Galen Institute

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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I am thinking about going to Galen Institute in St. Petersburg FL instead of a tech school. Has anyone went through this program and was it a good choice?

yes i do believe it was worth it. i feel i am getting an excellent education.

13k is quite a bit but the convenience of galen being a local school and the dangers and time of driving so far everyday outweighed the financial. i am very pleased with my decision. erwin has a lottery so you may or may not get picked for the first classes. in my case, i signed up for november, was 23 on the wait list and got accepted in january. it is much cheaper if you can get in. the entrance test for galen is very easy and they have new classes starting every 3 months. by no means is the curriculum easy. let us know what you decide.

so in the end, was it worth it?

i've requested info from galen from their website with no response. :sniff: i've filled out the app for erwin and i am waiting for the information session, which won't be until the end of april/beginning of may. i mean i can wait and start the classes in august or january.

how hard is it to get into the program at erwin? since i already have a bs and student loans from that, i think galen would be out of the question for me, due to cost and no ability to get further student loans.

topcat

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Specializes in hospice.

To get into Erwin you will have to wait. They have info sessions in the late summer (I think...) and have their lottery in October. They fill five classes each year. While I waited for my admission date I worked as a CNA, went to HCC and finished my RN prereqs. (I have a BA, so I just needed A&Ps and Micro.) If you have time, since you have the old student loans, I'd wait for an Erwin date.

A little reflection on my nursing education path: I'm REALLY glad I did my CNA, then LPN instead of going straight into a RN program. Being a RN carries a ton of responsibility, and as a new grad, you're just not experienced enough (IMHO) to really do your job well. New RN grads at my hospital have said this to me, and my personal experience is that no amount of school clinicals can prepare you for working on the floor at a hospital. I'm SO glad I had a tough clinical instructor in LPN school and had as many experiences as I did. Otherwise, I would have been totally lost when I started working at the hospital. (I'm at St. Joe's on a cardiac floor. I learn at least 100 things every day.)

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a little reflection on my nursing education path: i'm really glad i did my cna, then lpn instead of going straight into a rn program. being a rn carries a ton of responsibility, and as a new grad, you're just not experienced enough (imho) to really do your job well.

my sister-in-law is telling me this now. she just graduated with her asn in california in december and started her new position as a cardiac care nurse. she is really stressed out, she feels like she just doesn't have enough knowledge under her yet. her new position tho is catered to brand new nurses, so there is still someone with her as she performs her duties. they just didn't throw her to the wolves, like i hear for other new nurses.

i think i may have to wait for erwin, unless i hit the lotto. i tapped out my undergrad financial aid for my bs. but my mother (an rn) thinks i should take out a personal loan and go with galen for the more personal attention and no wait list. *sigh* decisions, decisions. :confused:

topcat

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Specializes in Ortho/Neurosurgical.
my sister-in-law is telling me this now. she just graduated with her asn in california in december and started her new position as a cardiac care nurse. she is really stressed out, she feels like she just doesn't have enough knowledge under her yet. her new position tho is catered to brand new nurses, so there is still someone with her as she performs her duties. they just didn't throw her to the wolves, like i hear for other new nurses.

i think i may have to wait for erwin, unless i hit the lotto. i tapped out my undergrad financial aid for my bs. but my mother (an rn) thinks i should take out a personal loan and go with galen for the more personal attention and no wait list. *sigh* decisions, decisions. :confused:

topcat

topcat-

what did you end up doing. i'm in the same boat as you, and haven't tapped out my undergrad loans yet. plus i can get financial aid from my employer at all childrens. i'm thinking not waiting would be the best option for me, think about ti....say you make 20k a year.....nurses (that i know, can make up to 60k after ot and what not) a 40k difference, so if someone waits 1 year and then also goes to school for 3 and you are done in two you are making more than they are while they are still in school. in the end financially it is a wash, but i feel you'd have more opportunity getting there sooner. i am now going to look into galen myself for the program.

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topcat-

what did you end up doing. i'm in the same boat as you, and haven't tapped out my undergrad loans yet. plus i can get financial aid from my employer at all childrens. i'm thinking not waiting would be the best option for me, think about ti....say you make 20k a year.....nurses (that i know, can make up to 60k after ot and what not) a 40k difference, so if someone waits 1 year and then also goes to school for 3 and you are done in two you are making more than they are while they are still in school. in the end financially it is a wash, but i feel you'd have more opportunity getting there sooner. i am now going to look into galen myself for the program.

oh i never did come back and post...i actually was just accepted to the lpn program at manatee technical institute two weeks ago. i just couldn't afford galen. it came down to a choice between manatee and erwin. i actually found out i was accepted at manatee days after applying to erwin. i just decided to go with manatee. i'm glad, too, as they have the highest pass rate on the nclex in the tampa - st. pete - sarasota - bradenton area.

now if i can only figure out how we are going to make ends meet for the year i'll be in school. my mother has had some health issues in the last two months and i now have to figure out how her care will be paid for. as long as i am working, no problem - but i can't work, not even pt in lpn school, i wouldn't have time to study! just when i start to get my life back on track, something comes in to jack it all up! :bluecry1:

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I was interested in the Galen RN program, but it is full time days. I can't afford not to work for a year.

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