TtotheG

The amount of time it takes will totally depend on the school's requirements, length of program and the classes which you have already completed. After I finished my 2 years of LPN school, I still have one year of generals. Now I am finally started the LPN-RN which is 3 semesters or 1 1/2 years. It's a long road. It's completely possible for you to work part-time while going to school full-time as long as you're not incompetent. My program is full-time, I work 25 hours a week, study a so-so amount and I am between 90-98% in my classes. It all depends on what you want to put into it. My preference was to do an on-campus program instead of an on-line program, but that may be different for each person. You have to ask yourself is your learning style, can you be committed to your goals if you do it online, and make sure you choose and accredited on-line program if you go that route. I'm just going to say straight out that it's a lot of work. It's very upsetting to me that I spent 2 years in an LPN program, and it only gave me credit towards 1 of the 4 semesters of the RN program. If I had to do it all over again, I would have chosen a different career. This has been a lot of work, a lot of money, and a lot of stress. Good luck to you.

Honestly, if you already have a full-time job which pays $50k per year, I think your best bet is to keep doing what you're doing. First of all, college is expensive and the costs add up quickly. I can barely justify the amount I am paying/have paid and I am 25, not 40. Second, it's great to have a plan, but if there's anything you should know about nursing school, it's that a plan will only get you so far. There's no guarantees that you will get into the program right when you apply or whether you will be successful the first time around in your classes. The last thing is that nursing school is very difficult. Chances are, if you're just deciding to do this now, then it's not something you've "always wanted to do," or it would be done already not something you're just thinking of. Those that go into nursing for a reason other than because they have always wanted to be a nurse, are often not successful. I have seen tons of people come and go who wanted to be a nurse "for the money," or because "it's a good job." It's not for the weak hearted. I hate to be blunt, but you asked for people's opinion, so there you go. Good luck...you'll need it.