Can you get a nursing diploma in place of an RN license?

Those who want to enter the nursing profession--one of the largest professions in the health care industry--have choices depending on how much training they want to pursue. The most basic nurses are licensed practical nurses, or LPNs. Many nurses who go on to more advanced positions start their nursing careers as LPNs. To practice as an LPN, you must meet the requirements for a practical nursing diploma. The last major requirement for LPNs is to take and pass the National Council Licensure Exam, better known as the NCLEX. The version LPNs take is the NCLEX-PN. This computer-based test, administered through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, checks that you are competent in nursing topics and skills. It is not a requirement to get a diploma, per se, but without licensure, your diploma loses its value, since you cannot legally practice without licensure. Most training programs, thus, are designed to prepare you for this test. Usually, you take the NCLEX-PN at the end of your training so you have your license around the same time as you get your degree. Completion of an LPN program at a vocational or technical school, or at a junior or university college, is a prerequisite for getting a nursing license. Most programs take just a year to finish, although some may take longer depending on their complexity. This is a major separation point between LPNs and registered nurses (RNs). RNs must have at least two years of education, which usually translates into an associate degree, and many RNs have a Bachelor of Nursing degree. Until the 1970’s this type of nursing degree was very popular. There were as many as 800 diploma programs in the U.S. in the 70’s. In fact, hospital based programs were the traditional mechanism for educating professional nurses. This has changed over the last thirty years, hospitals being supplanted by community colleges and Universities as the more popular educational system. There are currently about 100 programs available for nursing education at a diploma level. These schools usually have a program of about three years and they do prepare you to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam, but they prepare you for a job that is direct care related. That is, they do not give you the more extensive base of theoretical knowledge that helps prepare you for jobs in research, or leadership roles. And, although, with talent, experience and an RN license, you can grow into different career paths, the diploma educated RN will have less flexibility to get the nurse manager job right out of school or the nurse administrator role. You will have the education and experience, though, to practice in a hospital immediately on your graduation and RN licensure. That is, many hospitals like to hire a nurse with the practical experience you will have after completing this course of study and clinical care. In some ways, you will be more completely ready to serve the patient’s needs than a nurse who spent many years in theoretical course work, but less clinical experience. Remember, you may also be able to become a practicing nurse right away, then return to school for an accelerated course to gain your BSN or MSN. That way, you have practical experience, plus the background, theoretical knowledge of a nurse who began with a higher degree. Then, career paths will be open for you as you progress in your experience and skill. Visit the website of My Online Nursing Degree (see Resource) and follow the links to various universities providing online diploma courses in practical nursing. Find out the prerequisites for gaining admission to the courses. This will typically involve a basic qualification of a high school diploma, knowledge of Internet navigation, creating documents and using email. You will also need access to a personal computer and Internet connectivity to attend online classes. Communicate with the course coordinator at individual institutions and get information about the course duration and the mode of sending study material. Although the classes will cover theoretical aspects, the nature of the diploma involves actual hands on training in a clinical setting. Find out about the arrangements the institution has for such practical training. Ask about the health centers or nursing homes where students are trained. Visit these centers and verify this information by speaking to the administrator