Starting Off-Advice, Please!

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Hello!! I'm Jennie and I am an upcoming high school senior. For half the school day this year I'll be attending a high school career center, and by the end of the year I'll be able to take the test and become a CNA. I planned on going to a university after that for nursing, but I was recently informed that the career center has started a nursing school as well. Before thinking about attending, I checked to see if the school was accredited, and it is accredited by the Indiana State Board of Nursing. If I chose the career center route, I could become an LPN in 18 months and work as a CNA while going to school. After becoming an LPN, I'd like to go on to become an RN as well if my future allows. I really want to become an LPN at least before settling down and having kids. I'm one of those people who wants to get married and have kids right away, but I know it's smart to have some schooling and a career before having kids. I know that having foreign language can help in the process, and by the end of this year I will have completed my 4th year of Spanish. I have good grades, and I work hard. So, I have a few questions.

Is it difficult to get into nursing school? I make mostly As, and my GPA last quarter was a 3.67, and I was wondering if that was good enough.

Approximately how long does it take to become an RN after becoming an LPN?

Would you say this route is a good one?

Please let me know if you have any other suggestions regarding my career path.

Any other general advice is welcomed as well!!

Thank you!!!

Jennie

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Specializes in Transplant/Surgical ICU.

Yes it is hard, and I would recommend you go straight for your BSN. You are young, and minimal responsibilities. Do it now and focus on the things you can actually work on as opposed to thinking about a family ad kids. At your age you really should'nt be putting much thought in having kids and a husband.

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skip the LPN & go straight for your BSN

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Your young, go directly for your BSN. Most BSN programs have the course requirements spread out over the four year period. You'll have a chance to grow & mature, plus experience some of the fun of college life. You can work as a CNA as needed during your BSN training.

Since you are still working on high school, you can spend the summer checking out the different schools that interest you and their admission requirements. Since you are already accomplished in Spanish, you can see if any of your preferred colleges also have a strong world language department and perhaps you can minor in Spanish/Spanish translation. You have many options as a young, intelligent student. Good luck.

(My sister did the "traditional" route--high school to 4 year collegiate BSN program. A few years later she had determined that pediatrics was her preferred specialty. After working for a few years in a pediatric ER/level 1 trauma center she earned her MSN and is now a pediatric nurse practitioner. She now is a well respected assistant professor in a BSN nursing school. It works out well now that she is married with 3 children. We spoke recently and she said that anyone coming out of high school that knows they want to go into nursing she would recommend they go directly for BSN. There are many scholarships out there too if you are worried about cost. Start looking now. (In high school there was a scholarship that very few students applied for--all you had to do was fill out a 4x6 card with specified information. The organization pulled names out of a box lottery style, as long as your card was filled out to the specifications you won a $250-$2000 scholarship. Of course I applied. :) )

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Thanks for all the help!!! I've heard that having foreign language, Spanish especially, is to my advantage in getting into nursing school as well as getting a job. I was also wondering if anyone could give me some advice on possibly going away for college. I know it can be expensive to live on campus. My parents never encouraged any of my siblings to go away for college because it is so expensive.

If anyone can give me some names of good colleges for nursing in Indiana that'd be appreciated too!!

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I am currently a student in IU bloomington's program which is awesome! It is a very competitive program but you sound very academic & goal oriented so you should be just fine. IU school of nursing is ranked nationally and is one of the best if not the best program in Indiana (bloomington or indianapolis). Ball State is another good option which is a little smaller.

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Yeah! I was actually thinking about IU because I heard their nursing program is really awesome. But there's the issue of going away to college and I don't know if I can afford to live on campus. Do you think the nursing is the same at IUPUI? All of my siblings have gone there.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

At the very least, get your ADN and skip the LPN, especially if cost is an issue. With the RN you can support your children if something happens to your spouse. You can do it with your LPN, but your options and wage are limited.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Transplant/Surgical ICU.

Financial aid and loans are options people like myself have used. You could also work as an aide to supplement your income.

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Yes IUPUI is part of the core nursing schools (indy, bloomington, columbus). Ivy tech wouldn't be a bad option either if cost is the issue but there are sooo many scholarships. Indiana even has a nursing student fund you can apply to and then there are military programs that pay for schooling & federal programs that do as well. You just need to really look into it.

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Specializes in Critical Care/Coronary Care Unit,.

You're young. Go for your BSN. What's the rush. It wouldn't be so bad to work as a CNA while you go for your RN. Nursing school is very competitive...your gpa sounds like it should get you in. The main gpa to worry about is your science gpa. Also do a lot of volunteer work. Makes you sound better on paper. Lots of people with good grades try to get into nursing school....so stand out. Good luck.

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Thanks so much for all the help! My sister told me that IUPUI has pretty much the same opportunities as IU does. I've been interesting in working in third world countries, particularly Kenya, and I know IU has a partnership in Kenya and students have the opportunity to go over there.

Regarding volunteer work, shadowing probably doesn't count for anything like that, does it? My friend shadows nurses at a hospital from time to time because her mom is the receptionist and is able to set up shadowing times. She really wants me to join her and I'm really excited for the opportunity. I was just wondering if it counted toward anything.

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