Student Center >> Considering Nursing >> Vocational School LPN. yes or No?
Vocational School LPN. yes or No?
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Posted 7 months ago Hello everyone, I have been interested in nursing for about 13yrs. I started as a candy stripper in our local hospital. The usual thing happened. i got marreid and got side tracked from my dream. I have been reading the forums and I know going for the BSN is probably best, but due to money being tight and unfortunately not faling into the bracket of most scholarships; I will have to pay almost all of the schooling on my own. On to the question. I live in Florida and we have a vocational school that will allow you to get your LPN in 1yr and then after 1 yr of active LPN move on to the advanced RN program at our local college. This would allow me to be an RN in 3yrs. Has anyone else heard of this route or done it. Would you reccomend another way, etc.. any help would be appreciated.
Thanks |
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| Posted 7 months ago If you have community colleges or other nursing school down there that offers a 2 year RN program I would skip being an LPN and go straight for your RN. Here in Missouri a lot of hospitals don't hire LPN's most work in a nursing home setting. I am in a two year RN program and I am almost finished. I have two more classes left. I plan to immediately go back to school in January and get my bachelors. |
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| Posted 7 months ago You may be better off going with the community college, due to the fact of money issues. I know from personal experience that a lot of the private type schools are much more costly, than the community college. You do have other options as well for paying for your tuition. I know that you think you fall into a certain bracket, but I would check with the financial aid office at the community college to see what you may qualify for, and the other options that are available. I am not saying that it would not be a good idea, but I would suggest doing some more research, you may find that the community college may offer the same type of plan as well, for cheaper. Hope this helps and good luck on your journey! |
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| Posted 5 months ago Richelle, Just wandering what decision you made regarding LPN in a vocational school or go right to RN program at college? I am in the same situation, considering nursing and living in Florida too! Let me know,
Thanks!
Chantal |
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| Posted 5 months ago Well I found myself in the same position as you guys...what to do? As for most of us working adults (I'm 37) you can't just drop everything and hit the local college for a two year degree, but here is what I am doing. I going through LPN school at a local Tech school, the night classes take 6 months longer than the day ones. Anyway, I found that most hospitals WILL hire LPN's if you talk to the Human Resources department and explain your situation. The reasoning is this; hospitals need RN's more than LPN's, however in this climate of nursing shortages most hospitals have some type of indentured servitude program.In other words they agree to hire you as an LPN, you agree to pursue your RN, they agree to pay close to all of the tuition plus adjust your work schedule to allow for school. In return (depending on degree - ASN/BSN) you sign a contract to work at the hospital for 2 - 4 years. It is a win/win situation for everyone. Do research first, get all of your ducks in a row and then follow your dreams. I was able to get commitments form a couple of hospitals before I ever began...Good Luck to you! |
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| Posted 5 months ago Also being in Florida, and having just graduated from a transition RN/ADN program, I can speak with some experience to this subject. There were a lot of students in our ADN transition class - the three transition programs at our pinning outnumbered the two traditional degree programs in graduates, though at orientation it was the other way around - which tells me (a) - more transition students completed the program; or (b) most transition students didn't show up for the "mandatory" orientation. The transition program does not cut out any of the two-year degree curriculum, it condenses it: this means that you get a lot of information in a very short amount of time. What the program does is assume a certain level of clinical competency, and credit an LPN or Paramedic for some clinical hours already taken in their previous program of study. You are tested on your clinical competencies going in, which is why a year of working in the field as an LPN or Paramedic is required before going into the transition program. All that being said - it was extremely rewarding and enriching - and if I had it to do all over again, I would probably do it the same way. There were many moments through the program where I devoutly wished I were taking the two-year program, however, and most of my classmates with clinical experience behind them felt the same way. One other thing I want to mention - there is nothing at all wrong with the career path you describe. But do try to understand that LPN is not a "stepping stone" stop in a career path - it is a nursing profession in and of itself. While for you it is one part of your journey, while you are there, enjoy it, learn as much as you can, and experience all that it has to offer. Granted, you will have prerequisites to complete in that years' time as well, but don't sell your experience as an LPN short while you are waiting to get into an RN program. You will lose, the profession will lose, and most importantly, your patients will lose. Just my $0.02. Ted "The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." - Ayn Rand |
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| Posted 5 months ago I AM SO VERY LUCKY TO BECOME AN LPN, I WAS A SINGLE PARENT WITH 4 KIDS AND WORKED 2 JOBS AND WENT TO CLASS WITH NO FINANCIAL HELP WHAT SO EVER THROUGHOUT MY TRAINING. I HAVE MET SEVERAL WONDERFUL NURSES DURING MY TRAVELS, WHAT TRAVEL DID YOU SAY? YES I AM AN LPN TRAVELER AND HAVE BEEN FOR ALMOST 11 YEARS. WHETHER OR NOT YOU GO TO RN SCHOOL OR LPN SCHOOL, WE ARE ALL NURSES. THERE ARE GOOD AND BAD ALIKE. WHAT YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO DO MORE PATIENT CARE, OR WHETHER YOU WANT TO PUSH A PENCIL. IF YOU JUST WANT TO PUSH A PENCIL BECOME AN RN. BUT I F YOU WANT TO DO MORE PATIENT CARE YOU CAN BE EITHER. THE DIFFERENCE IS YOU GET MORE HANDS ON EXPERIENCE IN LPN SCHOOL SUCH AS INSERTING FOLEYS, ETC. WHILE IN RN SCHOOL YOU ARE MORE OF THE BOOK READ INSTEAD OF ACTUAL EXPERIENCE. AND AGAIN THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ALL. I HAVE MET STUDENTS 2 WEEKS FROM GRADUATION THAT THOUGHT "PRN" MEANT PER RIGHT NOSTRIL AND HAD NO IDEA WHICH END TO INSERT ON A FOLEY IN BOTH PRACTICES. YOU MAKE WHATEVER YOUR CHOICE FOR CREDENTIALS. SO IF IT COMES DOWN TO FINANCIAL GO TO LPN SCHOOL, MOST CAN'T TAKE 2 YEARS OUT OF THEIR LIFE AT THIS POINT AND IN THIS ECONOMY, BUT IF YOU CAN I ENVY YOU. |
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| Posted 5 months ago I could not afford to go to school for three years , so I'm doing the step up program myself. I'm an LPN now, and have been for just a little over a year. I am currently looking into getting my pre-recs out of the way to start the ADN program. I did this for 2 reasons. 1) I could not afford to go straight through. and 2) I want to learn, and gain experience through each step of nsg . I was a CNA first for 4 years.Next by time I enter the ADN classes I will have been an LPN for 2 years, then my next goal is to start my BSN pre-recs, and start classes after being an ADN for 1 year. Personally I have gained alot of knowledge, but you have to do what is best for you. Set goals, and follow them through. Best of luck, God Bless....Verna |
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| Posted 5 months ago LPN2GO says ...
Pushing a pencil? Boy, that's a great way to look at an RN's job. Thanks ever so much. By the way, when you get through insulting half of the nurses on this site, would you mind figuring out where the 'caps lock' key on your computer is? Thanks. Ted "The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." - Ayn Rand |
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| Posted 5 months ago LPN2GO says ...
Wow you may want to edit your post. I am 4 months away from becoming an RN and I am insulted by your post. I had clinicals this past Wednesday and Thursday and believe me we work on actual patients. In my med surg clinicals I have inserted foleys, NG tubes, taken vitals, given baths, passed medication, inserted fecal containment devices, changed many dressings, flushed IV's started IV's, started tube feedings, blood sugars, transported patients, head to toe assessments calculated vent settings, assessed dietary needs, drawn labs, assisted with codes, read ekg strips, obtained actual ekg's, changed beds, etc. In my other clinicals, I have assisted with childbirth and did post partum assessments, newborn baths, and newborn assessments in my ob clinical. In my peds clinical I changed diapers, measured them, emptied drains, fed my patients, gave them baths, assisted with a pediatric cardiac cath, did a head to toe assessment on all of my pediatric patients. In my psych clinical I participated in group sessions of adults and children, did a visual assessment of patients, and assisted with anything else that needed to be done on the psych floor. I am proud that I was able to do all of that and proud of the fact that I will be able to participate in much more PATIENT CARE when I become an RN at the end of the year. I am not putting down LPN's because they are nurses too. We are all in this together to take care of the patient no matter what title a person may have. |
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| Posted 5 months ago I too am insulted by your post LPN2GO. I've been an RN for 3 years, and have never thought of myself as a pencil pusher. There is alot of charting involved but we are charting what we do, and we do way more than push a pencil. I also disagree that LPN's get more clinical training than RN's. I feel you are giving biased advice, and need to think about what you've said on your post. |
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| Posted 5 months ago LPN2GO, I actually prefer a pen vs. pencil. |
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| Posted 5 months ago RNdude, I prefer a pen also. I sure wouldn't want anyone to erase 8 hours of all that writing. |
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| Posted 5 months ago StarlightRN says ...
I work 12 hour shifts, and my hospital requires pen and blue ink (so you can tell a photocopy from the original.) Someday we may even chart on computers - yay - that's 12 hours to push buttons instead of a pen. Ted "The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." - Ayn Rand |
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| Posted 5 months ago tdage says ...
The hospital that I will work at and have clinicals at we chart on computers. We have to be extra careful to save our work for all of the charting we do and for all of the pencil writing we use Black ink. And if we change something that we charted and already saved it shows it. And get this since I am a nursing student I have to do extra charting because I have to state that I am a student. |