Staring School TODAY!!

[lina.561]

Hi everyone, I have been reading tons of valuable information and I must thank all of you for that! So, today at 4pm I will be heading South to Lake Worth at the "new"

Palm Beach State College recently changed from Palm Beach Community College.

I will be taking my Patient Care Assistant Course there. I'm very excited and scared at the same time! I live in FL and right now its pretty cold and needless to say my car has no heater!

I was wondering if I could get some insight on how my course will be.

According to the school website there are 22 students in my class and 6 instructors.

I am not learning Phlebotomy in this course. I would like to move on to the Practical Nursing course as well after I hopefully get a job as a CNA. Then possibly bridge over to

the nurse program...those are big plans, Or should I just skip LPN and go for RN after CNA?? Im sure there's a wait list and I have to do Pre-reqs before I even think I'll be accepted in. What are pre-reqs? Math. Science. English... Im very afarid of this I know Im not a great test taker BUT I AM WILLING TO TRY THIS OUT! I think b/c I want it so bad!! Any Nurses or LPN's, CNA's out there for advice?

Thank you all again for the info and reading my post!

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

It all depends on what you find will be best for you. I took the LVN route first and now I'm getting ready to apply to the LVN-RN program and I'm willing to go to any school that will accept me. I didn't want to wait to get accepted into the RN program. Some stubborn people will wait it out years before they get accepted to the RN program, they have it in their heads that LVN isn't an option. Not all people are like this but you will find some that are. My friend is one of those stubborn people. She finished all of her prerequisites (before I did) for the RN program back in 2007 and hasn't been accepted to any RN programs yet. At that time she was ahead of me, at this time I'm now ahead of her. If we both can get accepted into the RN program (me LVN-RN) then I will finish a year before she does. I'm glad that I did the LVN first because I have my nursing school experience, and am waiting for someone to hire me as a LVN. I'm hoping I can find something PRN or part time just to gain some experience while I wait to start the RN portion. Hope this helps.

[lina.561]

NurseCubanitaRN2b,

Alot of students work PRN while going to school, I read it here on this site often. I dont think you'll have a prob. doing this.

LVN, I don't see that program at the school I'm going to. They have LPN program, which is only during the day, I could take that route and then bridge over to the RN with only 1 more year to go, I would like to do it this way. I'll have to wiegh it out...

I work at my BF lawnmower shop during the days so I took the PCA course at night. The RN program offers night classes as well. Before I try getting into this RN program I wonder if I can do my pre-reqs at night??? I guess that would be something I would ask my instructor. She is a RN. Maybe she will know.

DO you think jumping into the LPN course would be more accurate than skipping that and going straight into RN?

My instructor advised me that the hospitals here in S. FL are no longer hiring LPN's. You see them in LTC facilities more often now these days. I'd like to work in the hospital setting. Thank you for responding to me.

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

As I've stated it all depends. For me it was the best doing the LVN (LPN) first and then bridging over to RN. I didn't want to wait for someone to accept me.

Yes, I am having a problem getting hired, even PRN. There is an influx of LVN's and no positions available either.

It all depends because there are some hospitals that still do hire LVNs. It just depends on where you're living. Here in the Bay Area you'll only see the ready to retire LVNs in the hospital setting, but I heard that a few hours away in Fresno, they hire LVNs in the hospital. Granted I haven't seen them but I've heard.

Good Luck :-)