress/pressure job. People's lives are in your hands. If that's not pressure, then I don't know what is. So if you're looking for a more laid back position, nursing is not it. :twocents:

mjmoom makes a good point. You probably won't make as much as an LPN as you do right now.

Money should never be the main motivation for a career change because you will always want a higher paying job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
So i decided to change the career so that "Godwilling" I have financial freedom and less pressure at work plus always will be in demand.

Nurses are not in demand right now. There is a surplus of new grad nurses so please keep in mind that you may not get a job as an LPN or RN for a while. Of course, that may change when the economy bounces back(hopefully by the time you graduate), but please do not go into the field for salary reasons.

Also, nursing is an extremely high stress/pressure job. People's lives are in your hands. If that's not pressure, then I don't know what is. So if you're looking for a more laid back position, nursing is not it. :twocents:

mjmoom makes a good point. You probably won't make as much as an LPN as you do right now.

Money should never be the main motivation for a career change because you will always want a higher paying job.

Agreed. The only thing I would add is that it is unlikely you would make $45k per year as an LPN without working overtime, which would add to the stress you are trying to avoid.

You'd have to make at least $21/hr working 40 hours/week, more if you worked 36 hours/week, in order to avoid OT. Some new RNs don't make that much to start, although many do. You would have to earn a minimum of $24/hr for 36 hrs/wk without OT in order to match your current salary.

I started out making $23.99/hr at a union hospital in Michigan, so you possibly could too, but there are some hospitals in my area that start RNs a few dollars less than that. All of this is also assuming you get a job right away, which may not happen. So there's lots for you to think about.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Seems so complicated...here i wanted to get a secure/demanding job and i have all these feedback. I am really disappointed. But i am happy at least i have a clear picture of what i am getting.

Thank You all for your advice.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It is disappointing, I can understand how you feel. I'm in school and I fear that I may not get a job after I graduate. But I don't let that fear rule me because I want to be a nurse. If I wanted a higher paying job on average and less stress I would've stayed in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography or Dental Hygienist program. But I want to be a nurse.

I need to suggest one thing.... don't base your career decision on what's in demand. Demands change. You need to base your career decision on what you WANT to do with your life. No other factors need to apply. Sure we all want to be rich. But many rich people commit suicide because of depression.

Money doesn't buy happiness. Sure it buys nice things and pays bills, but if you hate your job, what's the point? You will feel like your life is useless. It can lead to depression. I've been there! I left a high paying job with amazing benefits because I felt like my life was useless and I became depressed. There was a point when the stress and the hatred for the job started to affect my health. It started to affect my husband too because I would be crying every day I came home.

Now we are poor, but we're pursuing our dreams and we couldn't be happier. :yeah:

My husband makes $15k less than you per year. I don't work. We would love to have more money. But he LOVES his job. He is a chef. He could easily get a career that pays more, he is very smart, but this is what he loves. I support him. I told him that I will support any career decision he makes as long is that is the one that makes him happy. I NEVER want to see him come home from his job miserable. Of course, everyone has bad days, but there is a huge difference between a bad day and despising what you do.

I'm not sure how supportive your family is, but there are plenty of us on here that can be supportive. No one wants to see you spend money on schooling only to find out you don't like nursing.

If you want to be a nurse to be a nurse, then please go ahead with the schooling. You should never let the current economic status affect what you want to do with your life. It's your life! You only have one, so do what makes you happy!:hug:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Seems so complicated...here i wanted to get a secure/demanding job and i have all these feedback. I am really disappointed. But i am happy at least i have a clear picture of what i am getting.

Thank You all for your advice.

I'm sorry to complicate things for you, but if it were me, I'd rather know the truth of a situation before making my decision.

If nursing is a field that you truly want to pursue, I think my best advice would be to definitely go for the RN vs the LPN given your current circumstances and needs.

You said you would go full-time, so I assume you must have a plan for providing for your family while in school. If you can afford the time and tuition of a BSN, I would recommend that, because it MIGHT make a difference to an employer in getting hired. But take a look at job postings in your area to get a feel for whether that's accurate at this time, while knowing that the trend might change by the time you graduate.

If you don't think you can swing the BSN right now, go to commumity college for the ADN. You will still be a registered nurse, after the NCLEX of course, but it will cost less. You can always pursue a bachelors at a later date if that's your goal. BSN vs ADN is no difference in pay in many areas. Where there is a difference, it's so little that you need not even consider it at this point.

Finally, if you do decide to travel this route, be prepared to move to land a job if necessary. I'm of the opinion that many new grads who are having a hard time finding a job actually could have one if they were more willing to go anywhere to get one. Again, the climate of nursing might well change in the next 2-3 years so this may not be necessary, but better to be prepared for this eventuality and not need to do it.

Again, if this is something that you truly want to pursue, then I think you can do it successfully as long as you plan carefully.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank You all for your precious advice...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Thank You all for your precious advice...

You're welcome! Please let us know what you decide.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion