Should I go for my LPN/LVN or RN

[gpc_412]

I am currently getting my CNA in Pennsylvania at a local Community College. They offer an RN (ADN) program, but the next available program is in Fall of 2015. They also offer an LPN program that beings in January of 2015.

I am married and in my early 30's and spent a decade in retail, so I would like to make a practical decision for someone in my position.

Should I just work as a CNA for a year and then work on my prerequisites and gear towards the ADN program or should I try to get into the LPN program?

I would like to get a BSN and not just the ADN, so should I become an LPN and work towards the four year degree, or should I just wait it out, work for 6 months and get an ADN?

Thanks for reading!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

The answer to your question depends on where you want your nursing career to go. Which specialties interest you? In the state where you reside, LPNs have been phased out of many of the hospitals, so your employment options would include nursing homes, doctors' offices, private duty cases, home health, prisons, and methadone clinics.

[gpc_412]

Thank you for the quick response. I would like to work as a Nurse Practitioner as my final goal in Nursing but I do not have the opportunity of going to school full time for 6 consecutive years, I will need to work for a year or two with breaks from school because my wife would like to have children in the next couple of years.

I do like orthopedic/ rehab care the best because my father worked in the field as a podiatrist and I have a lot of familiarity with it and it seems to be a versatile field.

But as for an RN, I would prefer to work in a hospital/rehab setting rather than a Nursing home. But, I do not mind working in a Nursing or other setting if I became an LPN. I just did not know if it makes academic sense to get an LPN or if I should just wait it out and get a 2 year RN.

Thank you very much. I look forward to utilizing this forum very often.

[youngone]

LPN's don't have to just work at senior care homes. They have plenty of options. Depending on the area of the country some dispute whether LPN/LVN's are being phased out to hire more RN's or those with BSN's. This is a pretty good breakdown of the LPN work life: Working as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) | PracticalNursing.org.

Personally, I'm still young in my nursing career and I'd like to go for my BSN and then eventually the MSN. However, it really depends on where I'm at in my life and what it demands. Nursing is a beloved career for me but the time for education is painful.

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

It's hard enough to support a family on RN salary- wouldn't dare do it on LPN salary (unless you're not the primary breadwinner).