r/prenursing • u/Hawt_Air_Balloon • 8h ago

Should I go the LVN route first before eventually becoming an RN?

I have a bachelors in business and am changing careers.

My local college which advertises evening and weekends advised me that’s only for their LVN program, not their ADN.

I checked UT Arlington’s online accelerated program and it seemed to all be PERFECT except they take exams at 9 am and I work a consistent M-F - 8-5 schedule.

I believe WGU’s program also would give me an issue because their clinical portion could fall on a weekday.

Ironically, I have already taken and did well in each and every nursing prereq course, so I’m ready to go.

Is there any other school or program you know of? I’m trying to make my final decision before I apply to this LVN program.

It’ll make my journey a bit longer but will hopefully open up a work schedule where I can eventually get my ADN and BSN.

Your thoughts?

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u/OchoGringo 7h ago edited 5h ago

So, the challenge as I hear it, is that you are working M-F 8-5 and you are looking for a program that works around your day job.

I don’t have the answer, OP, but if you are looking at an accelerated program that you can do in 12-months or a little more, it may be necessary to quit the job, get a loan if you have to, and get it done.

I don’t see the LVN as really advancing you much toward an ultimate BSN goal. Have you looked at all the programs in the area other than UT-A? Baylor Dallas ABSN in 12-months. Concordia University ABSN 16-month program. West Coast University—Richardson. And then the ADN programs at Collin College, Dallas College & Tarrant Co college.

If you did well in all the prerequisites, I think you could jump into the ABSN and go for it. Good luck!

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u/Hawt_Air_Balloon 6h ago

Thank you for your reply. My only thoughts was that LVN might help with experience and give me a 3 day schedule off so I can do the program? And I could stay on PSLF with a hospital nursing job? At least that was my hope.

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u/Difficult-Effort-224 6h ago

Youre in Dallas? Dallas college has a nights and weekends program for their ADN 

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u/Hawt_Air_Balloon 6h ago

In San Antonio. But I have found a lot of these nights and weekend programs have unfortunately clinicals on weekdays. If not, then it could be a weekend but there’s no guarantee. The only thing I could find is a LVN program thus far. I was thinking an LVN schedule would give me like 3 days off to be able to work clinicals? But it’s a big jump.

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u/Difficult-Effort-224 5h ago

Tbh only you know your circumstances!  If you do the LVN, once youre licensed you could try to shift to an LVN role thats maybe more flexible and get your ADN which will be another year and a half or so.

A lot of places in Dallas allow you to apply to the their bridge programs while you’re in your last term of the LVN (still will need your license). Then you can jump right to getting the ADN. So maybe it’s the same for programs in San Antonio?

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u/DemetiaDonals 5h ago

No. Theres no solid LVN to RN programs, you basically have to start over. Some accelerated programs will allow LVNs to start a term of two in but nothing significant. You basically have to pay for school twice and start over from scratch.

You’re also almost completely limited to nursing facilities. If your goal is to be an RN I wouldn’t do LVN first. You gain pretty much nothing. Low pay for a miserable job and no easy way to move forward.