The Dreaded Nursing Question...

[WVNobody]

Any of you guys nurses as well? I'm 21 and passed my NREMT-P in January. I absolutely love my job and what I do. But I would also like to become an RN and work on a truck as well. I've been doing some research and it is a lot easier, or so it seems, financially, and time wise to challenge the LPN test and then take a LPN to RN Bridge program than it is to Bridge from a Paramedic to RN Bridge program. I'm well aware of the college network and Excelsior College. Problem with those is cost and I would like to find a place local... We have a lot of places locally that have LPN to RN bridge programs.

It used to be that Paramedics in the state of WV could challenge the LPN test. I'm not sure if that is still the case.. I've been told many times that it is not the case anymore but I will be calling the LPN Board on Monday to find out for sure. I have been told that I may want to look into other surrounding states and see if any of them allow it to be done.

So is anyone here live in KY, or OH? Can you guys challenge the LPN test?

If anyone here has any other recommendations please let me know. I'm open to suggestions.

 

[MackTheKnife]

Can't speak to your locale, but I don't see how going to LPN and then RN would be financially better. It would seem it'd cost more and take more time. I could be wrong. But if you bridged to RN, you would take one NCLEX exam vice two. I'm going the opposite route once I finish nursing school.

 

[Carlos Danger]

If you can easily go from EMTP --> LPN and then from LPN --> RN, that might be a good path to take.

Excelsior is a good option for some people, but it's not easy. And since I graduated from there about 10 years ago, it's gotten harder and more states have additional requirements for Excelsior grads.

 

[TransportJockey]

I would seriously look into the LPN bridge then RN. I am currently doing Excelsior and the cost is rather high...

 

[Summit]

Excelsior is very difficult in some states, and career limiting in others. (eg, you can never be a California RN)

Also, not having a BSN is difficult in some states and career limiting in others.

Nursing is hypercompetitive for new nurses in many locations. Fresh minted RNs with questionable nursing educational backgrounds (and no BSN) will be at a severe disadvantage (the taking whatever crap job they can get after 1 year of looking type of severe disadvantage).

I guess what I'm saying is why all the leap frog backdoor BS? Paramedic school isn't nursing school. You don't have gobs of healthcare experience to supplement with as a minty fresh 21 year old paramedic. Shortcuts can short-change you and your patients.

Go to a BSN program and get yourself a degree from a real program. Work as a medic while in school. You'll be a competitive hire, maybe you will score that ICU or ER residency program. It will keep you from working night shift at nursing homes, then medsurg, to get yourself competitive to the point where you can do the type of nursing your presumably want to do (ED/ICU) given your paramedic background.

So ask yourself, why do you want to be a nurse and what kind of nurse do you want to be?

 

[TransportJockey]

Excelsior is very difficult in some states, and career limiting in others. (eg, you can never be a California RN)

Also, not having a BSN is difficult in some states and career limiting in others.

Nursing is hypercompetitive for new nurses in many locations. Fresh minted RNs with questionable nursing educational backgrounds (and no BSN) will be at a severe disadvantage (the taking whatever crap job they can get after 1 year of looking type of severe disadvantage).

I guess what I'm saying is why all the leap frog backdoor BS? Paramedic school isn't nursing school. You don't have gobs of healthcare experience to supplement with as a minty fresh 21 year old paramedic. Shortcuts can short-change you and your patients.

Go to a BSN program and get yourself a degree from a real program. Work as a medic while in school. You'll be a competitive hire, maybe you will score that ICU or ER residency program. It will keep you from working night shift at nursing homes, then medsurg, to get yourself competitive to the point where you can do the type of nursing your presumably want to do (ED/ICU) given your paramedic background.

So ask yourself, why do you want to be a nurse and what kind of nurse do you want to be?

With my work schedule it was excelsior or nothing. And i intend to get mu bachelor either while lookong for work as an RN or while working as an RN. Plus you couldn't pay me enougn to live in CA lol. I know my goal is transport nursing. I have absolutely no desire to be a med surg nurse and, in my mind tjat will never get mentioned, my goal is to put my time into an er or icu until i can land a job as a flight nurse. Im already an experienced medic, though, working flight so there's another reason i chose the school i did.

 

[Summit]

With my work schedule it was excelsior or nothing. And i intend to get mu bachelor either while lookong for work as an RN or while working as an RN. Plus you couldn't pay me enougn to live in CA lol. I know my goal is transport nursing. I have absolutely no desire to be a med surg nurse and, in my mind tjat will never get mentioned, my goal is to put my time into an er or icu until i can land a job as a flight nurse. Im already an experienced medic, though, working flight so there's another reason i chose the school i did.

Transport Jockey you have like 10 years of experience. Excelsior was aimed at transitioning people who are experienced experts in healthcare... and only a certain subset of those fit the Excelsior model... and limitations apply. You match the first two and don't mind the third, well, there you go.

You aren't the OP.

Bridge programs weren't intended for people whose thinking is: "I want to be a nurse but I don't want to go to nursing school so I'll go to P school instead and half of nursing school as a shortcut and then I can be both with no experience at either, because meeting the minimum for my pieces of paper is what counts."

 

[TransportJockey]

Whoops i thought your comment was directed at me lol. Sorry

 

[Summit]

Whoops i thought your comment was directed at me lol. Sorry

No worries. It was not aimed at you.

 

[Akulahawk]

Any of you guys nurses as well? I'm 21 and passed my NREMT-P in January. I absolutely love my job and what I do. But I would also like to become an RN and work on a truck as well. I've been doing some research and it is a lot easier, or so it seems, financially, and time wise to challenge the LPN test and then take a LPN to RN Bridge program than it is to Bridge from a Paramedic to RN Bridge program. I'm well aware of the college network and Excelsior College. Problem with those is cost and I would like to find a place local... We have a lot of places locally that have LPN to RN bridge programs.

It used to be that Paramedics in the state of WV could challenge the LPN test. I'm not sure if that is still the case.. I've been told many times that it is not the case anymore but I will be calling the LPN Board on Monday to find out for sure. I have been told that I may want to look into other surrounding states and see if any of them allow it to be done.

So is anyone here live in KY, or OH? Can you guys challenge the LPN test?

If anyone here has any other recommendations please let me know. I'm open to suggestions.

In very simple terms, if you're able to take the NCLEX for LPN/LVN, give it a try. It won't be easy. If you pass and you're licensed as an LPN, look into doing a traditional program that upgrades the LPN to RN. If you're looking to move around the country, avoid the distance programs like Excelsior and others as many states won't license you without experience and California won't license you at all if your initial schooling was through one of those programs. I'm an RN and I did the traditional 2 year brick-and-mortar program route. Trust me, nursing school isn't easy... the skills aren't the hard part if you're a Paramedic already. It's the rest of the stuff that is hard.

Hardest thing about LPN NCLEX is having to learn to think like a nurse before you take the exam.