# Tell me about getting into nursing school. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 28, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-getting-into-nursing-school/544853 "2010-06-28T22:21:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-getting-into-nursing-school/544853/21 "2010-07-04T23:46:13Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > BZZZZZZZZ!!! > > Wrong answer. Very wrong. > > _Do not_ go the ADN - or, even worse, the LPN - route. You will live to regret it in your bones. > > Volunteering may help, but you need to find yourself a position in a nurse assistant / PCA role. It doesn’t pay a lot, but the experience is solid gold (and nursing program admissions folks know it). > > Do you know anyone at all who is a nurse? Who works in a hospital? There is your key to the door. If not, aggressively and tenaciously pursue such a position. > > This is your best bet. > > Best of luck. > > mmm Huh? I went to a 4 year college myself, but I’ve known quite a few RNs that went this route. They start with a program to get their LPN and then go back to upgrade to RN. This allows them to get started faster and (more often than not) because they are already an LPN and working they can get their secondary RN schooling paid for. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-getting-into-nursing-school/544853/22 "2010-07-05T00:31:45Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > Huh? > > I went to a 4 year college myself, but I’ve known quite a few RNs that went this route. They start with a program to get their LPN and then go back to upgrade to RN. This allows them to get started faster and (more often than not) because they are already an LPN and working they can get their secondary RN schooling paid for. I suspect it depends a lot on the state you are in. According to my sister (R.N. M.S. Nursing Administration), that isn’t a good idea in Minnesota to bother with an LPN, as its hard to find a job as an LPN - outside of a nursing home, and hospitals don’t pay for schooling to upgrade an LPN to an RN. But I completely believe its a different deal in different states depending on the competitive environment. I’d make sure to do your research locally. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-getting-into-nursing-school/544853/23 "2010-07-05T00:51:44Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > I suspect it depends a lot on the state you are in. According to my sister (R.N. M.S. Nursing Administration), that isn’t a good idea in Minnesota to bother with an LPN, as its hard to find a job as an LPN - outside of a nursing home, and hospitals don’t pay for schooling to upgrade an LPN to an RN. But I completely believe its a different deal in different states depending on the competitive environment. > > I’d make sure to do your research locally. Well, I’ve never been a nurse in MN. Only Ohio and Nevada so far. Also, I was never an LPN, just going by what some of my coworkers experienced. Sleeps, RN and MSN (not a website!) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-getting-into-nursing-school/544853/24 "2010-07-24T18:24:56Z")
I got this email from my friend a little bit ago: > [@](#): > > I woke up this morning and checked my email, and wow, I had mail from the OSBN notifying me that I am a licensed RN. I guess that means I passed my test on Thursday. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-getting-into-nursing-school/544853.md?page=1)