Presentation college LPN-BSN track-looking for info

LilRNonthePrairie · Jun 17, 2014

I just completed the program. I did the 3 year track as I was a diploma LPN. There were rough patches, but the nice thing is that you have a lot of the same teachers throughout the program and they really do seem to have your best interest at heart. Also, despite the fact that it is a distance program, you really do get to know your classmates. I had many clinical interactions with others, even though I live 2 hours away from most of them. Oh, and be prepared to have to travel to Aberdeen, SD. I ended up there 8 times over the 3 years. Things like new student orientation, having to make up clinical days, adult health I clinical only being offered in Aberdeen, etc. But they do have new student suites, so you wouldn't have to pay for a hotel like I had to.

They could be much better, though, at arranging clinical locations. For example, I spent a week in Fargo at Prairie St. Johns for mental health clinical, when I would have much preferred something local. Also, several of my classmates had to go to Aberdeen (from Minneapolis that's a 5 hour drive) or go from the north metro all the way to the Mayo in Rochester to do many hours of clinical, because they had no place else to go (Presentation will tell you that it takes "weeks" to get a clinical contract with a new facility, so they send you where they already have contracts).

Also, they decided to spring it on us last minute (literally less than 30 days before graduation) that they lost their national accrediation! They are currently in the process of appealing the decision, but if it is upheld I will have effectively graduated from a non-accredited college, and not be able to move out of state or work for certain employers, such as the VA. Check into it, and good luck to you!

LilRNonthePrairie · Jun 17, 2014

Here is a link where they are updating information about their accreditation status: ACEN Appeal Status - Presentation College

mystic2fire · Jul 9, 2014

I am an LPN w assoc degree and I am starting classes this fall :)

cnatolpntorn2 · Aug 17, 2016

I am starting the same program that you did this fall. How did the classroom time go? Was it video lectures? Was there a ton of writing papers?

What makes students successful to complete the program?

Did you have to take all test with proctor?

was it super hard?

cnatolpntorn2 · Aug 17, 2016

Hi,

Are you still at Presentation College?

How are things going?

LilRNonthePrairie · Aug 17, 2016

I finished the program in May 2014, started Fall 2011. I took a full time course load each semester and was also able to continue working full time through the entire program (I worked overnights as an LPN and have 3 young children, one of which was born during my senior year of the program).

As far as classroom time, I am sure that has changed since I was there. The program was just starting to expand then, so I was expected to be on campus more than what you probably will be now. I think I traveled to Aberdeen a total of 7 times from MN, but I know others that started even a year after me and never went to campus until graduation. When I started, they did not have clinical sites in MN for students, but by my senior year I was able to do my med-surg clinical in St. Cloud at the hospital. I heard they also were getting a contract with a metro hospital as well (Fairview Ridges, I believe).

There were quite a few video lectures when I went through, or more accurately Powerpoints with lecture recorded. There were also quite a few papers and they were sticklers on the APA formatting. I also had to take all my tests with a proctor at the local library (though there were a few weekly quizzes in some classes that I could do on my own). I do also recall quite a few weekly discussion posts, which are kind of annoying but easy points.

My best advice for success is to be very organized. I printed off the sheet with the guideline for what classes needed to be completed to graduate the program, and kept track of which ones I was taking and when. I did not depend on my adviser to get it right, and I actually caught them at least once not giving me credit for a class that was transferred in. If you are aware of what classes should be transferring in and what classes you are supposed to be registering for each term, they are very nice to work with. I only recall one really "bad" experience with a teacher, but she was only there one semester then left anyway.

I didn't think it was super hard, as with any program some classes require more effort than others. Some weren't really difficult but required a lot of time (papers, projects, etc.) and others were harder and required quite a bit of studying to pass tests. When I took pharmacology, she would give us a study guide for each exam and if you wrote notes on the study guide she would allow you to take it with to take your proctored exam, and the study guide went right along in order with the exam. It was very nice.

My worst class was med-surg the final semester, and the instructor had said part of the reason it was so hard was because we also had our leadership class that semester, where our textbook was an NCLEX study guide and we had to answer 500 questions every 2 weeks out of that book, then remediate any questions we got wrong. So we felt like all we were doing was questions for the leadership class and didn't have much time for med-surg, but we all passed :) And, I did find it helpful that we spent an entire semester studying the NCLEX book prior to taking the boards! I felt VERY prepared!

Also, the cost for the boards was built in to our tuition that last semester, so it was nice to not have to come up with the extra couple hundred dollars to take the boards.

All in all, it was a very good experience. I have made several life-long friends who I met through the program on our clinical weekends. They were great about setting up my community health clinical near me, and I was able to do it with a newborn (I had my daughter the end of September and did not have to take any time off of school). You will do great!!! By the way, I love your handle on here, I also am a CNA to LPN to RN to...now in the DNP program at the U of M! I am starting my second year in a couple of weeks. One friend I met through there is also starting at Bethel this fall for her DNP in nurse midwifery. I don't think I would have been able to work to support my family while also doing a traditional RN program, and I was so glad to have my BSN at the end. It was worth it! I hope you also have a great experience at PC!

Laurakelly · Jun 23, 2020

Has anyone gone through the LPN to BSN online program lately? Would love to hear an updated review of how it went. Thanks!