Veteran to LVN/RN in CA

Published

Hello, I'm looking for some guidance to start a new career in the nursing field.  I am a 15 year veteran of the US Navy, but I was not a HM/Corpsman.  I'm looking to start a program somewhere in San Diego that will take my military experience and AA degree for credits to start.  I've looked at all of the local community colleges and for-profit/private universities, some of them look OK, some are kinda expensive/shady.

I was wondering if anyone has the same/similar experience and could point me in a good direction.

Thanks in advance!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am in SD. I was an HM, so my pathway was different than yours will be. Military credit was really negligible. It basically got me out of PE classes and some health 101 class. It was only worth 1 point on my nursing school application. The most valuable thing you get from it is priority registration for classes. I transitioned to the reserve to go to school, with basically no school credits other than biology. 

-What is your AA in? That will determine how far along you are with nursing prereqs-----    https://www.swccd.edu/locations/higher-education-center-at-otay-mesa/programs/nursing/associate-degree-nursing-ADN/_files/associate-degree-nursing-prerequisites.pdf

-You basically HAVE to have a CNA to get enough points to be accepted into a nursing program. Everyone here has it, and it is worth 25 points out of 100 I believe). There are places you can get it done in a month for like $1200. I did LVN to RN, so did not do CNA. I challenged the board with my HM experience and got an LVN license.

-I finished my bachelors in about 40 months. 1 year LVN to RN, then 1 year for RN to BSN. The rest was spent on prereqs. They took me forever because I did not have priority registration at first, so it messed up my whole degree plan. The nursing prereqs fill up immediately. 

- If your ultimate goal is RN, skip LVN. Get an ADN in 2 years and start working while finishing your BSN. Work as A CNA while in nursing school at a major hospital system. You will be so happy you did when it comes time to apply for RN jobs. Networking is huge. 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

Largely agree and the same with Sunshined. Was an army medic but the only advantage that got me was physical ED credits and permission to take Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2 in the same semester. I even had to get a CNA license to get a job in the hospital while in school.

I did have a Marine husband and wife in my class. He was a avn mechanic and she was admin. Both finished it easily. Getting a job in your target hospital as a CNA is huge. Other useful networking jobs are sterile processing (if you want  to work in the operating room) or Telemetry monitor tech (need to know how to read EKGs which too many nurses don’t then sit and monitor cardiac rhythms) very easy position.

Post 9/11 bill and a part time CNA job got me through school without any loans here in Florida.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion