Switching from RT to LPN, advice?

[MG2001]

Hi everyone! I’m currently in my first semester of a respiratory therapy program. I love the program and the career but I’ve decided I eventually want to switch into nursing because I want to be an Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP). Due to financial and time constraints, I would need to do an lpn program first and then work up from there. I would hate to waste the two years I’ve spent working towards my RT degree however I don’t know if it’s worth it to finish this degree and then go to LPN school or to just begin LPN school the next available start date. Does anyone have any advice? I feel like having my RRT credential could be a competitive edge however if I want to progress quickly through the nursing programs it seems like a waste of time. It seems like finishing my RT program would add 2-3 years to my nursing journey.