You are an LPN or LVN and want to advance your career. Fortunately there are some great programs that exist for this very purpose such as LPN to RN programs and LPN to BSN programs.
If you are only interested in becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) as soon as possible, then it is probably best to get an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN). The degree takes two years without any exemptions, but since you are already an LPN you will get exemptions, which vary depending on schools. Also, if you have any other non-nursing degree you will get some liberal arts exemptions. After you get the degree, you have to take the NCLEX-RN. It is similar to the NCLEX-PN that you took to become an LPN.
If later, after becoming an RN, you decide to specialize, you will want to do a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN), and there are RN to BSN programs for that, which usually take two years.
However, if you want, you can opt for a LPN to BSN program. Having a BSN opens up a lot of job opportunities and is a good career move. Normally a BSN takes four years, but you will get exemptions for your LPN education and if you have a non-nursing degree. After you finish your BSN you will want to take the NCLEX-RN. After that you can decide if you want to specialize in a certain area. Specialization is usually done in four ways: based on work setting or type of treatment, based on specific health conditions, based on body systems or organs, and based on defined populations.
Becoming an RN is definitely the way to go for an LPN/LVN, you will have more responsibility, you will have a greater range of treatments that you can administer, and of course your pay will rise too.
