LPN to RN: A Good Idea?
If you are an LPN and you have always wanted to become an RN, but for whatever reason, registered nursing school was not an option for you, you may now attend an LPN to RN transition nursing program. As an LPN, you have established yourself in the nursing field, and you have a good knowledge base in nursing practice. Many people become LPNs in the first place, because they want to become a nurse right away. They might feel, in the beginning, that there isn't much difference between an LPN and RN, but the differences are greater than they appear at first.
You know, as an LPN, the training you put in, and you know what an LPN can do and cannot do. If you were to make the transition from LPN to RN, a whole new door will open up to you. Your pay would nearly double, and you could advance your career in every possible way as an RN. As an RN you would have many more options than you presently have as an LPN. The major difference between the LPN and the RN is education. There is a big difference in the level of education needed to become an RN as compared to the education needed to become an LPN.
The motivation for most LPNs to continue their education to become RNs is that as LPNs they have few options for promotions in the nursing field. As an LPN, you may have been satisfied with your wages, but you also have to know that as an LPN, you are paid much lower than an RN. Many licensed practical nurses do the same job as some RNs do. Many LPNs start IVs, take charge duty of nursing units in hospitals and nursing facilities, and they are paid a fraction of what an RN would be paid for the same job, simply because the RN has more education and clinical training.
The LPN to RN nursing program is designed so that the LPN can spend a minimum amount of time in nursing school for the RN program. Once you complete the LPN to RN transition program, you will be able to take the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) licensing test. This exam measures your nursing competencies and medical knowledge. To make your transition from LPN to RN you must satisfy all of the requirements for the RN transition program.
What are the requirements to enter an LPN to RN transition program? You must be a graduate from a school approved by your State Board of Licensed Practical Nursing. To enter an LPN to RN transition program, you will need to fill out an application for the nursing program, and then submit it to the Division of Nursing and Allied Health. There is a deadline date on the application, so be sure to submit it before the deadline date. You must have had a minimum GPA (grade point average) of 2.5. You will need to submit an official transcript of the courses you took in nursing school. You may be required to have an interview with a professional nursing faculty member prior to admission.
As an LPN, it may seem like you have to do a lot to get into an LPN to RN nursing program, but it is worth the effort. It makes good financial sense to make the transition from LPN to RN for obvious reasons. As an RN you can progress forward in your profession, and you can continue on with nursing education to advance to a nurse practitioner. For instance, as an RN, you would be able to train to become a certified midwife, a certified nurse anesthetist and many other nurse practitioner careers. Your professional and financial future will open up dramatically when you make the transition from an LPN to an RN.
Published: 2009-09-19
