Jensenn

:yeah:Congratulations. I ran into the same dilemma last year. Both programs require a lot of work and dedication. the only real difference being 2 semesters (10 months). The real benefits are greater opportunities for placement, degree, higher pay in most cases, opportunity for advancement is greater for advancement. My wife was an LPN first then an RN and she told me to just go for the RN. Among many of the reasons listed she told me that when someone saw LPN on her badge they treated as if she were not a real nurse and she said there were minimal differences in the RN and LPN programs. I chose the RN program because in the long run I save time because I don't have to graduate and then wait another year to pick up and start on my RN, I can work in a multitude of facilities as soon as I graduate and pass boards. It isn't easy, but it is worth it. Just keep in mind no matter which you choose that if you reach a point where you feel like curling into a corner crying, consider other careers, and just want to scream there are many others in your class feeling the same way.

To ScribblerPNP, I have thought about the purpose of care plans quite a bit every time that I have had to do one in the past year of nursing school and that seems to be the best explanation i have heard so far. My instructors stress the importance of critical thinking all the time and it is evidenced in the way that they grade our care plans. If each care plan, clinical prep sheet, and patho is not specific to the patient we can count on it being hammered away at until we think about other career fields. Thank you for taking the time to put a wonderful explanation up that helps to bring understanding to the confused such as me who love to help people and can't always see the purpose behind the madness.