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LVN to RN programs are out there to help licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) make the career jump to registered nurses (RNs). RN careers are extreme versatile, offering a wide array of career specialties and focuses of practice.

Attending LVN to RN Schools

Many specialities within nursing require nurses to be RNs rather than LVNs. RNs have the possibility to focus on a particular area of health care, including:

• Acute or intensive care
• Emergency care
• Pediatric care
• Adult health and internal medicine
• Outpatient and primary care
• Occupational health
• Community and public health
• Psychiatric and mental health

LVNs who want to advance into RN roles can attend special LVN to RN schools, which focus on providing instruction in more advanced areas of nursing such as leadership, nursing theory, and advanced nursing procedures. LVN to RN schools also require clinical rotations in a range of specific areas of nursing, including both hospital and non-hospital settings.

Advantages of LVN to RN Programs

In addition to gaining career flexibility and greater responsibility, nurses who transition from LVN to RN roles should also see a significant salary jump. The median annual wage for LVNs in 2009 was $39,820, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, but RNs earned $63,750--an increase of more than $20,000. Nurses looking to advance in their careers and make a sound investment in their future should consider LVN to RN programs.