LPN to BSN – Advancing In Your Nursing Career

Now that you have been LPN for sometime and you are convinced that nursing is your ultimate career choice and you want to take it the next level. LPN to BSN programs will give you the greatest leap in advancing your career in the shortest possible time.

For myself, I can’t stop learning. I love to explore and absorb new information. Encompassed in my thirst for knowledge is my desire to expand the scope of my nursing practice. The best things, I believe, of being a nurse are the lack of need to stay in one area of nursing or reaching the end of the nursing knowledge base. From small projects, like certifications, to large, attaining an advanced degree such as LPN to BSN degrees, nursing will feed my thirst for knowledge.

For other nurses, the draw of more education resides in the increased paycheck they will receive afterward. Some enjoy bettering their patient care abilities, become involved in management, to conduct research, to increase their marketability, or to expand the areas of nursing available to them.

Expanding Your Scope of Practice

While there are many ways to expand your scope of practice as an LPN, obtaining a BSN (Bachelors of Science in Nursing) is one of the most popular. You can become an RN from a school that offers diplomas or an associate’s degree. Both allow you to sit for a RN (Registered Nurse) licensing exam. You will find, though, that a BSN is the degree most sought after by those looking to hire a nurse. The BSN adds an extra dimension. It opens more doors and provides a large range of possible job opportunities.

I have recently gone back to school for my BSN. My RN comes through having an associate’s degree. Even the associate’s degree limits my abilities to advance as a nurse. I enjoy the patient care I am able to do. Not only do I want to learn more, I want to be able to do more as well. With my BSN I will have the option to obtain my MSN (Master of Science in Nursing), which would allow me to become a nurse manager, supervisor, educator, nurse practitioner or even to continue on to my PhD in nursing.

Now that you’ve decided to continue on your nursing journey what school should you attend and what kind? The choices are almost as varied as types of nursing there is. Traditional, online, bridge programs, accelerated, full-time, or part-time are some of the choices you will have to make. You can even obtain an associates degree along the way, sit for the nursing boards and then find work as a RN while completing your BSN. If you hold a LPN, you already have the core skills needed, so you will not have to repeat any of those classes. If you decide to work as a LPN while attending school your clinical time will also be decreased.

Choosing the Right College

I looked into different traditional colleges near my home. They all offered accelerated programs to quickly move me to my BSN. I would have been able to attend full-time or any length of part-time, as long as I finished in 6 years. They’re programs, which I liked, where all pretty much the same. However, the monetary, time, and childcare difficulties that would arise if I attended a traditional school grew too great. I turned my search to online schools.

Online LPN to BSN programs are offered from both traditional colleges to purely online colleges. Here my choices of schools expanded greatly. The LPN to BSN online program or the traditional classroom programs offered could last as little as a year (full-time) to up to ten years (part-time). With the wider choices I found myself able to pick the perfect fit for myself and family. While still not cheap, I am able to afford to attend classes without indebting myself too deeply. There are deadlines, of course, but no set class times to attend. Since I am not required to leave my house, childcare is no longer an issue.

No matter what type of school you decide to attend, be aware of two things. One, make sure that the school is accredited. While most are, a few aren’t. It would be terrible to finish your degree only to find you cannot sit for the nursing boards because your college is not recognized by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. Two, you will not only have to take nursing classes, but a few general education credits as well. Don’t forget to include them when you count the time and cost of attending.

Having finished one semester, I can tell you that pursuing an advanced degree or even certification are worth the time, money and effort put into it. You will find the pros outweigh the cons.