LPN vs. RN School (LPN)

00:01 Now, I'd love to talk to you about RN versus LPN school.

00:04 This is a big question for a lot of us. So, let's talk about that a little further.

00:10 Now, let's talk about RN school first.

00:13 Here's the thing to know about RN school - it's usually a bit longer and it can be anywhere from 2 to 4 years, and this is going to matter if you're going for an associate's degree or a bachelor's of science in nursing.

00:26 Here's the kicker about RN school, that kind of makes it difficult especially when you're trying to choose between the two, LPN or RN school.

00:35 There's a lot of prerequisite classes that require certain GPA; and that's just to qualify to get into the program.

00:44 It's also a little bit different in regards it's a traditional credit-hour institution.

00:50 Meaning, there are certain classes that maybe could be like Wednesdays from 9:00 to noon, for example.

00:57 Also, you take a lot of courses simultaneously. This is pretty common.

01:02 It also concludes additional courses like research, leadership, community.

01:08 Now, you do have a more in-depth study on specialty areas.

01:12 So specialty areas meaning like OB, pediatrics, mental health.

01:18 Now, with the RN role, you are taught to work in a more like autonomous role.

01:23 You don't have to be directly supervised from another nurse because you can work under your scope of practice, along with the doctor and their orders, and of course, the rest of the health care team.

01:35 Now, let's talk about why we're all here.

01:37 Let's talk about LPN school.

01:39 Now the great thing about LPN school is it's usually shorter in duration, anywhere from about 12 to 18 months.

01:47 Just note that the RN student earns an associate's or a bachelor's degree, whereas the LPN students earns a licensed practical nursing certificate.

01:58 Now, you can enter LPN school with a high school diploma or a GED.

02:03 And the bonus here is that there are no prerequisite courses for LPN school.

02:08 But, there is likely some type of standard entrance exams, usually in subjects like English, science, and math.

02:16 Now, LPN schools are considered a seat-hour institution.

02:21 So what does this mean for you as a student? Really, all we're talking about here is that you're gonna spend more hours or days per week likely in the classroom to meet standard for certification.

02:33 Now, if you're interested in specialty areas, this is important.

02:37 So things such as pediatrics, OB, and mental health, these courses are much more condensed than LPN school.

02:45 Now, what I'm talking about here is PITC courses, they may be only about 32 theory hours in an LPN school, and maybe about 10 or so clinical hours.

02:56 Whereas, in RN school, this course, pediatrics, for example, would go all semester long.

03:03 LPN school puts a strong emphasis on making sure their students have mastered technical-clinical skills such as IVs and venipunctures.

03:13 Long story short, LPN school is shorter and also has more accessible admission requirements than RN school.