ISU LVN to BSN program California - Page 5

That first semester is difficult, especially if you take the assessment and intro to nursing at the same time. Congrats on making it through.

Are you taking mental health next semester? If so, you should enjoy it. Again, much of the work is focused on the first 10 weeks. There is a clinical work book that must be filled out and submitted to the professor before the end of the program. It is not graded but you receive pass or fail.

I suggest you start the workbook early into the semester as it has 4 sections and they all are long. Over the holidays, read the ATI book. You must pass the ATI exam before you can go to the next course. Reading it and rereading it over the semester is essential if you are to retain the info (the book info has nothing to do with the ATI exam--although I was told that the author who wrote the ATI exam wrote the book, but I am not sure of this). By the end of the course, you will have had so much mental health--the two courses with their own quizzes/exams and the ATI exam.--that you will probably have had enough of mental health.

Here is a heads up: your clinical workbook, journal, medicaton assignment, and patient assessment is to be attached to your student dossier. This dossier is a file that ISU keeps on you, and it shows your work. Professors, admin & staff can look at your file and see the work you are turning out.

The clinical dossier was not mentioned in the syllibus but the school just popped it on us a week before finals. If we do not submit the info to the clinical dossier we will not pass the course despite passing ATI and getting a passing grade in the class. So,when filling out these documents, remember that they will follow you through out your stay with ISU so take extra care when filling out and submitting these documents. The other classes now have the same requirement.

Instead of Googleing, go to the Washington State board of nursing and see what schools are authorized by the board. There is a community college that offers distant learning but the clinicals are done once a semester for a 2-3 week period (so I have been told). Also go to the regional AN board and ask the same question of the nurses there--they may have the answer.

There are only so many community colleges in Washington State--find out which community colleges offer nursing and then narrow it down from there.

Some where on the AN student nursing blog was someone's blog about the program. That is all I can help you with.

I am planning on doing the LVN to BSN with Indiana State. Are the classes really hard? I mean I know nothing is easy but is it really doable? Like as long as you read and study you'll do fine? ISU is a university level nursing school. All nursing schools are difficult. ISU is more rigorous because they tend to give busy work. If you have children, work full time, or have other responsibilities, just take one class at a time. It may take you longer to graduate, but you will not be killing yourself. What the program does is front load the assignments--much of the reports, assignments, etc. will be due the first half of the semester. However, the chapter readings and exams are scheduled thorughout the semester. I have no idea why the program is set up this way.

How are the test? Multiple choice? Short answer? I've done online classes before but I'm scared this might be different. The exams are like most other exams in other courses. Because the exams are via computer they are normally multiple choice and true false. I don't remember doing short answer. That all sounds easy doesn't it. However, the questions are challenging because if you do not knnow the rationale behind why you should pick a certain answer, you will have a prolem. The multiple choice questions tend to have one easy wrong question. The other three questions could be right or wrong. If you don't know why the question is wrong or right, then you would have a problem.

If I put alot of effort into it, do you think I could finish the program in at least two years? I'm planning to work part time while I'm doing this program. At ISU, because Calif has specific mandates on the program, you must follow the way ISU set up the classes. You must take them in order. Normally you will take 2 classes a semester. There are 6 clinicals and 8 lecture classes. Plus, if you do not already have a bachelors degree, you must take the general ed classes also--if you do not have a bachelors, take those classes before you start nursing school. You do not want to have to take gen ed classes at the same time you are taking nursing classes.

There are problems. What else can be said?