I need to make a decision.........

[mudnuri]

Here are the options.....help me decide

Option #1 stay at the school I'm taking pre-reqs at for my ADN (2 year associates rn)... done in summer of 08

pro's- 2 year rn program, high success rate in state exam
pre-reqs and co-reqs will be mostly completed..2 left other than nursing classes

con's- might not get in this year- 50% of applicants get in, due to space/vs applicants, they really pull the 3.9/4.0 pre-req students and those with prior medical backgrounds before everyone else...I MIGHT have a 3.9 when we're done with pre-reqs but not sure...
If I dont get in this year, I'm done with pre-reqs and have nothing more to take, unless I take pre-reqs for the BSN which I would rather not...
If i dont get in, that means, student loans become due...instead of 3 years from now.
I'm an outofstate student at this school, using the new england regional tuition charges..still more than a state resident
Must take a NLN exam, and score very high on this to add to my chances of getting accepted....really dont have time to study algebra and chemistry, when I have a/p that sucks up my life (and the dis!)

Option #2 apply to another school, for a 10 month LPN program - done in Summer 07

pro's- these pre-reqs this year, will put me ahead of the majority of other applicants, as they are co-reqs at this school, (as long as my gpa stays where it is LOL)
because of this, I would only have the actual clinical nursing left to do, where you spend the majority of time on a floor, not the support classes...this will drop about 9 hours of class time off each week, and about 25 hours of studying off...leaving about 60 hours total of class and study

done in 10 months, with only an LPN....could work at a hospital with tuition reimbursement for furthering onto my lpn-rn transition...
in state for this school, tuition is less per credit

VERY small nursing class, like 18 because this is a technical schools off-campus branch...

cons- lpn vs rn..

Now, both of these scenario's in the end- I will owe the same amount. If I go straight to RN or get my lpn, then do the lpn-rn it will cost me the same amount....this is without taking into consideration any tuition reimbursement...either way, I will owe the same amount when done.

Travel to both schools is the same distance, just different directions....

I dunno I dunno I dunno..........part of me is thinking I'll only be broke till summer of 07 if I go lpn, but then I think of the difference in hourly rate and ugh I dunno

Thoughts?

Brandy

 

[DisneyJen0504]

As someone who decided to go back to school for my masters in education and teaching certificate, I also weighed out the options of what would get me done the quickest! My opinion, stick it out in the program that you feel would be best for you in terms of a career in the long run no matter when you will finish. It is only a years difference in between the two but you are talking about what you want to do for the rest of your life.
Good luck!!!

 

[crz4mm2]

would you still finish your ADN if you did the LPN first? IF not, GO the ADN route. It is SOOOO hard to 'go back' after you graduate. If you are going to go right into the 2nd year of the ADN when you graduate LPN then I would say go for it, but if you are planning on graduating LPN and working some before you go back I say don't do it. (am I rambling too much???).
I did LPN first. I had been out of school 10 years and didn't know if I could "do college" and I wanted to do the faster program first. I did fine, and went right into the 2nd year of the ADN program ( there were quite a few 1st year students that dropped out ). WHen you figure how much more money you make as a RN compared to a LPN (not to mention the opportunities and the respect) you are better off continuing on.

If you would ever consider going on for a BSN or advance practice degree you will have to have your RN first.

I'd do the ADN and apply now. Do they do first come first served if there is a "tie"?
Good luck. You can do it.

Oh wait, now I see it is TWO different SCHOOLS. ... So the school with the ADN doesn't have a LPN program???? Shoot, forget what I said then (except I still think you should do the ADN program).

 

[mudnuri]

would you still finish your ADN if you did the LPN first? IF not, GO the ADN route. It is SOOOO hard to 'go back' after you graduate. If you are going to go right into the 2nd year of the ADN when you graduate LPN then I would say go for it, but if you are planning on graduating LPN and working some before you go back I say don't do it. (am I rambling too much???).
I did LPN first. I had been out of school 10 years and didn't know if I could "do college" and I wanted to do the faster program first. I did fine, and went right into the 2nd year of the ADN program ( there were quite a few 1st year students that dropped out ). WHen you figure how much more money you make as a RN compared to a LPN (not to mention the opportunities and the respect) you are better off continuing on.

If you would ever consider going on for a BSN or advance practice degree you will have to have your RN first.

I'd do the ADN and apply now. Do they do first come first served if there is a "tie"?
Good luck. You can do it.

No - if there is the same of each score, gpa etc.. they go with the interview to determine who gets in...

I will go back, heck i'm back now... I would not stop at a LPN....never been my goal to be stuck in geriatrics (which is what 99% of lpns here are)...

Brandy

 

[TENIA66]

go to be lpn, then work for employer who will pay for rn..........i'm in the profession and we need good nurses NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hugsquared]

This is just my opinion, but I would shoot for the RN route. I have several reasons.
1. Because of DH's job, I have had the opportunity to work in several states in a variety of hospitals. I have seen a growing trend of LPN's being phased out as hospitals gear towards a higher ratio RN staff.

2. While plans to go back to school once you finish you LPN training are admirable, a vast majority don't do it. You get caught up in working, paying bills, and its very hard to work full time and go to school and take care of family/start a family/date seriously. I graduated with an Associate in Nursing with grand plans to return for my BSN within 1 year of graduating. Its been 14 years and it looks like by summer I will be able to get started...finally.

3. While LPN's do much of the same work as RN's, they are compensated at a much lower wage. I am always amazed when I hear what LPN's are paid.

4. If you do get into a hospital where LPN's are prevalent, you will find them to be the work horses of the place. Their work load is harder physically than most RN's because the RN's end up in charge or management positions. I was the only RN working the 3-11 shift in a small hospital in VA last year, and I honestly felt guilty because I NEVER took a patient load. My job was to make sure the shift ran smoothly and to take care of problems be it staff, patient or visitor. I'm now in a hospital system that employee's very few LPN's and I'm back into patient care which I love (Pediatrics).

These are just my thoughts and of course you have to do whats best for you and your situation. Good luck, I know it's a tough decision but I can't imagine anything better than nursing. It has its good days and bad days but overall, a very satisfying way to give back to society.

 

[crz4mm2]

No - if there is the same of each score, gpa etc.. they go with the interview to determine who gets in...

I will go back, heck i'm back now... I would not stop at a LPN....never been my goal to be stuck in geriatrics (which is what 99% of lpns here are)...

Brandy

Good for you. Nothing against LPNs (I AM one- or used to be one before I became a RN) but, there are very few opportunites for LPNs around here, and geriatrics is about it here too, maybe a physcians office if you are lucky. And A LOT of other medical professionals look down on LPNs thinking they are not as educated as RNs etc. (not myself, but I have seen it happen time and time again). Do you have a better chance of getting in if you are already a LPN? Do they have a program where you can just do a 'bridge' course and then the 2nd year? That is what my 2 year college had. We had 3 LPNs that did 2nd year with us (that had been LPNs for YEARS and decided to go back and become RNs) and there were 3 of us that had just graduated as LPNs (we were given first slots before anyone else-except the returning 1st year students). My school had about a 30% drop rate the first year of the 2 year program so there were several slots available for those 2nd year LPN students.

Again, Good luck. YOu won't need it though, you have the drive and know what you want.

Cathy

 

[C.Ann]

Sounds to me like something in the back of your mind is "nagging" at you about sticking it out till '08..

Listen to the whispers and do what you think will be the best choice for you now.. Education is not a "now or never" propostion - thank goodness!

Best of luck with whatever your choice is!

 

[Marseeya]

I think you should shoot for the RN, absolutely. I think it would be better for your career in the long run.

 

[shy little mouse]

Stick it out and go the RN route. My hospital is completely phasing out LPNs. LPNs were given three choices: retire, get laid off, or go back to school to become an RN now. My mother is an LPN and she is back in school (by choice). Her job options were extremely limited to basically pill pushing for 30-40 residents per shift in a nursing home. Yeah, that porbably sounds really depressing, but it is the truth in the area we live in. One of the reasons hospitals are trying to phase out the LPN is that many of them are looking at future magnet status. Even ADNs are being pressured in my hospital to pursue their BSN completion. We still hire a lot of ADNs (there are only 3 BSN programs in our area), but there is a big push for existing employees to complete their BSN studies through the University of Detroit-Mercy program onsite. In fact, our hospital is even pushing for more MSNs. I am starting my MSN next year. You will have infinitely more choices, respect, and better pay if you become an RN. Just my 2 cents.

 

[taximomfor4]

This is just my 2 cents. I am in a rigorous (aren't they all?) ADN program right now. I also had a PT retail job and a very PT (PRN actually) job at a hospital as secretary. Since this semester started, I QUIT my PT job and have accepted ZERO shifts at the PRN job. I am a 4.0 student going into this program, and am NOT shooting for a 4.0 in the ADN program. I am just trying to survive it and eventually graduate. I am only taking 9 credit hours (the required courses for this semester) but that takes up six days per week. My school has a 100% state boards pass rate. I can believe it -- everyone who cannot pass dropped already.

This was just my very wordy way of saying that while getting the LPN done quicker and getting to work for tuition help toward the RN sounds great, and is a prudent financial decision....but ADN programs (at least around here) are tough enough where many people are quitting/reducing work hours just to get their schoolwork done.

Good luck in whatever you decide!
Beth

 

[yeartolate]

I would say go for the RN.

I am an RN and the LVN's I work with mostly regret their decisons not to do th extra time. Essentially other things come up and you don't get around to the additional training.

RN's are in such high demand now, and there is certainly flexibility within the career. You might severely limit yourself paywise and flexibilitywise if you become an LVN.

At my facility there can be a $20+/hour wage difference between the two.

Either is an honorable and respectable career.

Good luck.

 

[janette]

My niece is an LVN and really regrets not having her RN. She's been trying to go back to school and was going to but got a good job offer and took it but is still going to try to swing school too to get her RN. She's stated the same as others here that the difference in pay and options is much better with an RN.

 

[Poohlovr]

Drats--I typed this out once and it didn't go through!

Is there anyway you can apply to both programs? That way, if you don't get into the ADN program this time, you have the LPN program to fall back on. That will delay your student loans for another year, and you will be making a little more money to have to pay them off.

Then, while you work as an LPN, you can go back to school via a LPN-RN bridge program (and delay those student loans once again while you're back in school). It's one yr at longest, but you won't have much to do since you already have your pre-reqs. Plus, your employer may well have some sort of tuition assistance.

I am an LPN, slated to graduate from an ADN bridge program (fingers crossed) this December. My employer has paid about 2/3 of my tuition for this program (this was done directly to the school and is not a re-imbursement program nor do I have to sign a contract with the hospital--I have no obligation to them).

In addition, my student loans will be forgiven at the rate of 20% per year for each year that I work as an RN in this state, in essence paying off all of my student loans.

While I agree with the advice to get your RN, if you can't get into the class right now, I'd take the alternate route and go for the LPN now and then continue on.

BTW, the salary difference between RN's and LPNs here is about $7-$8 an hour and when you get your RN, you get credit for the years you worked as an LPN toward your RN rate.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck!

 

[zumbergc]

I'd shoot to get into the RN route. However, to cover your bases you might consider applying to the LPN school too. This way your covered on both ends. If you get into the rn program awesome, if you don't this year, then you continue along with the LPN route.

Taking time off school is risky because not everyone goes back, and once out of school mode, even for a year, it makes getting back into school mode more trouble. I had to work a year before work would pay for me to go back and get my masters. You forget some things, and certain aspects of life at school are nice, and certain aspects of working are nice too.

Check into if you went into the LPN program you could apply into the RN program the next year. I know different schools, but its better to ask and maybe a possible option in the future, than to never find out the answer.

I like to cover all my bases so applying to both is a good solution.