You can be a LPN while in nursing school for RN?

[henryswife]

Ok, Im so confused. I was reading a few threads and came across a thread that stated an Rn student wanted to take NCLEX-PN. Ok, my question is:While you are enrolled as student for registered nursing. Midway through the program can you apply to take the nclex-pn. If so how do you go about doing this. I think this is awesome if its true.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION FOR ME

[donsterRN, ASN, BSN]

In my state (NY), we used to be able to do that, but that is no longer the case. My understanding is that only graduates of an accredited PN program can sit for the NCLEX-PN. Students in an RN program, because they have not graduated from a PN program, do not qualify.

RN students used to be able to sit for PN boards after completing some of the RN program, but the change happened last year, I think.

I do not know if or how other states work this.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Some states allow this by something called "educational equivalency". This issue came into being in some states to address those people who had been trained in schools outside the U.S., the corpsmen trained by the military after discharge, or those who had never completed an RN training program. The way you find out if your state allows this is to go to your state board of nursing website and pull up the application for first time licensure, usually by NCLEX-PN. On the application it should detail the educational requirements needed to take the NCLEX-PN. If there is nothing there about educational equivalency then it is likely that your state doesn't allow it. You can always call the state board to be sure.

You can access your state board from the allnurses site. Click on "Links" at the top right. When the drop down menu appears, click on "Boards of Nursing". Click on your state when the page of states comes up.

Now, here's my on this. . .if you can do this, working a new job as a newly licensed LPN is just the same as being a new grad working their first job--it's very stressful and takes months to acclimate to the work. RN school also gets more stressful as you move through it. Which are you going to devote the most time and energy to: a job and the patients who are counting on you, or school and the future patients who will be counting on you? One of them will most likely suffer. Pick one: the patients or your grades.

[elkpark]

I agree with Daytonite. Whether or not that's an option depends on whether your state allows it at all, and the particular/specific curriculum of your RN program and whether it qualifies you to write the NCLEX-PN at some point during your education.

However, I really would not recommend you do this, for the same reasons Daytonite identified. I've had students do this and watched them really struggle, both with the new LPN role/job and continuing in school. Also, the NCLEX-PN is expensive, and is an awful lot of money to spend for a license that you're only going to want for a year or so, until you write and pass the NCLEX-RN! :)

The best "use" of this option, IMHO, is for people who fail out of nursing school or find themselves needing to withdraw for personal reasons -- in those situations, it's good that they have something "to fall back on." I strongly discourage students who are continuing in an RN program from doing this. In that case, I urge you to focus your time and effort on your studies.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Something I didn't mention is that when someone from an RN school does this they generally are required to get a letter from the dean of the RN school they attended that verifies for the state board that the applicant learned the LPN information that is required by their state law. Some deans just outright refuse to write this letter for current matriculated students in their RN programs.

[3boysejj]

I attend a technical college in Wisconsin. Our first year is a LPN tech. degree program. We all graduate with our PN and if you have declared as an ADN student you continue on for the 2nd year.

Jeni