LPN To RN DegreeMost people who are licensed practical nurses (LPNs) will try to study further and become registered nurses (RNs). This is shown in the great demand that exists for the LPN to RN degree courses. This is because registered nurses are paid almost one and a half to two times what a licensed practical nurse is paid. There are better perks too, and the post is higher. An LPN is answerable to an RN, while the RN is the nurse who sets the instructions and the rules for the nursing activities in the healthcare institution that they are working in. You can become a registered nurse directly too. You can go in directly for an RN course after you get your high school diploma. But most people do not take that route. There are a handful of reasons for that. The RN course takes about three to four years, whereas the LPN course is usually wrapped up in a year. So, within a year, the person can become an LPN and then pursue the nursing profession. This becomes an opportunity for them to try out what a nursing job really is like and whether they want to be in the profession or not. If there are any problems, they can remove themselves from the job and they will have wasted only one year. However, if they had studied to be an RN and then found out that the job was not up to their liking, then they would have wasted three to four years. There is a lot of demand for the RN degree anyway and it is difficult to get admission there. It is much easier to become an LPN and then see if you want to study further and become an RN. The only problem if you become a licensed practitioner first is that you will already be in a job and will find it difficult to find time to study for furthering your qualifications. However, online classes are available to help in this regard. Once you are an LPN, you already have the necessary hands-on experience. You do not need practical knowledge as much as you need the theoretical knowledge of how to perform the tasks of being an RN. This can be easily provided in an online class. This is what the bridging course of an LPN to RN degree provides. People prefer the online route because it leaves them to study at whatever time they choose. They do not need to attend a classroom course at fixed hours, which allows them to study at their pleasure. Several CEU (Continuing Education Units) can help them progress from being an LPN to being an RN and they also provide agency services that can provide them with job assignments. Some of these are conducted by the leading institutions and universities of the nation. If you are a licensed practical nurse already, making the jump from an LPN to RN degree won't be much of a problem, especially if you are going through it online. You might be able to do it in less than a year and will be looking at better prospects after that period of time. |