Indiana State University LPN-BSN 2012

Students Indiana (ISU)

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You are reading page 8 of Indiana State University LPN-BSN 2012

Ladyinscrubs,

I called ISU to ask them about the clinical sites and she basically told me that as far as California students we have to find our own facility willing to accept a student and then fill out the clinical form and send it to ISU to approve. If they are not one of the sites ISU already works with then I need to start the process of ISU making a contract with them which could take up to 6 months. I asked her if I could just have the list of sites they already have contracts with to make it easier for myself and she laughed and said that's what all students ask for but they don't want to bombard those sites with a bunch of students, so they leave it up to us :(

I had to chuckle. First of all, the CA BON requires that ISU provide clinical sites. ISU has all the students fill out something called a "clinical map" during the first semester. The clinical map is just a fancy label for your list of clinicals sites you would like be placed at. You are to provide the clinical laision with the facility's address, phone number and contact person. However, this requirement is just busy work. In truth, the ISU liaison person knows exactly what facilities are available to ISU. Most of the facilities in California will not take students unless there is a instructor on site.

Not answering you request about authorized sites in Calif is misleading and denies you the opportunity to do your due diligence. The truth is there are very few sites available in Calif and the ISU laision knows exactly what those sites are. There is no secret and ISU should not keep this a secret. IMO there is a serious problem placing students in clinical sites in Calif, and ISU is well aware of the problem. Yet, they keep taking students' money and making the classes so rigorous that many student drop out of the program. Yet, many students do get to the clinicals.

What has happened is this: Students will take a clinical lecture class and then pass it and wait till there is an opening someplace or ISU hires a clinical instructor. The CA BON has stated that no Calif students can take two clinical classes a semester, but ISU is breaking that rule. What they are doing is the student passed the lecture and gets an incomplete. Then they start the next class that has a lecture and clinical. When there is a clinical opening, the student will do both clinicals at the same facility. That means the student is actually doing two clinicals during one semester, but because one semester is from an incomplete, this is how ISU is getting around the CA BON requirement.

Bottomline: there is something fishy in the ISU clinical placement for California students. In the fine print, ISU states they are not responsible for locating clinical sites; however the BON states they are. Like signing up for TCN, be aware of what you are getting into with ISU--other than that, the program is fine but very, very rigorous. I do not suggest you take two classes a semester. If you do, do not work or have other responsibilities.

nitalpn

31 Posts

LadyinScrubsWhat state r u in?

LadyinScrubsWhat state r u in?

Nitalpn, if you are asking about my knowledge of the California program and the CA BON mandate to ISU, then please ask that question. Where I physically am located provides you with no actual information.

nitalpn

31 Posts

LadyinScrubsI was not asking about your knowledge of ISU nor specifics of the CA BON. I ask cause I was only looking at the different states students are in that are in the program.

mack876

4 Posts

Ladyin scrubs, i have a question, i called the lady and she said students are only allowed to take 2 classes a semester and no more than 2. Is is that really hard that they can't let me take 3 classes? And do you always have a test every week for each class or every other week? do they also give you areas to study from the book like it is in classes or you have to study the whole book and figure it yourself out? I am kind of nervous about online classes, i was used to classes where instructors tell us which areas to study. Does it work the same way with online?

i have a question, i called the lady and she said students are only allowed to take 2 classes a semester and no more than 2. that requirement is for california students. the calif bon mandated that no more than 2 classes a semester and only one clinical a semester. isu is breaking that mandate because it cannot place students in clinicals. what they are doing is having students doing is two clinicals in one semester. one the first 9 weeks and another the 2nd 9 weeks (+ or - on the # of weeks).

is is that really hard that they can't let me take 3 classes?

if you are in calif, you cannot take 3 classes. outside calif, i believe you can take more. yet, do you want to take more classes. i have previously discussed how rigorous the classes are and that i advise any student who is working, has a family, or does not want to study 80+ hrs a week to take only one class a semester.

and do you always have a test every week for each class or every other week?

depends on the course. there may be quizzes each week and various large tests throughout the class.

do they also give you areas to study from the book like it is in classes or you have to study the whole book and figure it yourself out? i am kind of nervous about online classes, i was used to classes where instructors tell us which areas to study. does it work the same way with online? at the beginning of the semester you will be provided a syllibus and study guide (which outlines what is to be done each week). each week you will be assigned reading from the book (which is outlined in the study guide) as well as what must be posted on the weekly discussion board as well as other assignments (papers, term projects...). if you expect the instructor to personally hold you hand and walk you through the program, this is not the program for you. you will be given the tools and it is up to you to interpret it and provide an outcome that fits the instructor's requirements. sometimes the professor responds to emails and most of the the email requests for info go unanswered.

if you are using the isu distant learning program as an easy way to earn your bsn, you are thinking wrong. this program is far more rigorous than the regular bsn in a brick and mortar program. should you need more clarification about the program, read my previous posts.

LadyinScrubsI was not asking about your knowledge of ISU nor specifics of the CA BON. I ask cause I was only looking at the different states students are in that are in the program.

nitalpn, where a student at ISU is located does not help you because there are students across the US and international students.

mack876

4 Posts

Thank you for the help and honesty, however i still can;t decide but i need your final help, do you think you can email me the syllabuses for just med surge, mental health and community health (since those are the strong classes). I just want to look at it and decide if i could handle the pressure it might come with. Thanx again.

my email is [email protected]

Thank you for the help and honesty, however i still can;t decide but i need your final help, do you think you can email me the syllabuses for just med surge, mental health and community health (since those are the strong classes). I just want to look at it and decide if i could handle the pressure it might come with. Thanx again.

my email is [email protected]

Jasper, it is not wise to provide an email address on AN because it opens you up to spam or worse. What I suggest is this, go the ISU website and get the class numbers for the classes you want info (N300, N318, N324...) and then start a thread a separate thread on the ISU college site for each of the classes. Ask those who have taken the classes for their input and/or recommendations. A syllibus gives you limited information; what you need is student feedback about the workload.

You felt that only the three classes you mentioned were strong classes. I disagree all classes at distant learning LPN to BSN program are rigorous and what you consider "strong". Essentially, there are no easy (or non "strong") classes in the program.

How are you testing out of micro? I am trying to get in for the fall 2012 and the only class I still need to take is Micro which I was going to take this summer, but I am very interested in this testing out if I can. Let me know. Thanks!

That last comment was for

blakuts or anyone else that know.

Ladyinscrubs,

I have a few questions regarding clinical for ISU. I also am from CA, more central region and on another post I saw someone put a link for clinical sites ISU uses for distant learners, and i didn't find a single CA site! I have not enrolled in ISU yet, I am finishing up prereqs, and I was hoping to be applying later on this year for the program. The lack of clinical sites makes me very nervous! I would hate to be going through the program and then get held up because I can't find a site :( I met with a guy from TCN (didn't end up going through them) and he told me that several students do their clinical rotations at the general hospital the next town over, but now I realize he could have easily been lying to me. My question is would you suggest I forget ISU altogether and look elsewhere? Have you been able to find any clinical sites (don't need to know where just wondering if you were successful in finding any in general)? Is finding a clinical site such a hassel that I should not consider going through ISU?

Advice is very much appreciated in this! thank you!!!

Kelly

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