What's the best route to take to a nursing career?

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ok so I am in a bit of a dilemma because I can't decide what route to take for my nursing career. At first I was in the process of enrolling into WCU but the price tag is high, and I don't want to spend the next 10 years paying off a high amount of debt. ( WCU is now my last option). Now I am looking into the option of doing my LVN-RN route, but most california community colleges have no funding for the bridge programs such as GCC. I found some other program's that still have it like PCC and a few others, they all want pre-reqs which I don't mind doing, but my main worry is will those schools give LVN's second priority if they aren't in the generic program and haven't been with that school since day one? My mom who is an RN said the bridge might be a little hard to get into because now LVNS are not that in demand and they are all looking to upgrade their diplomas. My other options in glendale community college, but that can take years. I'm honestly very confused and don't know what the right option will be. PLEASE HELP!! :(

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Well, I don't know anything about any of the community colleges you mentioned. I'm not in California.

I went to a for-profit school for my LPN, and none of my credits from there transfer. So, if I were ever to go back for my RN, I'd have to take all my pre-req's. And, yes, the students who got there LPN at that college will always have an easier time.

But I believe all community colleges will give you some credit, simply for being a LVN. I know my local community college will let LPNs test out of nursing fundementals, as well as the first two semesters of med/surg. Look into that.

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Specializes in 4.

I'm in a similar predicament so I feel your frustration. I'm doing my pre-req's at COC but they aren't an LACC. COC has their own LVN to RN program. I have yet to find a cost effective LVN to RN program with a schedule that fits a working student (except Mt St Mary's). Most programs want the LVN to have experience (I do) and from what I'm told, schools are having a hard time finding qualified LVN's to pass the assessment test. Unfortunately, some LVN's have a hard time transitioning to RN.

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I'm a BSN RN who works in the ICU at my local hospital. My girlfriend has her ADN RN and is now in the process of trying to attain her BSN. From the years of college I went through at JSU and from talking to nurses at the hospital and my girlfriends nurse friends I've learned a little about which routes are more trouble than you'd like. All these transition programs that people try to do take a lot of time and money. In the end my girlfriend will pay the same amount I did getting her BSN even though she went to a community college first for her ADN. Between the headache of having to get accepted into these "step up" programs, transferring your credits (hoping they transfer), and the overall much longer time it takes to finally get your BSN I've come to a conclusion. Take out a loan now or get a contract with a hospital that will pay your schooling if you guarantee X number of years post graduation (what I did) and power through and get your BSN now. It will probably take 5 years if you go full time and don't flunk any classes but it's worth it. Skip all the headache.

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So you think 137k is worth it for a three year BSN degree at WCU or you mean I should do the community college route, sorry it was a little unclear. Because so far the only place I found is WCU for a BSN if I do community college its about 4-5 years for ADN, and lvn-rn would be about 2 or 3 years. Although I am worried about the time I will spend, I also want to know I will have the security of knowing I will be able to get in to a bridge program, because spending 30k for my LVN license and then realizing I can't find any place to do a bridge program and having to go back to school for my ADN from scratch would really be a kill to my life.

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