Which is easier - LPN or RN?

guest042302019, BSN, RN · Apr 20, 2012

I guess LPN would be easier in the sense that there is less schooling and time involved. But, LPNs do very similar work compared to an RN. I have plenty of classmates that balance school, work, children, and many other responsibilities. It's definitely possible. Studying time varies greatly from person to person. 15-30 hours is usually the average range of study time for most people. Good luck.

Anne36, LPN · Apr 20, 2012

Easier isnt exactly the word I would use to describe the difference between LPN and RN school. It isnt "easier" to do LPN school. At least not at my school. IN my program, we do the first year of RN program + a bit more.(because we are getting licensed to work) IF we want , we come back for the next year to get the RN, its a transitional program. The difference is , in the time it takes to complete the program. I chose the LPN route because I need to work to make money faster. I cant afford to wait and do the longer RN program right now. Either program is equally intensive and time consuming on a daily basis.

Also, no I could not juggle any kind of job while in this program. Some people manage to work weekends but they dont get A's and many others fail trying to do it. I already have 4 kids , thats enough of a full time job for me.

windmill182 · Apr 20, 2012

I am in an LPN program, where its basically the first year of RN (and maybe a little more actually since my LPN program does IV certs etc. I can bridge to RN if I just complete 3 further quarters) I have no children and can only manage to work 16-20 hours a week and if I worked more I would probably be even more crazy than I am right now. I get As. So its possible, and probably just depends on your dedication and how much of a life you actually want.

All the places I have done my clinicals at say that my program is known to be intense and hard so it really comes down to the program.

morningstarRN, RN · Apr 20, 2012

I completed an RN program so I don't have a lot of knowledge of the LPN programs. However, I know that the first year of the program was the same as the RN. The difference is that the LPN program did not have the the last few classes. They are finished sooner but while they are in class it appeared to be the same credit/hours/workload as the RN program.

LPN709 · Apr 22, 2012

My LPN instructor is a RN and she says that LPN school is a lot harder than RN school. Simply because of how much information is crammed into one year of schooling. RN school takes at least two plus pre reqs. A lot more time to spread all the material out.

azcna · Apr 22, 2012

Our RN program is much fewer class hours, but more clinicals, where the LPN program was a TON of class hours, and clinicals only once a week. I wouldn't say that the LPN program is easier, it's tough. The RN program, however, has critical care which is a nightmare.

BlkQueen8 · Apr 25, 2012

I think it depends on the type of program you take if it's full-time or part-time. I'm in a vocational LVN program PT and yes it's very easy to balance our life and still work full-time. I believe my school is starting an ADN program and if they offer PT it will probably be similar. However our school stresses the point that it is giving us the first year of an RN program after pre-reqs with a lot of review of all the pre-reqs in my opinion. Just decide which one you want to do instead of basing it on which one you think will be easier, IMHO.

Anne36, LPN · Apr 25, 2012

A part time program seems ideal for anyone who has to work or raise a family. I almost wish I had the option, but Ive never heard of any in this state. It probably gives you more time to absorb information rather than cramming it all in your head so fast you forget it. Im going to have to go back thru all my notes to study for NCLEX, I feel like I have not retained half of what we learned.

Merlyn · Apr 26, 2012

Back in the old days it use to be LPN school. Now days it can be a question of time. LPN and ADN both are about 2 years. BSN is a four year. Depending on the LPN school you could learn about the same as ADN. There is a LPN school in South Jersey that the gradates that went on to get their RN's from the local community college, breezed through the course because they had the same course that they had in LPN school because they were taught from the same book. So it's a question of time.

Both are hard.

BlkQueen8 · Apr 26, 2012

A part time program seems ideal for anyone who has to work or raise a family. I almost wish I had the option, but Ive never heard of any in this state. It probably gives you more time to absorb information rather than cramming it all in your head so fast you forget it. Im going to have to go back thru all my notes to study for NCLEX, I feel like I have not retained half of what we learned.

Although my program is part-time, I still feel like I'm not retaining anything. We are in class half the time that the full-time students are but we still just swallow the info and regurgitate it for the test.

I believe the ATI will be handy for NCLEX review, more than any of my notes.

stargazer88 · Apr 27, 2012

I found LPN harder, because everything was new. I worked as an LPN for a year, then bridged to RN. I didn't find RN so difficult because it was mostly just more in depth in what we already knew.

If I had to do my schooling over again, I would have went the BSN route.

If you add up the time it takes for pre-reqs, LPN, then RN, you could get a BSN rather than ADN in about the same amount of time. I ended up with 3 associate degrees, 2 of which are useless.