Greetings -

I'm seeking advice as I'm trying to decide the best path to enter health care as a new career. I'm 40 and am in the process of completing prerequisites. Since March, I've been volunteering a few hours a week at a local hospital and it has certainly been interesting! I've already leanred that there are a lot of different specialty areas that interest me. I especially like the idea of working with infants and children.

The thing I'm having the most trouble with deciding is whether to apply to the LPN program at my community college, or to the RN program. Some of the nurses I work with at the hospital say getting an LPN to start was a great idea because it gets you a degree faster and you can start working sooner, and then maybe an employer would offer continuing education assistance to get an ADN or BSN. Other nurses say that LPNs are being phased out and it is much better to get an ADN instead.

I'm open minded as to the type of setting I want to work in - doctor's offices, hospitals, community health clinics, nursing home, home health care, hospice, correctional, etc. I'm willing to experiment as I realize it can take time to find a position that's the right fit for me.

Anyone have any suggestions or thoughts to share? Is the LPN being phased out in all health care settings? Is it better to get an ADN or BSN even when you aren't set on working in a particular setting or specialty area? Thanks so much!