CIS 101 RESEARCH REPORT

Prepared for
David Kampmann

Prepared by
Alan Walker
Licensed Practical Nursing Program

April 21, 2010

 Education Choices for Licensed Practical Nurses

You have completed all your courses, passed your nursing boards, and obtained licensure

to pursue a career as a LPN. What is the next choice for you? The last option you might want to

consider is more coursework and putting off employment for another year or two. It might just

be the best thing for you and your future.

LPN vs. RN

What are the reasons you should become an RN? Chances are that if you pursued a career

in nursing you have a desire to help others. While LPN’s provide patient care in many of the

same ways a RN does – an RN has additional patient care responsibilities. As an RN you are able

to directly affect the patient’s course of treatment rather than carrying out care orders given by

others. Their scope of responsibility is higher and they often manage other LPNs. They are

tasked with duties that develop patient care assessment, creating initial patient assessments,

creating patient health plans, educating patients how to improve their health, administering

medications, and supervisory skills. In short, you are able to more directly impact the patients in

your care. You are the one making decisions for their care. Along with the extra responsibilities

come additional rewards. You will have more employment opportunities, higher career

advancement, more educational opportunities and best of all higher pay.

Additional Schooling

You can count on approximately five more semesters to achieve your goal of a RN

associates degree (RN AS), and nine to complete a RN bachelor’s degree (RN BS). The two

degrees have the same rate of pay in South Dakota. However, the RN BS degree is preferred by

employers and may shorten your time job hunting when you’re completed with school. I

compared two state universities and what their costs would be to meet these goals.

Alan Walker
Page 1
 University of South Dakota offers a RS AS degree and has an accelerated program for

LPN nurses. An STI LPN graduate would need to complete 39 additional credit hours to reach

the RN AS degree. There are 18 credits worth of classes to enter into the RN program. Once you

are accepted, an additional 18 credits of nursing courses would complete all the requirements to

take the RN NCLEX and obtain your RN license. Approximate cost would be $215.00 dollars

per credit hour, totaling $7,740.00 dollars. (South Dakota Board of Regents)

South Dakota State University offers a RN BS degree. It requires an additional four years

to complete 70 credit hours worth of courses before you can sit for the RN NCLEX. SDSU plans

to start offering the courses in Sioux Falls by the fall of 2012, or the following spring.

Approximate cost would be $222.00 dollars per credit hour, totaling $15,540.00 dollars. (South

Dakota Board of Regents)

COST VS BENEFIT

Cost of additional schooling may tempt you to hold back from pursuing your RN degree.

There are a few important facts to consider first. Many employers will pay educational bonuses

to attract and retain qualifies nurses. The dollar amount of bonuses varies depending on the job

market. Many times it can be as high as $10,000.00 paid out over five years. These types of

bonuses will not go away. Employers are going to have a more difficult time attracting enough

employees in the near future.

Our nursing workforce is getting ready to retire at a time when baby boomers will be
entering nursing homes and hospitals in record numbers. Experts are planning to lose
almost 20 percent of the work force every five years. (U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services)

The quickest way to cover the additional cost of school is going to be your difference in

salary. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the following for LPN professional salaries.

Alan Walker
Page 2
 LPN - Median annual wages of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses were
$39,030 in May 2008, 50 percent earned between $33,360 and $46,710 (U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics).

When you compare the LPN salary to the RN salary you will notice it jumps dramatically.

RN - Median annual wages of registered nurses were $62,450 in May 2008, 50 percent
earned between $51,640 and $76,570. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

With the additional $23,420.00 in yearly salary that you can expect as an RN, it would not take

long to pay off the additional cost. You would also have the added benefit of knowing you did it

yourself.

WRAP-UP

There are definite rewards for going back to school to pursue a higher education. Those

who take the time complete more education will find that they have more control over their

career, higher pay. Due to the large number of aging nurses in the workforce who will retire, you

can only expect it to get better. There are a number of schools in our area that offer LPN to RN

programs, and many already have a plan in place.

Alan Walker
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 REFERENCES

South Dakota Board of Regents. http://www.sdbor.edu/student/cost/. 12 May 2010

<http://www.sdbor.edu/student/cost/documents/TuitionFeeScheduleFY10.pdf>.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment Statistics. 5 May 2009. 5 April 2010
<www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes292061.htm>.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment Statistics. 4 May 2009. 6 April 2010
<http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291111.htm>.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Registered Nurse Population. May 2000. 14 May
2010 <http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/rnsurvey/rnss1.htm>.

Alan Walker
Page 4
 Alan Walker

Analysis of the Aging Nursing Population 1992 - 2004

Number of RNs by Age & Year Number of RNs by Age & Year
RN Age 1992 2000 2004 500K
450K
< & 25 years 46,903 57,424 59,592
400K
25 - 29 years 189,370 162,677 159,676
350K
30 - 34 years 296,556 235,994 221,052 300K
35 - 39 years 376,392 345,995 256,967 250K
40 - 44 years 319,071 451,816 360,249 200K
45 - 49 years 225,541 453,904 449,797 150K
50 - 54 years 167,164 331,969 406,748 100K

55 - 59 years 121,562 232,464 271,264 50K

K
60 - 64 years 66,733 150,917 136,191
< & 25 years 25 - 29 years 30 - 34 years 35 - 39 years 40 - 44 years 45 - 49 years 50 - 54 years 55 - 59 years 60 - 64 years 65 & > years
65 & > years 31,898 150,275 75,305
1992 2000 2004
Total # of RNs 1,841,190 2,573,435 2,396,841

Percent of RNs by Age & Year Percent of RNs by Age & Year Bell Curve Shows Majority of
RN Age 1992 2000 2004 25% Nurses Moving to Retirement.
< & 25 years 3% 2% 2%
25 - 29 years 10% 6% 7% 20%

30 - 34 years 16% 9% 9% 15%

35 - 39 years 20% 13% 11% 1992
40 - 44 years 17% 18% 15% 10%
2000
45 - 49 years 12% 18% 19% 2004
5%
50 - 54 years 9% 13% 17%
55 - 59 years 7% 9% 11% 0%
60 - 64 years 4% 6% 6% < & 25 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65 & >
years years years years years years years years years years
65 & > years 2% 6% 3%

REFERENCES FOR ALL CHARTS

"2004 Findings From The National Sample Survey Of Registered Nurses." HRSA Bureau of Health Professions (BHPR). U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Mar. 2004. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. <http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/rnsurvey04/preface.htm>.
Moses, Evelyn. "Findings From The National Sample Survey Of Registered Nurses, 1992." HRSA Bureau of Health Professions (BHPR). U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Mar. 1992. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. <ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/bhpr/nursing/samplesurveys/1992sampsur.pdf>.
Spratley, Ernell, Ayah Johnson, Julie Sochalski, Marshall Fritz, and William Spencer. "Findings from the National Sample Survey Of Registered Nurses." The
Registered Nurse Population. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mar. 2000. Web. 14 May 2010.
<http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/rnsurvey/rnss1.htm>.
 Alan Walker

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q

1
2
Analysis of the Aging Nursing Population 1992 - 2004
3 Number of RNs by Age & Year Number of RNs by Age & Year
4 RN Age 1992 2000 2004 500K
450K
5 < & 25 years 46903 57424 59592
400K
6 25 - 29 years 189370 162677 159676 350K
7 30 - 34 years 296556 235994 221052 300K
8 35 - 39 years 376392 345995 256967 250K
9 40 - 44 years 319071 451816 360249 200K
10 45 - 49 years 225541 453904 449797 150K
11 50 - 54 years 167164 331969 406748 100K
50K
12 55 - 59 years 121562 232464 271264
K
13 60 - 64 years 66733 150917 136191
< & 25 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65 & >
14 65 & > years 31898 150275 75305 years years years years years years years years years years
1992 2000 2004
15 Total # of RNs =SUM(B5:B14) =SUM(C5:C14) =SUM(D5:D14)
16
17 Percent of RNs by Age & Year Percent of RNs by Age & Year
18 RN Age 1992 2000 2004 25%
19 < & 25 years =B5/$B$15 =C5/$C$15 =D5/$D$15
20%
20 25 - 29 years =B6/$B$15 =C6/$C$15 =D6/$D$15
21 30 - 34 years =B7/$B$15 =C7/$C$15 =D7/$D$15 15%
22 35 - 39 years =B8/$B$15 =C8/$C$15 =D8/$D$15 1992
23 40 - 44 years =B9/$B$15 =C9/$C$15 =D9/$D$15 10%
2000
24 45 - 49 years =B10/$B$15 =C10/$C$15 =D10/$D$15 2004
5%
25 50 - 54 years =B11/$B$15 =C11/$C$15 =D11/$D$15
26 55 - 59 years =B12/$B$15 =C12/$C$15 =D12/$D$15 0%
27 60 - 64 years =B13/$B$15 =C13/$C$15 =D13/$D$15 < & 25 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65 & >
years years years years years years years years years years
28 65 & > years =B14/$B$15 =C14/$C$15 =D14/$D$15
29
30 REFERENCES FOR ALL CHARTS
"2004 Findings From The National Sample Survey Of Registered Nurses." HRSA Bureau of Health Professions (BHPR). U.S.
31
Department of Health and Human Services, Mar. 2004. Web. 14 Apr. 2010.
32 <http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/rnsurvey04/preface.htm>.
Moses, Evelyn. "Findings From The National Sample Survey Of Registered Nurses, 1992." HRSA Bureau of Health Professions
33
(BHPR). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mar. 1992. Web. 14 Apr. 2010.
34 <ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/bhpr/nursing/samplesurveys/1992sampsur.pdf>.
Spratley, Ernell, Ayah Johnson, Julie Sochalski, Marshall Fritz, and William Spencer. "Findings from the National Sample Survey Of
35
Registered Nurses." The Registered Nurse Population. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mar. 2000. Web. 14 May
36 2010. <http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/rnsurvey/rnss1.htm>.