Hi. I just graduated and waiting(anxiously) to take the NCLEX. I heard and researched TCN and Indiana State University. The program sounds good. But, if you had to do it all over again, would you have gotten your RN online or in class? Do you miss being in class everyday? Do you feel that you're missing out on clinicals or get a better clinical experience?

I did my LPN to ADN in a regular classroom setting because this was before distance learning. However, I have since done an ADN to BSN, BSN to MSN, MSN to post-MSN certificate and I'm starting on my second post-MSN certificate in a month - all online. Love online format - I can do it anywhere, anytime. All accredited schools too.

Unfortunately I was unable to finish my traditional RN program. I am trying to finish the distance Excelsior program now. If it were not for EC, I would be out of luck. To be quite frank, the clinical experience as well as the classroom experience of the traditional program I attended, was not all that great. In spite of the difficulty of the CPNE, I would recommend the EC program to anyone who can not go the traditional route. Hard work, but worth it.

Hmm...good question. In some aspects I'm definitely glad I went with online. Flexibility of not attending class is awesome. Being able to pick my own clinical sites has been awesome. I do miss having a clinical instructor whose sole purpose is to help you learn though. Precepting is great but the preceptor's primary job is to care for the patient, not to teach you. I guess like anything else it has its positives and negatives. :) Overall I would say yeah I'm glad I went this route.

I did Excelsior on-line and have NO regrets! The best thing that I ever did. I will never miss classroom nursing. All the boring lectures and the know-it-alls. I also researched the ISU program before deciding to do EC. The ISU program is great if you have clinical set up in your home state. In NC, there were maybe 1-2 sites and they were 1-2 hrs away. The program also take a long time if you don't have your prerequisites done. So just research them both and weigh your options. I almost did not do the EC ADN because of the CPNE but I studied and passed with no repeats. It is a very doable exam. Also try to do ISU without College Network. They are just a publishing company selling expensive modules that you don't need. You can buy the recommended text and save thousands by leaving them out. Online nursing degree allowed me to work full time and study at the same time unlike my traditional LPN program.Good Luck in whatever you decide.

I'm going to have to say it--You're going to get a lot of cheerleaders here without much dissention because of the nature of this message board.

If you've made sure the program you choose will make you eligible to sit for boards in your state, then go for it. However, if you are able to do in-person, traditional classes, it will likely bring you less of a headache now and even in the future for licensing if you should move or if the Georgia nonsense from a few months ago happens again with whatever state gets a wild hair in their rectum. What I'm saying is that, if you are able to finish the RN portion in traditional classes, you will have likely have very little difficulty transferring a license or receiving the surprise notification from your BON that your hard-earned degree will not allow you to sit for boards even though you checked 6 months ago with them and they said it was okay.

TCN is not a college, nor does it grant your the ability to sit for boards; it is a publishing company. You can go right through Excelsior College to do your thing and bypass the TCN slime. However, I don't know much about ISU except that some courses do use TCN, unlike Excelsior, and you do have plenty of supervised clinicals.

EC requires incredible bollocks of steel to not only do the CPNE, but also take each of the nursing tests. Consider whether or not you are a strong test taker or can learn to be a strong test taker.

Out of curiosity, what is your motivation for doing online learning?

Sometimes I do regret doing EC's program because I always have to consider whether or not a state will license me if I want to move, but that's really the only element of the program that elicits any regret. Your mileage may vary.

No regrets here - I've been an LPN in the ER for 2 years, so my clinical should stand up just about anywhere. Since I doubt I'll ever leave the East coast, I'm not worried about it. I just regret the time I wasted in traditional RN school. NJ is EC friendly, thankfully.

no regrets whatsoever....i have no intention of moving out of texas so no worries there. if i had not have done it this was i don't think i could have managed in class nursing school with all i have on my plate....

How much experience as a LPN do you need before getting your RN online? How long are the clinicals and is it true that the clinicals are out of the state that you live in?

How much experience as a LPN do you need before getting your RN online? How long are the clinicals and is it true that the clinicals are out of the state that you live in?

I enrolled in Excelsior College 2 months after graduating from LPN school. The clinical is a 3 day examine at various hospitals in NY, PA, Georgia, Texas, Wisconsin.

How much experience as a LPN do you need before getting your RN online? How long are the clinicals and is it true that the clinicals are out of the state that you live in?

You technically need no experience for EC to get your RN "online." (I don't know about ISU). The jury is still out on whether significant experience helps in the CPNE or not. However, it does seem that SOME experience in any direct patient care is helpful.

The EC clinical test is 2-1/2 days long and are at specific sites which may or may not be in your state. I am in Iowa and chose to go to Wisconsin because we could drive in a reasonable amount of time. Of course, the WI sites are also the closest to me. Others choose any available CPNE site in the US so they can get in as quickly as possible.

I did EC ADN. It worked for me, love distance format and I am beginning EC MSN in the fall. EC is now the largest nursing school in the country. As such, EC should assume a more assertive role in squelching the arbitrary regulations being issued by the self-important fiefdoms, aka BON's. EC could help shape a national conversation on the relative merits of its program and the excellence of its graduates. EC graduates should not be subjected to the whims of local pooh-bahs.

Maureen F., RN, BS