Why is LVN to RN a waste of time?

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Just wondering.

At least here in California, there's lengthy waitlists or lotteries which don't guarantee admission into a direct RN program.

Plus, let's assume that someone doesn't have their general education finished. LVN to RN bridge programs allow nurses to bypass that particular requirement and obtain a certificate instead of a degree and you're still eligible for the boards and would receive the same education that a ADN nurse would have received, minus the general education that isn't applicable to nursing whatsoever.

So what's the deal? I've seen people say it's better to go straight for RN, but why?

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Sounds to me like that is only their opinion and nothing more. Do what makes sense to you, not what others think is the best path.

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I think location is a big factor in whether or not it would be worth it. Here we don't have the certificate thing that you mentioned (not that I've ever heard of anyway). In my area any LPNs who want to do the LPN to RN bridge have to first take all of the same pre-reqs that the direct-entry ADNs had to and then they graduate with an ASN degree.

I wouldn't recommend that someone go through the LPN program here if they know they are planning to get their RN in the near future. But the waiting list for the LPN program here seems to be longer than the wait for getting into the RN program. Usually by the time people finish their pre-reqs at my school they can be accepted to start the RN program the next semester if they plan accordingly and their grades & entrance exam score are high enough. I did look into the LPN program here before starting my ASN degree and for me it definitely wouldn't have been worth it to go that route just to immediately apply to do the LPN to RN bridge as soon as I finished LPN school. If I planned to wait 5-10 years in between the two it may have been worth it for me though.

Also, I'm not sure what general education courses are required for the ADN in your state, but here I didn't really take much that wasn't applicable to nursing in some way. It was mostly science classes and a basic college English class, and it never hurts for a registered nurse to know how to write at a college level. I think about the only class that won't help me in some way as a nurse was the humanities course I had to take. We had several to choose from - I took Music (and I have no plans to sing for any patients when I graduate). It was an easy A though and helped dilute my workload a bit so I didn't mind.

But in a state like your's where someone might have to sit on a list forever to get into an RN program I don't see the harm in getting their LPN first and working as an LPN for a fews years while waiting to get into an RN program.

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Specializes in Trauma & Emergency.

I am an LPN and also an RN student. I chose to start from scratch and NOT go LPN-RN. This was purely my decision based on what I thought was best for me. Basically what happens is before you get accepted to go LPN-RN you have to have 4 pre-req classes done which include A&P I, A&P II, Psychology & English. A&P I and A&P II have to be done in seperate semesters obviously so the pre-reqs would have already taken me an entire year. Then to continue on it would take me 2 years full time in a nursing program and all of that would be to get my Associate's.

For me this wasn't worth it because I knew I wanted my Bachelors degree. Why would I go 3 years for a 2 year degree, when I could do all my pre-reqs and nursing classes in 4 years? It didn't work out for me..but I am sure there are plenty of people who it does work for.

To each their own, as they say.

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Specializes in ED/TELE.

I'm not sure what CA bridge programs you're looking into, but I'm currently enrolled in a LVN-RN bridge program in San Diego, and I have to complete all the general education requirements to earn my ADN. I already have a BS in another field, and I STILL had to complete some general ed requirements for an ADN. All of the schools that I looked into in San Diego pretty much had similar graduation requirments. I will say that the wait for the LVN-RN bridge programs is significantly less than the wait for the generic entry programs. I only waited about 8 months to start my programs while the generic entry applicants at my school are waiting 3+ years.

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Specializes in ED/TELE.

LVN to RN bridge programs allow nurses to bypass that particular requirement and obtain a certificate instead of a degree and you're still eligible for the boards and would receive the same education that a ADN nurse would have received, minus the general education that isn't applicable to nursing whatsoever.

I think you may be referring to the 30 unit option here. While it is a way to become an RN faster, you do not have a degree when you complete the program, and in general from what I've been told cannot apply for licensure in another state. Those students are generally admitted on a space available basis, and most schools advise against it. From what I've been told it's very difficult to go back and complete an ADN if you later decide that's what you want to do. In today's job market a new RN may want to have the option to relocate, so the 30 unit option wouldn't be a good choice for that individual.

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In my area we have so many RN's unable to find work that ANY edge you have on your resume will help. So when it comes down to hiring three people that have the same qualifications they're going to take the BSN first, the ADN next and the LPN-RN w/ the certificate last.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

why is lvn to rn a waste of time?

the two jobs are not the same. you will learn some of the same things in both educational programs but you will not use the information on the job in the same way. an lvn is a "practical" nurse who was always meant to do physical work with patients at the bedside that the
rn
didn't have time to get to. the
rn
is a manager of the care that the patient gets and takes care of solving all patient related problems. an lvn might detect problems, but must report them to the
rn
who supervises him or her and then does what the
rn
directs him or her to do. the lvn cannot act independently like the
rn
can. the
rn
makes decisions about patient care and the lvn does not. much of what rns learn to do in school is problem solving related and while some lvn classes may also teach this approach lvns will not necessarily use this on their jobs. lvns are not prepared to have the buck stop with them as rns are. so, when an lpn goes back to
rn
school, yes, there is a lot they have already experienced, but not the critical thinking and problem solving component. also, rns are trained to be leaders; lvns are not. many lvns are accustomed to being good employees who did as they were told and were comfortable having rns shoulders to fall back on. when they go to
rn
school all that is about to change as they are about to learn to be the shoulders everyone is going to rely on.

i live out here in la where a good many schools have gone to the lottery system because of the large numbers of students who are applying to the nursing schools in the community colleges. i would still apply to as many of these programs as close to your home as possible to increase your chances of getting accepted into a nursing school somewhere. sometimes the wheel of fortune works in your favor and your name could get pulled the first time from the lottery for a nursing school. praying every night wouldn't hurt either. your insurance policy would be to apply to private school or a bsn program as well, however, i know you're never going to beat the $20/hour tuition anywhere else.

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Specializes in LTC.

I'm sorry but getting your LPN and doing the LPN bridge is NOT a waste of time. Becoming a LPN first means that you can get nursing experience that will help you while in the RN program and in your future career. You will also be able to make decent money while in RN school. After becoming a RN, you will also be offered more as a new grad RN without nursing experience, because you are and worked as a LPN.

Today I found out that I passed my LPN boards and although I'm going for my RN next, I'm still extremly proud of myself. Now I can say that I am a NURSE and play a vital role in the health care team. I graduated with LPNs and RNS and once we get licensed we are BOTH nurses ! And yes there are differences between LPNs and RNs however we still work as a team.

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Specializes in LTC.
why is lvn to rn a waste of time?

the two jobs are not the same. you will learn some of the same things in both educational programs but you will not use the information on the job in the same way. an lvn is a "practical" nurse who was always meant to do physical work with patients at the bedside that the
rn
didn't have time to get to. false !the
rn
is a manager of the care that the patient gets and takes care of solving all patient related problems. an lvn might detect problems, but must report them to the
rn
who supervises him or her and then does what the
rn
directs him or her to dotrue. the lvn cannot act independently like the
rn
can. true.the
rn
makes decisions about patient care and the lvn does not.lpns can assess, implement, evaluate, and plan. the only thing we can't do is do the initial assessment and the nursing dx. much of what rns learn to do in school is problem solving related and while some lvn classes may also teach this approach lvns will not necessarily use this on their jobs. lvns are not prepared to have the buck stop with them as rns arenot true. where i attended school
rn
student and lpn students learned the same thing, the only difference is that after a year in ns we can sit for our boards. so, when an lpn goes back to
rn
school, yes, there is a lot they have already experienced, but not the critical thinking and problem solving component.not true. whether
rn
or lpn we are trained to think critically. thats how nclex questions are set up to help you think critically. to be a nurse you must have great critical thinking skills. also, rns are trained to be leaders; lvns are not.at my cc lpn's were trained to be leaders. we were trained to delegate to other unlicensed assitant personel. i even had to write a 5 page paper on managment and leadership. many lvns are accustomed to being good employees who did as they were told and were comfortable having rns shoulders to fall back on. when they go to
rn
school all that is about to change as they are about to learn to be the shoulders everyone is going to rely on.

i live out here in la where a good many schools have gone to the lottery system because of the large numbers of students who are applying to the nursing schools in the community colleges. i would still apply to as many of these programs as close to your home as possible to increase your chances of getting accepted into a nursing school somewhere. sometimes the wheel of fortune works in your favor and your name could get pulled the first time from the lottery for a nursing school. praying every night wouldn't hurt either. your insurance policy would be to apply to private school or a bsn program as well, however, i know you're never going to beat the $20/hour tuition anywhere else.

i just had to set the record straight. lpns are nurses and we play an important role in health care.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
i just had to set the record straight. lpns are nurses and we play an important role in health care.

i agree, but they are not trained to do all the things that rns do. some lvns/lpns mistaken think so.

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Yeah I've read through your posts and I'm still not entirely convinced.

Going for my LVN first gives me a few options:

1) Working through nursing school -- I can't afford not to work. Being an LVN offers a very good paying part time wage, all the while I'm gaining very valuable nursing experience. LVN and RN duties may differ, but there's a lot of overlap, and not to mention just being in the right environment is experience enough. People say it's better to become a CNA first and they're not even nurses!

2) No wait list on the programs -- It is quicker and I do have to take prerequisites, but there's definitely less "fluff" schooling.

3) Someone said that it's hard enough to get a job with a ADN as it is, so getting a certificate would make me even less likely. What they're not considering is that I'll HAVE a job while I'm waiting to get hired as an RN, not to mention I'll already have a foot in the door with my LVN experience (which also looks nice on a resume, mind you). I also don't believe that this hiring freeze is going to continue on for years and years to come, which is how long it will take me to finish all of my education anyways.

4) I can't afford to not work through school. Can't stress that enough.

5) That entire chunk of text about LVN to RN being a waste of time just seems like a load of crap to me. All of it is very subjective things like "Not trained to be leaders" Come on dude, really? 80% of that post depends on where you went to school to become an LVN and another 10% is based on where you get a job when you graduate. It lists out the worst possible scenarios.

6) I'm not worried about relocating to another state. This goes hand-in-hand with the hiring freeze, which I anticipate will be over by the time I complete my education and if it's not, I'll just continue going to school while working as an LVN until it IS. Going for LVN first gives me that option.

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