Traditional 4yr vs LVN-RN?

ArrowRN, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2014

You'd probably get better responses in the pre-nursing student forum.

The pros and cons of this really depends on what your goals are and your current situation and lifestyle. Transition programs are great for those who are older, working, or have families and can't commit to getting a full degree. It's also a good way for younger person to "test the waters" before jumping into a health career you may not like. However, the actual roles may be different as your go into an advanced degree.

I suggest younger people go for a full BSN degree with my preference being 2+2. Start off with an AA - pre nursing degree at a junior college, work a part-time job and then transfer to your main University of choice. This way allows you to get the hang of college life and also its cheaper if money is an issue. If your folks can afford it and you got the grades then by all means go for the 4 year college. At this point in life you have less commitments, and probably have a great home support system so go for the BSN before "life" happens and you find yourself at a dead end job, married with 4 kids and no time to go to school.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Apr 25, 2014

Agree with PP ^^^^^

Keep in mind that getting an acute care (hospital) job as an LVN or ADN is very unlikely. So, you would be relegated to working in a non-acute environment for a while if you choose to take that path. Then, by the time you get your BSN, you would no longer be a "new grad". This is a crucial factor because in many acute care organizations/systems, the only way a nurse without acute care experience can get a foot in the door is via their "new grad" transition programs. In order to be accepted to many NP programs,m you would need specific types of experience .... the ultimate Catch-22.

Best course of action? Go for your BSN and avoid all the potential pitfalls.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Apr 25, 2014

Best course of action? Go for your BSN and avoid all the potential pitfalls.

THIS.

You are at an advantage to go for the BSN. :yes:

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Apr 25, 2014

I also recommend BSN. It is cheaper in the long run because it takes less time.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2014

Definitely go for the BSN! You will have more options after you graduate and will be more likely to get a job. All of those other pathways sound nice at first, until you check to see that some states have greater than 30% unemployment for new grad nurses and you really need to come out of school with the highest degree you can right off the bat to get a good job. Or, sometimes, even any job at all.

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2014

What I recommend doing is to go for an RN degree. Find five programs you want, three four year and 2 associates. Figure out the pre-reqs for them and which ones you can overlap requirements (check to see what transfers from school to school). Some may require sociology whereas another program may require world religion. Others may require a specific math class and refuse to accept any other math class. Pick out the ones that you want to go to along with which ones you could complete the pre-reqs of. Figure out the cost of attendance too. Racking up 100,000 on an undergrad degree will make getting financing for a graduate degree.

Then try to figure out how they admit. Is it based on a waiting list or is it one where you apply after you get points then compete for spots? If you don't get a spot, then what? Do you have to attempt to compete again? A lot of programs, even ADN programs, in my area have nixed the waiting list in favor of having nursing students apply each semester to compete for spots in the program the following semester. Meaning if they have 50 clinical spots but 200 students apply, then they will admit the top 50 based of off criteria that was previously established (anatomy I grade, anatomy II grade, micro grade, ACT score, TEAS math, TEAS reading, overall GPA, and I think something else). I think they use composite ACT scores to break the ties then it goes to when the students apply if their ACT composite score is the same (SAT had an equivalent scale they determined). If you don't get in, you have to compete again the next semester. That's just how my school did it. Each school will have their own admission criteria. The basic entry criteria is also not guarantee that you will be accepted as a lot of times those entering a nursing program have higher GPAs and scores than the bare minimum.

If you do not get into your first choice school right away, you may get into your 2nd or 3rd choice schools.

Basically, I was lucky to get in to my school based under the old criteria. I went to an associate degree school so I made it a point to complete other classes too in preparation of my BSN. I found their partner schools and I completed the list of classes that will transfer over. My associate degree took 2.5 years to complete including pre-reqs (along with getting an EMT and paramedic certificate and firefighting certificates) and my BSN portion is taking 9 months to complete (March 24, 2014 - December 2014). So I will be in school for 3.5 years, a little less than the traditional length of time for a direct-entry BSN. My method also cost a lot less by doing it through a community college and then receiving Ohio University's partner rate per credit hour.

However, I wouldn't do LVN to RN unless that was the last chance. I would do an associates RN to RN to BSN before that way. You can also do RN to MSN programs with programs like Frontier who offer CNM and FNP RN to MSN but you need one year of RN experience.

Also, associate degree programs should be accredited by the ACEN (formerly NLNAC). Bachelors programs are more commonly accredited by the CCNE although some are accredited by NLNAC. I think federal jobs like the military require CCNE accreditation in order to serve but I think the VA requires either or accreditation. Many graduate programs like Frontier require associate degree programs to have the ACEN accreditation in order to apply for an RN to MSN program and some online RN to BSN programs require it.

CCNE never accredits associate, diploma programs, or certificate programs (like post-masters). Keep that in mind since some schools have been misleading by advertising CCNE accreditation when they offer both an associates and a bachelors program.

ArrowRN, BSN, RN · Apr 27, 2014

That's great advice. The general acceptance requirements are Teas test scores, overall GPA and Science GPA(anatomy and physiology, chemistry etc.). Some programs also give additional points for being a local student so that's one of the advantages of choosing a school close to home.

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Apr 28, 2014

I always recommend having several programs to choose from so that way a student may be able to be accepted into at least one. People talk about how competitive it is now and it wasn't like that when I applied back in 2010.