Get my adn or lpn? Newbie here

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hello nurses and future nurses..... So I am here finally posting after lurking the boards for quite some time now..... Ahhhhh! Feels great anyways!

I am dealing with a huge toss up between going to LPN school (12 mo. 29,850) in my area or just get my ADN (24 mo. Unsure of the cost) but I am sure it's less than almost 30G's. I am almost certain I just want to get my ADN and go on to get my BSN after working for sometime as a RN with a ADN. My questions are below:

1. Would a RN with a ADN get jobs as a LPN before a "LPN" if I chose to go that route? Just so I am atleast able to work while trying to obtain my BSN? (as I hear ADN's are being phased away)

2. Can you get your BSN without getting your ADN 1st? Or do you automatically recieve that after 2 years of school?

A LITTLE ABOUT MY BACKGROUND:

I started out as a home health aide at 18 and did that up until around 20 I focused my work around working with TBI & SCI patients in group home settings as well as doing private home care on the side. At 21 I registered for a accelerated C.M.A program & recieved my certification as a Certified Medical Assistant in August of 2016. As of now I am working for a big organization with over 5 speciality doctors.... So I am ready to further my education :) it's been 6 months since I graduated & I want to be enrolled in a program for the spring of 2017 I am currently 23 y/o btw ☺👋

I keep hearing those horror story waitlist stories that scare me to thinking lpn would be better..... *sighs*

Specializes in Emergency Room, CEN, TCRN.
My school offers LPN certificates to RN students after completing the first three quarters of the nursing program.

I wish my BSN program was like that -- we get free CNA licenses after year one and CNA2 after our 2nd year.

Specializes in Critical Care, Trauma.

It's really nice. A friend of mine just passed her NCLEX-PN over Winter break and is going to be working part-time as a LPN while she finishes her RN.

My ADN program.. including the pre reqs , books, and CNA training was under 20k, plenty of chances for scholarships and grants, and I had a job offer the day after graduation for an RN position. That LPN program sounds like some crazy for profit school that wouldn't even care about your outcome at that price. Slower, better, and cheaper. It'll be worth it.

I keep hearing those horror story waitlist stories that scare me to thinking lpn would be better..... *sighs*

The wait list horror stories would only be relevant if you live in an area where the schools still utilize wait lists. In my home state, all the programs were points based and you got points for things like pre-reqs completed, GPA, previous degree, etc. and the people with the most points were offered positions.

If you do decide to go for your LPN, go through a reputable community college. I paid around $15k for my diploma nursing program (RN) and think $30k for an LPN is crazy talk. ;)

You guys have all seriously been so helpful Lol... I know what I want to do now... But I really like the sound of the bsn program and being offered lpn once so much has been finished! That is awesome.... I have no pre reqs though but plan on going on online for some. Typically how many classes do I need before applying? And will I get points for my previous medical background?

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
But I really like the sound of the bsn program and being offered lpn once so much has been finished!

Just be aware this is not allowed in all states. Check your BON website to be sure your state allows this. There is a thread here about someone who became an LPN this way (did not complete RN program) and cannot endorse their license to a new state because the new state does not recognize that as a valid option for LON licensure.

If i were you i would definitely start at a community college. Take your pre recs. Look at what is needed for the community college ADN program, and look at what is needed for your local 4 year university BSN program (where i live most are the same). Then, apply to the ADN program and apply to the BSN program if you want as a transfer. i'm not sure how the LPN and spending all that money is going to help you if what you want is to be an RN. If you do the ADN program then you can bridge to a BSN online. You don'tneed an ADN to get a BSN. You should probably make appointments with the counselors at your local community college that offers an ADN and your closest 4 year that offers a BSN. They will be able to guide you in the right direction. At your age, i think the ADN is the best way to go bc it is SO cost effective. The only reason i would hesitate on the ADN is if your area is not hiring new grads with ADNs. But then again, if you are young and not tied down by caretaking or other responsibilities where you currently live, then you also have the option of moving to a location where they do hire new grad ADNs, work for a year, bridge to a BSN online, and then you are in a position where you have experience and a BSN, and you aren't out $30k.

You guys have all seriously been so helpful Lol... I know what I want to do now... But I really like the sound of the bsn program and being offered lpn once so much has been finished! That is awesome.... I have no pre reqs though but plan on going on online for some. Typically how many classes do I need before applying? And will I get points for my previous medical background?

There is a "quote" button under each post that will make it clear who and what you are replying to.

It sounds like you're VERY early in your planning, and everyone has offered solid advice.

What you need to do next is look at the colleges that are viable options for you, and make sure they are ACEN or CCNE accredited. If they are not accredited, they are not worth you time.

The prereqs you need will vary by program. The selection process will vary by program. My community college didn't "waitlist," they took the most qualified students each semester. Choose your coming classes based on the program you want to apply for. If you take the prereqs somewhere besides your target college, make sure they transfer. Credits that don't transfer are useless.

My course's prereqs were something like A&P I & II, English, Psychology, Algebra, and options between a few classes like Medical Terminology. Letter grades earned you points on the application. Living in the same region as the program gave you a small number of points. The TEAS score gave you points on the application. Admissions were objective based on the points system, and experience wasn't counted.

The LPN has less autonomy and less career mobility, but if you can't get into an RN program first, you can still do LPN then a bridge LPN-RN program. Personally, I favor starting with the ASN if you can. My school's LPN program was 3 semesters of core nursing classes and RN program was 4, so it was a worthwhile investment to go straight to ASN.

If this is your first college experience, it will probably take a solid 3 years to get your ASN completed, including prereqs and coreqs, vs 2.5 for LPN.

ASN job prospects vary by location. I've never had a problem getting a job but I know my grace period may run out, so I plan to get into an RN-BSN program.... sometime... in the next few years. I've heard decent things about for that.

There is a "quote" button under each post that will make it clear who and what you are replying to.

It sounds like you're VERY early in your planning, and everyone has offered solid advice.

What you need to do next is look at the colleges that are viable options for you, and make sure they are ACEN or CCNE accredited. If they are not accredited, they are not worth you time.

The prereqs you need will vary by program. The selection process will vary by program. My community college didn't "waitlist," they took the most qualified students each semester. Choose your coming classes based on the program you want to apply for. If you take the prereqs somewhere besides your target college, make sure they transfer. Credits that don't transfer are useless.

My course's prereqs were something like A&P I & II, English, Psychology, Algebra, and options between a few classes like Medical Terminology. Letter grades earned you points on the application. Living in the same region as the program gave you a small number of points. The TEAS score gave you points on the application. Admissions were objective based on the points system, and experience wasn't counted.

The LPN has less autonomy and less career mobility, but if you can't get into an RN program first, you can still do LPN then a bridge LPN-RN program. Personally, I favor starting with the ASN if you can. My school's LPN program was 3 semesters of core nursing classes and RN program was 4, so it was a worthwhile investment to go straight to ASN.

If this is your first college experience, it will probably take a solid 3 years to get your ASN completed, including prereqs and coreqs, vs 2.5 for LPN.

ASN job prospects vary by location. I've never had a problem getting a job but I know my grace period may run out, so I plan to get into an RN-BSN program.... sometime... in the next few years. I've heard decent things about WGU for that.

Awesome! Thanks I keep hearing a lot about acter the fact.. What exactly is that? Thank you again for the great advice I will be talking to my local community college tomorrow.

RN hands down. Do an RN to bsn later if needed or desired. The market just doesn't demand LPNs these days. They work just as hard and are paid little when hired.

Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

To the OP, if your goal is to ultimately be an RN then I would not recommend that you obtain your LPN/LVN first. The market for LPN/LVN is more limited because there are fewer areas where they practice compared to 10, 20, 30 years ago. Let me be clear that there are definitely still opportunities for LPN/LVN but if you want to obtain your RN then it usually doesn't make a lot of sense financially to pay to complete an LPN/LVN program and then go back for an LPN-to-RN program (usually resulting in an ADN) and then continuing on in an RN-to-BSN program. The fact remains that at this point its too late for you to enroll in the Spring 2017 semester of any program so you can start looking for programs that start in Fall 2017. I would start by looking at local RN programs because that will be where you get the most value and look at the cost and the time commitment required for the programs. If obtaining your BSN is your ultimate goal, I would consider applying directly to BSN programs but if that is not an option at this time due to finances, scheduling etc. then focus your search on ADN programs. After you have narrowed down where you are interested in applying then set up some appointments to meet with the enrollment officers at the programs and take a tour of the schools. Submit your applications before the deadlines and wait to see what programs accept you.

Best of luck!

!Chris :specs:

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