Tennessee Tech 2012

Murse901, MSN, RN · Oct 16, 2011

Since you already have a BA, why not try for an accelerated RN to BSN?

I went through TTC Memphis for my LPN. Getting into an LPN-to-RN program is much less competitive than getting into a street-to-RN program. But, if you can do accelerated BSN, it will take about the same amount of time as your LPN.

Also, consider that the full-time LPN program at TTC is one year solid at about 36 hours per week, with about 3 weeks' worth of breaks total throughout the year. Take that into consideration when comparing to an RN program that will be about 12-16 classroom hours per week.

I ended up doing my LPN-to-RN online through Excelsior. I was accepted to STCC's LPN-to-RN without even an interview (again, not very competitive), but ended up ditching their program because they wouldn't give us our class schedule until 1 week prior to the semester, which doesn't end up working out very well if you're employed.

cljonesfuturenurse · Oct 18, 2011

Unfortunately, with my very low bachelor's degree GPA I don't meet the minimum qualifications for any nursing program in Memphis. I am wondering if I re-take all my pre reqs and make A's will that help me at all. I am thinking that the LPN to RN transition will be my only way in.

Murse901, MSN, RN · Oct 18, 2011

Here's the problem: the same GPA that precludes you from entering an accelerated BSN will prevent you from entering an LPN-to-RN program. STCC requires a 2.5 GPA for acceptance, and U of M requires a 2.7. Not much of a difference, and the LPN courses do not count as college credit, so they will not raise your GPA.

Both STCC and U of M require A&P I and II and Microbiology prior to entry. Would it be possible to pull your GPA up by getting A's and B's in those courses? Re-taking an old class that you got a poor grade in will also bring up your GPA.

You could also call the nursing department and ask if they will consider your graduate GPA. I don't see why they wouldn't.

I don't want to sound like I'm anti-LPN. Obviously I'm not, since I went that route. I just feel that with your educational background, going the LPN route is doing yourself a great disservice. With the amount of time and energy that one has to put into the grueling LPN program, it just makes sense to look at other options (again, 36 hours per week of class time vs 12-16 hours a week, not even counting home study time).

Memphis is not very LPN-friendly, and jobs are getting harder and harder to get as an LPN. When I first graduated in 2006, I could go anywhere with license in hand and get a job offer that day. I could open the newspaper or pull up the online classifieds and find dozens and dozens of LPN jobs. Now, I'm looking at Indeed.com (which scours all of the job posting websites) and I only see one or two entry-level LPN positions. The rest are either agency (which requires a year of experience) or QA type positions that require years of experience.

You also have to consider that, as an LPN, you are extremely limited in where you can work. Nursing homes, correctional facilities, and doctor's offices are pretty much all you've got. Hospitals are no longer hiring LPN's. What happens when you find out that you hate nursing home work? As an RN, if you hate the area that you work in, you can easily transfer to another area/specialty within the same hospital system and not have to lose your benefits or go through the whole hiring process all over again.

A good friend of mine went through TTC's program (against my advice) and it took her nearly four months just to find a PRN job at a nursing home. She still works full-time as a pharmacy technician because there just isn't any work for new LPN's here.

I know that you're eager to start your career in nursing, but think long and hard about the pro's and con's of various programs before you commit. You mentioned that you do not want to "waste any more time" and that your ultimate goal is to become an RN. Going the LPN route, I fear that you'll be wasting much more time than you had anticipated.

cljonesfuturenurse · Oct 20, 2011

Thank you so much. Your advice has been a tremendous help in my decision. I have been going back and forth about this all week. I called the advising office and spoke to an advisor at Southwest today. She said that the only classes that they will calculate from my U of M GPA are the classes that count torwards the nursing program. I can take A&P I, II, and Micro and make all A's in them and when they calculate my GPA for the nursing program it will be much higher. When I thought about quiting my day job and depleting my savings to do a 36hr a week LPN program, its just not worth it.

I estimated how long it would take to go through the transition to become an RN going the LPN route and it would still be about the same amount of time. But I will still be able to work for the next year or so and take A&P I in the Spring, A&P II in Summer I, and A&P in Summer II. I can then apply in October at Southwest and start the program in Jan. 2013 and graduate by December 2014.

I don't know if other institutions like Union or Baptist would consider my low undergrad GPA if I did exceptionally well in my science classes or not. But I sure will try and also considering I just made all A's in my most recent grad level classes bringing my GPA up to a 3.67. I interviewed with the lady at TT and she suggested that I try Unions accelerated program vs. the LPN program as well.

But your post has been such a big help to me. It really gave me something to think about. Thanks again.

Columnist · Oct 20, 2011

Moved to TN Nursing Programs Discussion forum.

t818 · Oct 23, 2011

Hi Muse 901, I graduated last year from TTCM, and I have 3 excelsior test left. DO you recommend their program, I dread the cpne!

Murse901, MSN, RN · Oct 24, 2011

Hi Muse 901, I graduated last year from TTCM, and I have 3 excelsior test left. DO you recommend their program, I dread the cpne!

I went the Excelsior route. I would definitely recommend it, especially for someone recently out of LPN school. It seemed to me that at least 80-90% of the material was a review of what I had already learned, going just a little more in-depth. It took me 2 years to complete, but I could have finished it in 1 year (I got lazy and took 3 months off once, and another time I got discouraged by getting a D on an exam and took 9 months off).

CPNE is a big deal, and I was terrified of it, but looking back on it, it wasn't that bad. The thing that makes people stress out about the CPNE is the cost. If it was only $50 and a 5-minute drive to the clinical site, very few people would get anxiety about the things you have to do at CPNE. I was doing VERY basic nursing, stuff that you learn early on in school. The only catch is that you have to do it EXACTLY the way Excelsior wants you to do it and in the order they want you to do it. My advice is to go through a CPNE workshop (I personally used Lynn's), get Rob's CPNE videos, and set up a lab at home and practice as much as possible. Key in on your mnemonics, because they will save you.

PM me if you have more questions about Excelsior.

t818 · Oct 24, 2011

Thanks muse9O1 for your fast response! I agree most of the information is a review from school. You have inspired me to finish, how do I pm you? I tried but I couldn't seem to figure it out. I've never done it before.

Thanks!!

Murse901, MSN, RN · Oct 25, 2011

Thanks muse9O1 for your fast response! I agree most of the information is a review from school. You have inspired me to finish, how do I pm you? I tried but I couldn't seem to figure it out. I've never done it before.
Thanks!!

Click on the pencil/paper icon next to my name.

Columnist · Oct 26, 2011

Thanks muse9O1 for your fast response! I agree most of the information is a review from school. You have inspired me to finish, how do I pm you? I tried but I couldn't seem to figure it out. I've never done it before.
Thanks!!

You won't be able to send pm's until you have 15 posts.