if your ultimate goal is to become an RN then I would work as a CNA as you're doing and continue to take the pre-reqs. But don't wait for two years to apply for your ADN, apply now and hopefully when you're ready in two years your name will be on the list and you'll go right into the ADN program.

Jettysgirl5867 said:

Hello, Curious what in the world I should do here. Currently am starting CNA training April 22. Doors and windows are opening and fast if I might say. I am enrolled in college for first semester for refreshers math, refreshers english, and college skills along with 1 prerequisite for RN, Psychology. I was fully intending on going through the next 4+ years to get to become an RN, but, Have recently heard about the 1 year LPN course that I can take to increase my income sooner than it would be to finish my RN. The things I have to weigh out are this: Can't work during the LPN course, it is an expedited intense training. I had to sign a 1 year contract with the company I am employed with due to them paying for my CNA training so it will be at least next year before I can start the LPN course. I figured, 2 semesters in college taking the pre-requisites before applying for the nursing program for RN, and then next year trying to get into the LPN course, once finished then finishing the RN. What is your opinion and why? I could surely use all the comments possible for me to think this through and the pro's and con's of why or why not. Thank you.

well let me say nursecranny51, we are all here to support you as best we can! we may not even be in the same state, but i personally would like to extend an invitation to you, to be your support. i understand how hard things can be when you have no one there to back you up, i had started to take my courses before (pre req's) but i had no one to help me. the only person i had at that point in my life hindered every opportunity that i had. but i'm back to grindstone now, and have a wonderful amount of support from my fiance. so much support that i need to give some to someone else, i guess that's all in the nature of a caregiver!

That is awesome sedmaiden. I appreciate you extending yourself to me. I'm glad you are rid of the person that hindered every opportunity. That is the nature of us caregivers, to give to others and not think of ourselves. I'm sorry if it came across that I was looking for support, it just sorta came out. However, when the question arose to who takes care of the caregiver, sometimes we do have to learn to take care of ourselves at times.

I would try to get in a local facility;nursing home or hospital, as soon as I was old enough.Get a job doing anything where you will have patient contact;housekeeping or dietary. You can move to the nursing dept. later if you're still interested. Also do some volunteering. Most facilities would welcome volunteers. Find out if there are openings for Unit Aides. In my state of Maine you only need an 8th grade education. It doesn't pay a lot but you get a lot of exerience. Good luck to you persuing your nursing career.

I know that you weren't neccessarily asking, but I felt that it wsa the right thing to do! We are all here for a reason, to become nurses or because we are nurses, so who better to help you then people that are going through the same process?

JenniferT: you might want to check with your local community college and see if they have courses you can take for free. Every community college that I have checked out offers programs for high school students to receive college credits while in highschool that will count towards your nursing degree. They usually are for free. So look into the college talk to an advisor, it may help out if you have the extra time to take the extra classes! I also agree with Sandi790 if you can not get a paid position then volunteer! Any little bit of experience will help out a lot. Good Luck to you I hope you find the information you need!

If you're doing the LPN thing for more money, that's one thing. If you're doing it for clinical experience, that's another. Many places these days, you're looking at nursing homes & other long-term care facilities vs. hospitals.

Hello all! triple D here, I'm a part time cna who will be beginning the LPN progam this August then continuing into the RN phase the following year. I have a financial question: where may I find loans/grants to help subsidize my income or should I say lack thereof (have a family to feed) while attending nursing school.

hi my name is mary i am a student in an lpn program that only will take 15 months to graduate i chose this fast routh because first i am 40 years old finally doing what i always wanted to do before me going to school to be a nurse i was a dept. of corrections officer in a sex offenders detention facility making good money fors years before that i worked over 10 years at th post office. i live in chicago at first i went to a regular college for nursing and found out yes it will take me almost 3 years just to be a lpn that really takes 1 year and 2 years for rn without all the pre-req you have to take in a regular college.  this school is so fast paced you only have 30 days per class to learn and test out to go to the next one also i have to do clinicals at a nursing home or hospital through out the program that way when you graduate when you start to look for a job and some of them want you to have at least 1 year working as a nurse you can actually say you have it because you will have to work hands on nursing now it will cost more money going to these types of schools financial aide will pay for so much but you then have to take out a loan or loans for the rest. these schools also have part time classes at night or day yes they do tell you that you can't work because of the fast pace and also i chose to go full time so i can get it out the way.  some jobs will pay or help you pay to be a nurse if you work for them for a period of time after u graduate ask them if you could upgrade from cna program to a nursing program and still work for them until the deal is up since there is a shortage of nurses and every health care jobs needs them they can benefit more and you can to as well as make more money.k.i.t good luck hope this helped some

Hello all,  This is Tammy here and boy what a topic.  I had four children when I decided to change my life for the better and went back to SCHOOL>>>>  Best decision of my life.   It was one of the hardest things to do.  I Made up my mind to start a new life after 20 years of married life.  I informed him of the decision I had made after scheduling my classes for prereqs.  I applied for pell grants (money that does not have to be repaid)  and then the real fun began.  After two years of prereqs I applied and was accepted into the ADN program.  Boy what joy and fear rolled into one moment as I realized I had gotten myself that far.....  The next 1/2 year went by pretty good and then the realization that I would be needing "things" to be able to finish school.  I lived off of power and water in the jungle of Hawaii (the Big Island)  I knew I needed more money and the option was student loans.  All in all I did recieve 10,000 in student loans and recieved two scholarships.  After getting my "things-refrigerator-instant hot water heater-generator....ect....  I then got back to the business of school only to find out that I also now needed to get a job "40 hours per week" or "volunteer" 40 hours per week in order to keep my health insurance and food stamps to feed my children.  Boy, what a slap in the face that was considering my soon to be ex-spouse was not working, or in school.  Somehow he managed to duck it and it landed on me....  Well I could not state with absolute confidence what my every hour of school would be so I opted for the voluteer work.  Great decision (I worked around my hospital rotations, school classes, apts. for the kids, and life)    My voluteer work happened to be in a clinic so score for me and my hands on experience ;>)  After graduation my life has changed in many ways both good and bad, however I do not and will never regret my decision to go back to school and become what I felt in my heart.  My one decision that I wish had a do-over is that I did not just go for my BSN or Masters right away.  It is hard now to face fewer work hours to enable me to return to school for my masters.  I guess what I am trying to say in all of this is if possible just go for your RN now and realize your true dream........P.S.   My children were junior high and high school at the time..... If I did it you can do it too ;>)

JenniferT says ...

I have a question for everyone who is willing to give me advice. I'm 15 years old, and i'm in the ninth grade (I homeschool as of this year). I'm very intrested in nursing. How can I start off my nursing carrier at this age? What classes can I take, and what kind of jobs may be avaible? Maybee some kind of training?

First off, your math and sciences such as chemistry, anatomy and physiology are going to be important. Even though you are homeschooled, they may have what is called running start programs in your area where a high school student can attend 1 or 2 college classes and receive not only high school credit for the courses, but college credit as well. If not, get the math down and any science courses you can get. Do volunteer work at you neighborhood nursing home or hospital. This gives you a good idea of what kind of work you would be facing and if it is what you really want to do. I have had a few students that have done this and found that they loved the nursing field or that it was not for them, but loved the social work portion of the medical field and went into that instead. I wish you the best of luck!

Jettysgirl5867 says ...

Hello, Curious what in the world I should do here. Currently am starting CNA training April 22. Doors and windows are opening and fast if I might say. I am enrolled in college for first semester for refreshers math, refreshers english, and college skills along with 1 prerequisite for RN, Psychology. I was fully intending on going through the next 4+ years to get to become an RN, but, Have recently heard about the 1 year LPN course that I can take to increase my income sooner than it would be to finish my RN. The things I have to weigh out are this: Can't work during the LPN course, it is an expedited intense training. I had to sign a 1 year contract with the company I am employed with due to them paying for my CNA training so it will be at least next year before I can start the LPN course. I figured, 2 semesters in college taking the pre-requisites before applying for the nursing program for RN, and then next year trying to get into the LPN course, once finished then finishing the RN. What is your opinion and why? I could surely use all the comments possible for me to think this through and the pro's and con's of why or why not. Thank you.

Think of the BSN program and the effort fo all the pre-requesites as an investment in your future. When you make an investment there may not be immediatiate gratification but in the long run your investment will be worth the time and effort. Don't rush to immediate gratification, pay your dues and follow your initial inspiration to spend the 4+ years to become a BSN. The rewards at the end of that 4 years will FAR FAR outweigh any immediate rewards that you might gain as an LPN and will catapult you beyond the ADN level. Be an investor in your future and the furture of nursing in the USA.

snopy says ...

1. Jettysgirl5867 says ...

Hello, Curious what in the world I should do here. Currently am starting CNA training April 22. Doors and windows are opening and fast if I might say. I am enrolled in college for first semester for refreshers math, refreshers english, and college skills along with 1 prerequisite for RN, Psychology. I was fully intending on going through the next 4+ years to get to become an RN, but, Have recently heard about the 1 year LPN course that I can take to increase my income sooner than it would be to finish my RN. The things I have to weigh out are this: Can't work during the LPN course, it is an expedited intense training. I had to sign a 1 year contract with the company I am employed with due to them paying for my CNA training so it will be at least next year before I can start the LPN course. I figured, 2 semesters in college taking the pre-requisites before applying for the nursing program for RN, and then next year trying to get into the LPN course, once finished then finishing the RN. What is your opinion and why? I could surely use all the comments possible for me to think this through and the pro's and con's of why or why not. Thank you.