What is the difference between an RN and an LVN? And what about the nurses that travel, what are they called?? And what type of education would I need for each?

Sorry for all the questions, but I hope someone could help answer my questions.

You can become an RN by either 1) Going through a 2-year Associate's Degree program (that's AFTER you've finished all the prerequisites) at a community college or 2) obtaining a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN)degree from a 4-year college. You are not officially an RN until after you've passed the Nursing "Boards" (licensing exam). You are eligible to take the exam after graduating from either type of program. If you have a Bachelors, your salary will be higher, and you'd need it for supervisory/teaching positions.
A travelling nurse is simply an RN who gets hired by a company who hires nurses willing to travel. You don't need special training to become a travelling nurse.
An LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse, also known as LPN or Licensed Practical nurse in some states) does not have a 2 or 4 year degree but instead has slightly less schooling (about 1 less semester than the Associate's degree). You'll earn a few dollars/hour less than an RN, but it may be a lot easier to get into an LVN program, depending on where you live, and they still make good pay (by my standards. $15 here in Albuquerque, NM. RNs with an Associates make about $18/hr. here, and those with a BSN make $18+ to start.)
You should ask the advisors at your college what starting pay is in your area. Travelling nurses make a lot more. If you have more questions, post again. Good luck to you!

I am currently enrolled in the Associate of Science (RN) program at the local community college. I live in Florida and I can tell you that an RN with just the Associates degree will make $21.00/hr - TO START. I want to be a NICU RN and I know they start you off at $40-50/hr. An RN with a bachelors degree will make much more than that! I do know that the more "intensive care" the dept. is, the more money that you make. A friend of mine just graduated last December from the local community college with an Associates degree (RN), and went to work at a local hospital. They started her off on the night shift, in Telemetry, (you get paid more for working the night shift) @ $21.00/hr and now she's up to about $25.00/hr & it doesn't look like that'll be it for her in the pay raise dept! The more degrees that you have, the more money that you'll make. I know that when I'm done with the Associates Degree, I'm going to take about 6 months off from school and just work, then I'm going to go back for the higher degrees. My ULTIMATE goal is to be a Nurse Practioner, where in Florida that's well over $100,000.00/year!!! BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'm NOT doing this for the money (sure it's going to be real sweet, though), I'm doing this because I love helping and taking care of people. Especially babies! It really makes me feel good to know that I helped save someone's life or made an impact on them.

these days though, to be quite honest, it doesn't really matter if you are ADN or BSN. The only real difference you will see is if you want to persue supervisory/management roles. BUT, even then it doesn't always matter-we had a DON who was only ADN and one of the TOP nurses, my mom, is ADN as well. And with the shortage, they won't not hire an ADN. You can work your way up too, don't always need the higher education. I have been around all types of nurses, granted none in major hospitals, but have seen where you can go. It is all in the background and experience. They would hire an ADN with 20 yrs experience over a BSN with 2 years. States also differ. My mom makes $55,000.00 a year and it has taken her 25 years to do it(but that is in MO) and here in Vegas I could make that much starting with my ADN. So, it is a numbers game. Bottom line, they NEED nurses so bad, get what you can and be happy in your career, whether it is LPN, ADN, BSN, or NP!

I disagree that it doesn't matter what degree you choose. I'm pursuing my BSN, despite the fact that there are PLENTY of ADN programs in my area, and they're a lot less expensive and a lot easier to get into. But I think nursing a profession is suffering due to the fact that there are so many places and so many people who will settle on lower education and lower standards. It's really sad that higher education isn't rewarded in the nursing community. If med students only had to do two years or three years of college, doctors wouldn't be a highly respected, highly united profession. So if you want to become a nurse, really consider what values you have to bring to the nursing industry.

Oh, and don't think the shortage means tons of money. There are some people with NO shortages. And some of the shortages that towns and places experience and there because the hospital just can't afford to pay for more staffing. And to the person who says that NP's make $100,000... there's an actual SURPLUS of NP's in this country, due to programs pumping them out with the promise of tons of money. A lot of NP's have actually had to return to staff nursing, because they are unable to find jobs as NP's. Unless you live in a rural area, I don't know if NP is the high paid dream job you are envisioning. Now, CRNA's.... they make TONS of money and are in high demand.

Anyway, my personal website, [ removed ]

I am not in it for the money. If I were, I wouldn't still be doing it. I do it for the feelings I get when I make another person's day better because of the high quality of care I give them. I would do this work no matter how much they get paid. I wanted to do this when I was 7, it is written on paper, and even as I was growing up, nurses weren't making much. My mom doesn't earn a lot but to me that didn't matter. I saw how happy she was doing what she did, and I wanted the same. It feels so good when a TBI I have been caring for for six months leaves rehab to go home. I know that in some way I was able to help. I cannot express the feeling. I have made life long friends of family members who felt I made an impact in their lives as well as the life of their child, parent, spouse, whomever I helped care for. I even had three of my patients w/TBI at my wedding last year, and each had been out of rehab for atleast a year. The main thing is, no matter what degree you get: Make sure you are in it for the right reasons. If you want money, you will not be happy and will burn out quickly. If you are like me, and you want to do this because you really WANT to, then you will be happy even when dealing with staffing shortages, poor wages, and all the other stuff that goes on with healthcare. I have seen a lot, and after six years, my dreams are still there. I will get my LPN, then my ADN, and maybe even my BSN. All I care is that I am a nurse, doing what I have loved to do and have been born to do. This, is my calling, and I feel blessed to think so.

I don't know where you live, but I do know FOR A FACT, that where I live NP's make around $100,000.00/year. I have researched for myself!

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I'm not saying that they don't make that much, but there are MANY areas where there is a surplus of NP's and finding a job is incredibly hard. Look, [ removed ] They say it's VERY rare to find an NP that makes over $70,000 a year. I'm not trying to stop you from your dream, I just am trying to help you so you don't get out there and feel disappointed!

I spoke with my mom (ADN) as well as my mil (BSN) and they said the only real difference with ADN classes versus BSN is that in your BSN you will have more research criteria. Aside from that, you learn exactly the same in clinicals and take the same tests. Of course, different schools will require different classes, just as some require Chem and some don't.

I know in Florida, the shortage is so bad that the state has these programs that make housing affordable to people in the medical field. Example: $500.00 down payment on a house. My cousin (a dentist) and his wife (a phyisician), both of whom make about $500,000.00/year combined, only had to put $500.00 down on a $250,000.00 home near the ocean JUST BECAUSE they were in the medical field.

I spoke with my mom (ADN) as well as my mil (BSN) and they said the only real difference with ADN classes versus BSN is that in your BSN you will have more research criteria. Aside from that, you learn exactly the same in clinicals and take the same tests. Of course, different schools will require different classes, just as some require Chem and some don't.

also, the shortage of nurses would be horribly worse right now if they didn't offer the ADN programs. If you took all the ADNs away, gosh, I wouldn't WANT to know how short the nursing profession would be then!