Vocational nursing-but I have an associates degree!

Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B · May 15, 2015

Hi. It's the World Wide Web, I have no idea where you're at, where the schools are. Giving your location or state might help you get a more direct response.

also, LPN/LVN position has been phased out of most hospitals. However those nurses do you continue to enjoy good prospects in long-term care, homecare, PDN, and clinics.

StocktonNurse, BSN, LVN, RN, EMT-B · May 15, 2015

Well, I went here Xavier College - Home Page in 2007, and have been working ever since. I bought my first home and cars by becoming an LVN, and now I have two sons because I finished school and became an LVN. Now I am going to Univ. of Phoenix for my LVN-BSN, and will be done in April 2017. I have many friends that went to school to get their LVN and acquired their RN within 1 year to 5 years from when they became and LVN.

Xavier college is located in Stockton, CA so it would be a commute for you. My tuition was $21000 when I went there in 2007, my girlfriends tuition was $25000 when she went there in 2012, and we paid that cash. Now, they have financial assistance and you should be able to get either a federal stafford loan or a private loan. School was only 11 months long. Was it worth it, HELL YEAH. I was in between going to CSU stanislaus and trying to figure out life because I applied two nearby community colleges and wasn't accepted.

Right after I passed my test I already had two jobs lined up, and didn't choose either of them. Instead I found a job that I wasn't asking for and got hired on full time right away. Nowadays things are different and you need to go visit the Director of nursing and let them know who you are vs dropping of applications. The first place that I was hired was a private psychiatric nursing facility. About 5 years after that I now work for the VA in the same town, making more money, and not as stressed out. Good luck and don't wait too late. The longer you wait, the sooner your prereqs expire for schools like carrington where you can finish your lvn-rn in 8 months. Carrington has a 3 year expiration on prereqs.

ericabrett · May 15, 2015

I am near Sacramento, California. I was looking at Carrington College, but again, I did my massage therapy cert through them and I worked for a different vocational school teaching massage and I know those schools are about making money...that's what worries me about doing a program like that. Of course they would be happy to take my money! Although Carrington is a lot better than the school I worked for, which has since been shut down.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · May 15, 2015

Move out of California. Seriously. More than half of new RN grads in CA don't get work in their first year post graduation-- you think you're going to get work as an LPN?

There are many, many reputable community colleges that would take you as an ADN student. One thing you could consider is take courses one at a time as an unenrolled student-- you take them for credit and pay for them a la carte, but they add up, and before you know it you've got your prerequisites done. Which you WILL do well in, right???? Then you apply to the nursing program at said reputable community college.

SquishyRN, BSN, RN · May 15, 2015

So what if you have an associate's degree? Clearly it's not doing you any good, so there isn't any shame in going back for a "lesser" degree if it means having a decent job versus not.

I already had a Bachelor's when I went back to school to become an LVN. Still had that Bachelor's when I went back for my ADN. I just finished my BSN this month. Either way, I didn't consider myself as taking a step backwards for either my LVN or ADN because those allowed me gainful employment while my previous Bachelor's did not.

ericabrett · May 16, 2015

You misinterpreted what I was saying. I am not saying I'm somehow too good for the LVN program, I'm just pointing out that all my prereques are done, and I didn't understand why I couldn't then apply for the RN program in a for-profit school. All For Profit schools are telling me I cant get into the RN program which makes no sense since with my AS, I could get into an RN program if it wasn't so impacted. At a community college that offers both LVN and RN,yes I can see getting the LVN because I thought RN was more competitive, but I could be wrong. My associates is in biology and is intended for nursing, not just an AA. I would love to get into a LVN program IF I could still get a job The reason for my question is that I'm worried to pay a ton of money for a program only to get out and not be able to find a job. California is tough. Thanks for all the feedback!

ericabrett · May 16, 2015

That is exactly what I'm worried about. Any for profit school would be happy to take my money and promise me full time employment after completing the program, but that may not be the case. Again, I've worked for proprietary education before so I know their game. I'm just getting desperate to get into nursing. If I could move out of state, I would, but I have a daughter and my ex and I split custody so it isn't that simple. Thank you for the feedback!

dishes, BSN, RN · May 16, 2015

Don't be desperate to get into nursing, you will regret the debt. It is a saturated market in your area, the schools are over producing grads and there are more applicants than jobs. If you cannot pursue nursing out of state, look into another healthcare profession.

APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP · May 16, 2015

Have you looked into Pacific Union College? They have an ADN program.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · May 17, 2015

Difficulty getting into a nursing program in California is a blessing in disguise. You probably won't see it that way, but the reality is if you DO get in, and DO get through it, you LIKELY will not find a job. What's the point if you can't get employed??

Look into relocating. There are areas of the country where it is less difficult to get into a nursing program (never easy, but less difficult) and if you're not set on a popular-to-live-in region, you also increase your chances of working as a nurse one day. Instead of coming here years from now saying how you've tried everyplace under the sun---every place in California, that is---and CAN'T get a job.

Consider this, seriously.

scrubhero · Nov 28, 2018

Hello there,

does Xavier only offer an LVN program? And do you know if they offer evening classes?

As far as I can see online at UOP, it doesn't look like they offer the LVN RN bridge anymore bummer!

Well, I went here Xavier College - Home Page in 2007, and have been working ever since. I bought my first home and cars by becoming an LVN, and now I have two sons because I finished school and became an LVN. Now I am going to Univ. of Phoenix for my LVN-BSN, and will be done in April 2017. I have many friends that went to school to get their LVN and acquired their RN within 1 year to 5 years from when they became and LVN.
Xavier college is located in Stockton, CA so it would be a commute for you. My tuition was $21000 when I went there in 2007, my girlfriends tuition was $25000 when she went there in 2012, and we paid that cash. Now, they have financial assistance and you should be able to get either a federal stafford loan or a private loan. School was only 11 months long. Was it worth it, HELL YEAH. I was in between going to CSU stanislaus and trying to figure out life because I applied two nearby community colleges and wasn't accepted.
Right after I passed my test I already had two jobs lined up, and didn't choose either of them. Instead I found a job that I wasn't asking for and got hired on full time right away. Nowadays things are different and you need to go visit the Director of nursing and let them know who you are vs dropping of applications. The first place that I was hired was a private psychiatric nursing facility. About 5 years after that I now work for the VA in the same town, making more money, and not as stressed out. Good luck and don't wait too late. The longer you wait, the sooner your prereqs expire for schools like carrington where you can finish your lvn-rn in 8 months. Carrington has a 3 year expiration on prereqs.