Would you go straight to RN or start as LPN?

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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Good morning Everyone!

So this questions is for my future/current LPN and RNs are more than welcome to help with my questions.

I'm currently going to a community college in Virginia to receive my A.A.S and will transfer to a four-year college to receive my BSN. I've been going to the community college part time for almost 2 years. In the fall I'll be going to school full-time and I'll be finished with the A.A.S by fall 2016. Honestly, I feel like LPN is the quicker way to get me into the work force and I was actually interested in it back in high school but I heard from everyone that going to school for Nursing is the better way due to financial reasons and its time saving as well.

MY question is, if you're a current or future LPN, are you satisfied with your decision of starting as LPN? Would you have rather went straight into nursing? Are you going to get your BSN or ASN in the future? I only know one nurse and I hate to bombard her with questions LOL Not only that but I need plenty of advice! It's easy to get advice from my advisors at school but I need help from the professionals ;)

Thank you so much in advance for your answers ?

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You do know that the "N" in LPN stands for nurse right?! So when someone goes for "nursing" they could be pursuing an LPN or RN diploma/degree!

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Specializes in LTC.

N stands for nurse. I'm happy with my choice to become an LVN and bridge to REGISTERED nursing, as it is allowing me to skip wait lists and lotteries in my area, and to work as a nurse while I bridge. (I graduate LVN school in a month, I bridge in January.)

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Yes they're both nurses that require different schooling and have different responsibilities.

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Specializes in LTC.
Yes they're both nurses that require different schooling and have different responsibilities.

But you said "straight into nursing", so your post is easily confusing to the reader.

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I am a PN student also, and I finish in a couple months, I chose the LPN first route because of what a previous poster said, I get to skip the wait lists that most of the RN programs have, and my school has the pre-reqs built into the 12 month program, I also get to work as a nurse while deciding if I want to further my education or not. If I decide to become an RN my timeline is cut shorter being an LPN than going straight for my RN. Everyone's situation and reasoning is different but I chose what I feel was the best route for me

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I'm currently a LPN should be starting BSN 2016 fall. It was a great decision simple fact is I get to practice as a nurse while going to school and making decent money at the same time.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I was really young when I became an LVN so I made a bunch of stupid mistakes, job wise. I also didn't know if I would like being a nurse. I'm glad I became an LVN first. I actually went to university to get my BSN but dropped out.

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Yes LPNs go to nursing school.

But to answer your question, I think you should go straight to RN school if you want to be an RN.

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Specializes in NICU.

Let me ask you. If your final goal is to be an RN and you have a BSN school in your area ( and you already have an AS)-- why would you go get your LPN just to go back to school again to get your RN then BSN? Why not just go straight into the BSN program and skip all these not needed steps? Do you think it'll make you a better nurse? Its certainly not going to save you any time or money...

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Becoming an LPN/LVN first will allow you to determine if you like nursing, your school, and your teachers while making a short term commitment. I went the RN route first and had mixed experiences. In my first semester I had great teachers who would do anything to help the student succeed. In the second semester I had the worst teachers on the face of the earth, who didn't teach, only read power points, would not answer questions over material. After the first four weeks of that second semester, I realized how much I hated my nursing school and after many heated discussions with the Director of Admissions at Ivy Tech Richmond Indiana.....I withdrew from the program. Before I withdrew, I spoke with other non-nursing faculty about the issues and they supported me and agreed that I had valid reasons for filing complaints against the school. And by the way, the year I started at Richmond Ivy Tech----they were on the chopping block by the Indiana State Board of Nursing; so check out your prospective schools with the Board of Nursing in your state before you commit. One of my teachers during our first semester broke the news to us; the school itself didn't want it to be known.

After going through what I did, I put a lot of time into researching my next nursing school in order to finish becoming an RN; truthfully, it is almost impossible to research every aspect of a school.

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Specializes in LTC and Acute Rehabilitation.

I don't recommend going to LPN. The reason being is that LPN's have a different way of thinking than registered nurses. For instance, they "gather data" and nurses assess. I feel you would end up struggling in school for RN because you had been taught heavily for LPN.

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