NurseRobbi

This thread is getting old. I worked hard to get where I am. I worked all the way through nursing school, my BSN program and still working full time while in a masters program. With each step of my education I have become more professional. I didn't mean to. It wasn't planned. It just happened. Some of what they were teaching me managed to sink in. I repeatedly thought that nursing theory was pointless, and yet, I find myself using parts of it in my practice. Yes, my practice. Isn't that an oddly "professional" term? Crazy thing is that by the time I have finished my education, I will have spent about as much time as I would have had I gone to med school. Do I feel like a professional? Absolutely. If you don't, then maybe you are not promoting nursing in the right light. Maybe you would be better suited to being an electrician. Good luck to ya.

I can't think of too many laborers that make 100 thousand a year, or spend several years in college to receive the education required to do their jobs, so I must respectfully disagree. Nursing is a profession. At all levels. I believe the reason we don't receive the respect that other professions do can be chalked up to one very major reason and a few other small ones. The major reason? Representation by labor unions. What other professions arm themselves with Jimmy Hoffa types to represent their interests? None. You don't see the doc's joining unions, or lawyers, either. I agree that nursing theories and nursing diagnoses are silly and pretty much a waste of time that could be better used at the bedside, but I still believe that nursing is a profession, with or without a central theory. Next, we are currently employed (most of us) by these large companies called hospitals who concern themselves far too much with patient satisfaction scores as opposed to patient outcomes. These companies have decided that patients should be treated like customers and be given excellent service and if they aren't then they should heartily complain. The trouble is that patients don't always like what is good for them and the procedures that they need. Have you seen the post hospital stay patient comments? Good grief! They are full of stupid crap like how they didn't get to eat all the time (kept NPO) and their linens weren't changed daily.You seldom see comments like, "I am thankful for the care I received because they saved my freakin' life!" It's like as though we are supposed to provide excellent care to these people and help them to have great outcomes but they are never supposed to suffer for a moment. Suffering often accompanies sickness and procedures, we minimize it as much as we can, but come on! We aren't miracle workers! This stupid business of catering to the "customers" wishes as though they were residing in a luxury hotel is ridiculous! Oh, and it makes us appear like waitresses and that's how they treat us. So there goes the respect of the public... Then, to top it off, many of us wear ridiculous clothing to work. Who is going to be treated like a professional while wearing scooby doo scrubs??? Unless you're working in Ped's, you need to dress like an adult. Period. End of story. I kind of think lab coats are a good idea only because it adds professionalism. Furthermore, I don't really care about the term "professional", I have a job to do, one that I spent many years in school to learn how to do. I work with some excellent CNA's, so no disrespect to them (and being a CNA is a great base for future nursing knowledge) but, NONE of them, or the community as a whole have been educated in pathophysiology or pharmacology anywhere near to the extent that we have been, so saying that CNA's could do the job?? That's ludicrous. Maybe you work on a floor or LTC where you use none of your skills and never act with autonomy, but that is not the case in my job. I use my brain constantly, and I clean poo and pass trays, and fetch pitchers of water. It's what I do, it's my profession, and I love it. And yes, it is a profession.

alright,just a thought- even though I know you don't want to go more than 4 years, prepare yourself because almost nobody finishes nursing school in 4 years! By the time you take your prereq's and get into a program (which can take years) and THEN complete a nursing program, it is not uncommon for 6 years or more to pass. Just a little reality for you. That said, however, don't be discouragted, just know this going in to it. Have you considered med school? I know it sounds like a long time, but you seem like a perfect candidate for med school. I mean, you are young (just out of high school) and smart as heck (GPA of 4.4). I mean it may take you 8 years, but in the end it may well be worth taking the time and just getting your MD or DO. There is currently NOT a nursing shortage, but I believe there is a physician shortage and it's not expected to get better. I think you might make an awesome doc. I think you should consider it.

Here in Northern California we tend to say that we"called in" as in called in sick.To be "called off" means to be called and told not to come to work because of low census or whatever. Calling out?? I don't think I've heard of that except when offering to fight...heehee.. "I called her out" means you better put up your dukes cuz it's on and crackin'!

I completed my 30 unit option program in May 2005. Colleges that offer a 30 unit option don't usually advertise that heavily so I am not suprised that the websites don't mention them. I did not wait AT ALL to get in. ADN and BSN programs are horribly impacted, but 30 unit option students are not competing for those spaces and since you have to be an LVN there is a much smaller group of applicants. Your best bet is to call and speak to the dean of nursing at your local university and ask about it- chances are good that even if that school doesn't offer it the dean will know where to direct you.

those classes (that you took) would probably be prerequisites to the program, but you would have to check to find out if they were acceptable. The classes that I tested out of were nursing classes. If I remember correctly, I believe I tested out of psych nursing, ob, physical assessment and it seems like one or two others that I can't recall. Most of those classes were components in the LVN program that I had taken so having to sit for the class would have been redundant. Testing out of those classes whittled quite a bit of time off the program. It only took 2 semesters to complete, although I could have stayed and completed my BSN- that would have taken me another two years and I really just wanted to go to work as an RN at the time, so I finished my BSN later. On another note, the community colleges in my area did not offer the 30 unit option, the local state university, however, did. Check with the universities in your area and good luck.

my experience with the 30 unit option has been mostly positive. It didn't require as many of the redundant prereq's and I was able to complete it quickly. Many of the 30 units I was able to test out of so I didn't have to take the actual classes. On the bad side of things however, I was not able to be licensed in Oregon (which is why I went ahead and got my BSN. Oregon will license you as long as you have the BSN) and the program that I took at one of California State University's (I won't mention which one) was horribly disorganized and poorly run. The nursing education that I recieved as an LVN at a community college, in my opinion, was far superior to the education I got during my upgrade. With all that said, I think you should look into it. After all, the real education begins AFTER you get your license.

I became an LVN in 2003, spent a year taking prereq's while working full time night shift, then spent a year in a 30 unit option LVN to RN upgrade program that is available here in California. I completed that program and passed boards in 2005. I went back to school online for my BSN and completed that this past April and now I am starting a masters/FNP program in October. My point is is this- the sky is the limit, whatever you dream you can achieve. I worked full time through every phase of my education and will continue to work full time. I think most nurses tend to underestimate the quality education that most LVN's (LPN's) receive, that upgrade education (LVN to RN) is really just more of the same and is always building on your already learned knowledge base. Good luck to you!