Phillips is the chief education analyst for GetEducated.com, a great Web site that evaluates accredited online degree programs and educates consumers about them. Phillips answers your question today.
LPN to associate degree
Your first step: Get the additional education and training necessary to take the RN exam in your state. Begin by trading up your LPN credential to an associate degree in nursing. Expect to take somewhere around 10 courses -- perhaps fewer -- to be awarded an associate degree. (Remember, the academic degree by itself does not make you an RN; you must pass your state's licensing exam to be awarded the RN credential.)
No matter which state you live in, Excelsior College (excelsior.edu), based in Albany, N.Y., is an excellent place to enroll for the additional education you need for an associate degree in nursing. Excelsior has long been offering distance-learning degrees to nurses nationwide. The college's faculty is expert at assessing nursing licenses and career training and applying maximum credit for what you've already achieved toward a college degree.
All Excelsior College nursing programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, an accreditation you want no matter where you study.
One caveat: Because Excelsior's program is designed to meet the requirements for registered nurse programs in New York, be sure to verify with your state's board of nursing that the Excelsior degree makes you eligible for the licensing exam in your state. Chances are good that it does, but check anyway.
For example, you should check with the California Board of Nursing (rn.ca.gov). In fact, California may even accept LPN credentials as preparation for the RN exam, but most states do not. Whether or not you absolutely must earn an associate degree is a question you'll have to work out with your state's nursing board.
Moving up to Bachelor's degree
How ambitious are you? After you've earned your associate degree and become licensed as a registered nurse, at some point you may want to go for even better jobs that require a BSN (bachelor of science in nursing). Most RN-to-BSN programs require an associate degree for admission.
The shortage of RNs nationwide has spurred the development of a new generation of flexible and accessible RN-to-BSN options. GetEducated.com has profiled 90 online bachelor's degree programs in nursing and this spring will offer a free downloadable guidebook, "Best Distance Learning Undergraduate Schools: Healthcare."
To minimize hassle and cost, explore distance RN-to-BSN programs operated in your home state. Each state controls the academic regulations for nursing licensure, and while there is a lot of overlap and reciprocity among states, it's easier all the way around when you stay with a degree program designed and pre-approved by your state board of nursing.
Attending a state university, even online, will cost about one-third of what many distance RN-to-BSN programs cost, and you'll be eligible for financial aid.
Outcome.
If this sounds like a lot of work, it is. But at least you can do it while you work and without relocating. You're in a career field where the more you learn, the more you'll earn. And you'll hold a career credential that will give you amazing job flexibility and security.
Thanks, Vicky Phillips.
The spread of online education has brought with it a lot of phony degree mills. No matter what career field you're in, a good and free place to start your online learning research is GetEducated.com, a site that CNN calls the "Diploma Mill Police."
Digg
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon
