LPNs

[fortsmithman]

I was just looking online at the various colleges here in Canada and primarily in Alberta for EMS and other health career programs. I was looking at the Licensed Practical Nurse programs. In every college site I checked the length of the LPN programs are all 2 Years. I'm curious what is the length of the LPN programs in the USA and other countries. For EMS programs Ontario has the longest for Primary Care Paramedic which is equal to I believe EMT-I the programs are 2 years.

 

[Akulahawk]

Around here, LVN programs seem to run 2 - 3 semesters. RN programs seem to run about 4. Why do LVN if RN is only 1 semester longer?

 

[fortsmithman]

Here in Canada for RN every college and university I've checked out only has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing BScN. and thats 4 years.

 

[fortsmithman]

Around here, LVN programs seem to run 2 - 3 semesters. RN programs seem to run about 4. Why do LVN if RN is only 1 semester longer?

So the length of your RN programs are the same length as a Canadian LPNs program.

 

[8jimi8]

In the US LPNs function with a smaller scope of practice and school is generally 2 semesters. Bare minimum for RN is 4 semesters. This is for the nursing specific curriculum, there is usually a year of prereqs Which must be completed.

 

[Akulahawk]

In the US LPNs function with a smaller scope of practice and school is generally 2 semesters. Bare minimum for RN is 4 semesters. This is for the nursing specific curriculum, there is usually a year of prereqs Which must be completed.

Depending upon the prerequisites, desired unit load, and other College/University grad requirements (think Gen Ed), the non-nursing specific courses can take 2-3 years to complete, and they generally must be done prior to the RN specific courses. So, a BSN student may require 5 years to attain the BSN while an ADN student may require 3-4 years to meet all program and graduation requirements.

 

[8jimi8]

Depending upon the prerequisites, desired unit load, and other College/University grad requirements (think Gen Ed), the non-nursing specific courses can take 2-3 years to complete, and they generally must be done prior to the RN specific courses. So, a BSN student may require 5 years to attain the BSN while an ADN student may require 3-4 years to meet all program and graduation requirements.

I already had a degree when I took my associate's.

I did science prereqs for 2 semesters and then did the 4 semester uppder division nursing.

3 years total for me. another 9 months online will complete my BSN.

 

[Akulahawk]

I already had a degree when I took my associate's.

I did science prereqs for 2 semesters and then did the 4 semester uppder division nursing.

3 years total for me. another 9 months online will complete my BSN.

From my 1st Bachelor's, I had most of the prereqs completed. It took just ONE course to complete my prereqs. My ADN program will be 4 semesters in length. I guess you could say that my particular path to RN will be just 5 semesters, counting the one prereq I had to pick up as it's own semester.

If I'd been slightly smarter about things, I should have taken that one extra course during the first go-round and things may have been a little easier.

My comment was primarily for those that had not completed any prereqs, and therefore, had to take them all. It can take a bit longer if one has to also complete all graduation requirements in addition to the program specific ones.

When I'm done with my ADN program, I could complete the BSN in about 2 semesters more OR do one semester and go for an MSN. I suspect that neither one of us are exactly going the "traditional route" to obtain a BSN.

As a matter of fact, out here, I didn't have the option of a 2nd Bachelor's as it was either too expensive OR the local University had closed their doors to all 2nd Bachelor's students, until very recently.

 

[WoodyPN]

I was just looking online at the various colleges here in Canada and primarily in Alberta for EMS and other health career programs. I was looking at the Licensed Practical Nurse programs. In every college site I checked the length of the LPN programs are all 2 Years. I'm curious what is the length of the LPN programs in the USA and other countries. For EMS programs Ontario has the longest for Primary Care Paramedic which is equal to I believe EMT-I the programs are 2 years.

I know of several tech schools that run LPN programs alone that are 1 year in length.

What you have to understand about colleges, is that you will undoubtably be forced to take pre-reqs.

RN programs here are two years, not counting pre-reqs.

 

[MrBrown]

You know what really grinds Brown?

Brown has both a New Zealand Diploma and Bachelors Degree but nobody will recognise them for transfer to a second degree BSN.

New Zealand Degrees do not have pre-reqs or general ed content

GRRR :excl:

 

[fortsmithman]

I know of several tech schools that run LPN programs alone that are 1 year in length.

What you have to understand about colleges, is that you will undoubtably be forced to take pre-reqs.

RN programs here are two years, not counting pre-reqs.

We don't have pre reqs because we learn that stuff in High School. The only pre req is a high school diploma with senior matriculation. If you think Canadian BScN aren't as good because of that you're wrong. Here in Canada when our RNs graduate from their programs, which are all Bachelors of Science in Nursing nearly all grads try to get recruited by US hospitals. Or degrees do have gen ed requirements where the student has to do English, Math,and Sciences.

 

[Akulahawk]

We don't have pre reqs because we learn that stuff in High School. The only pre req is a high school diploma with senior matriculation. If you think Canadian BScN aren't as good because of that you're wrong. Here in Canada when our RNs graduate from their programs, which are all Bachelors of Science in Nursing nearly all grads try to get recruited by US hospitals. Or degrees do have gen ed requirements where the student has to do English, Math,and Sciences.

The prerequisite courses here are those that are program specific and not part of a typical High School educational program or college general ed course of study. At my current school, we require a full year of A&P (with lab), Microbiology, Life Span Development (covers physical and psychosocial development), General Psychology, and college level english, non-remedial. Additional coursework in humanities, Social Science, Living Skills, Ethnic/Multicultural Studies, and additional competencies in Math and Reading are required of all students at the college. Most of those prerequisites have prerequisites, such as General Biology or Chemistry.

I suppose the general idea is that you take a student, give them a good general educational foundation and then give them a specialized education in the field they desire.

With a BScN as you describe it, I get the impression that the RN students are provided with all the same info, either during High School OR they get it through their program, built-in to the coursework. I'm not saying at all that Canadian BScN/RN graduates are in any way inferior or superior to US counterparts.

 

[fortsmithman]

A couple of years ago a cousin of mine had offers from a couple of US hospitals while he was still a student in his last year of his degree program. A former classmate of mine went to Cornell University with just his Canadian high school diploma. Before the EMS education in the USA can be fixed fix your high school education systems first. Once your primary and secondary education are fixed then your post secondary can be fixed. My cousin who I mentioned in the start of this post, he picked a hospital in northern Alberta.

 

[fortsmithman]

I'm not saying at all that Canadian BScN/RN graduates are in any way inferior or superior to US counterparts.

Neither is superior or inferior. Here in town we have a couple of nurses a husband and wife team who are US trained and they're highly competent.