Iowa Western Community College vs. Metro Community College

Okay I guess I can't send a PM until I have 15 or more posts. I won't be able to get all of the general ed classes done by January so I am waiting until the fall one. I didn't want to be overwhelmed in their program since it sounds pretty intense, so figured I better get those general ed ones done first before I apply. I am still back and forth between the two courses, but will apply to both if I can get all of the classes done or pretty much done. I would have Microbiology to do in spring of 2010 and one/two others. You will need white scrubs for the clinicals at Metro but that is not until your last week and they will give you all the info when that times comes. You just need a watch with a third hand by the 2nd day of class or so just in case you start practicing your skills. I wouldn't worry about the hospital thing as you are only going to nursing school and not really competing against your hospital. You don't really have any control where they go. The class part of the CNA was fine, but the clinicals was pretty stressful. I think it just depends on your instructor and how fast she pushes you to be on your own. I thought ours pushed too quickly and our patients were fully dependent. I got an A in the class though so I survived.

Ah... the start of classes. Yeah! Keeps me busy.

That's good to know about the scrubs and watch for the CNA... I have the watch and will start looking for scrubs to get ahead. I am hoping that I can get an A... my GPA actually matters to me, unlike high school! :)

I am not sure which LPN program to attend to. I am having the same exact debate iowa vs Metro.....I live in Kansas and have done all the pre requeset classes-a&p-1 public speaking,microbiology,comp 1-2,college algebra,basic nutrion...so many more and graduated with an associates in science but chemistry and a&p-2 are not required here. My bf wants to go back to bellevue university and finish up there so we will live in Omaha. I know zero people there so unsure about the drive or schools. I have lowered it down to Clarkson which there program requires you to have basic nutrition and comp 1, I think to get accepted, however the program is 2 yrs long 2 days out of the week (part time) its so you can work full time and do school part time. Its at the most 2,000 per semester so basically you can pay 8 grand for the 2 yrs while you can do it in one at metro for 3,500 same at Iowa, not including books. Clarkson would be a great choice so you do not have to deal with all the pre required classes however since I busted myself to get them all done i'd feel much better if my classes that I took here would count for something. If I go to Metro I would have to take basic chemistry then college chemistry then A&P-2 so I would have to wait a yr to apply(plus have to be a CNA). If I attend Iowa Western they require no Chemistry but would have to take A&P-2 in the fall and am able to attend the LPN program in January. I have not been able to get up there to talk with any advisors so am planning to see all three colleges to see what they think about my transcript which I am praying all will transfer. I have not yet done my CNA I am hoping to do it here so I can work part time there in Nebraska but Ks requires 120 hrs of it and Nebraska only requires 75 and I may have to re test since my CNA license won't be issued in Nebraska. I am really lost because I would not have to take any more classes here and can do my LPN as soon as I apply here, here you do not need to be a CNA or have Chemistry or A&P-2. I am about to give up on LPN and just do surgical technician. Its 4,900 with no pre required classes at Iowa and the program starts August 17 and goes till the end of July. You are required however to re-new your license every four yrs since your working with the tools and technology changes so rapidly, but its an 6 to 3 job and you do not have to deal with patients family or bodily fluids and work no weekends. You have no 12hr shifts and basically only work durings surgery. Clarkson, Metro, and Iowa are the 3 best community colleges for the LPN programs I have researched and called all the other colleges in Omaha and near Omaha and the rest have no pre-required classes but are 24 grand for the one yr including books, scrubs, and tools.

I'm a current student in the LPN program at Metro. I got in without having A & P I or II. I managed to take A&P I the quarter before the LPN program, and thank God because it is intense in the program!!! I was going to try to take Human Relations during my first quarter of the LPN program, but it was just too much. There is a LOT of studying and self teaching in this program, so it leaves little time for much else. There are 4 classes first quarter and only 2 second quarter (but pharm is one of them!), so I'm going to try to take A & P II then. The brochure for the program is deceiving; don't plan on working full time while going, it just isn't possible. Also, take A & P I and II before starting, so you only have to worry about the nursing classes. Any other questions about the program, just ask...I'm living it!!

How did you manage to get in without the core classes being done? Were you on the waitlist? Did you have a previous bachelor degree?

I guess I am confused. :)

A & P I & II is not a core requirement to get in. It gives you 2 extra points per class toward your total points to get in. I scored really high on the TEAS test and had straight a's, so I got in without needing the 4 extra points. They actually have A&P I & II wrote into the schedule for the 1st and 2nd quarter of the LPN program. Take my word for it, it is very very difficult to try to fit it in with the other classes for the program, so get it done before you go through.

So you got in without having all the pre--req's done? thats great! :) some people do get in I guess I just have bad luck because I applied here in Kansas twice and never got in the program because I had some more classes to finish. I have decided to do the LPN program at Iowa Western the only pre-required class that I am missing is A&P-2 I took 1 in the summer two years ago, sucks because I took it online first and passed but the college I was applying for required it to be a 5hr credit and mine was 4 so re-did it . I am taking A&P 2 online runs May 25 to July 25. My old nursing adviser said its better to get all those classes out of the way and I figured I don't need to rush myself and stress out so its best to take it easy and do them first. I have never had Chemistry so since Metro asks for college Chemistry I figured i'm going to have to take pre-chemistry then college chemistry and A&P-2, Iowa only asks for A&P-2 and no chemistry. My plans are to take a&p-2 and do CNA when I get to Nebraska in August and then start the program in January. Do you know if the Iowa LPN program is different from the Metro program? Cost wise? self teching wise? Iowa's LPN program page said it had 94% graduation rating so seems pretty okay. I also was wondering, well I always hear bad things about nursing programs such as that they are time consuming and teachers are really rude and mean, so do you study 24/7 and have time for nothing else? or is it that clinicals and being in nursing classes require long hours? let me no what you think thanx!!

I have a 4.0 GPA- have not done A&P yet, doing my CNA and TEAS this summer. I was told there is no way to get into the program without A&P, and you would not succeed in the program without it. That's why I wondered if you had been waitlisted for awhile and maybe got in before the reqs changed.

http://www.mccneb.edu/catalog/programs/transform.asp?program=LPNCE

That is the list of core reqs, and I called to verify just to be sure, since I could get in without them if they were included in the coursework. It's interesting how all of that works. Are they letting you transfer straight into the RN program the following semester?

The chances of getting in without A&P are very poor-those 4 extra points weigh very heavy for getting in to the program. Metro doesn't waitlist anymore. I got my acceptance letter the last week of December, so I woas only accepted 4 mos. ago. Students are accepted strictly by grades only. There is a formula that they use to convert all your grades and then you get ranked. This time they took the top 40 grades out of the 450 some applicants. Me and one other girl are the only ones that got in without a&p, everyone else needed it for their score. I honestly didn't think I would get in, since they tell you it is virtually impossible to get in without it. I think my TEAS score really helped-I scored a 93.3%, which is one of the highest ever to come out of the school. You can succeed in the program without a&p, but it would be very difficult without some form of medical knowledge and anatomy knowledge. I have a degree in applied animal science (I have worked as a vet tech for 12 years), so I already have a pretty vast background about anatomy, without even taking the classes. I had to do animal a&p, which is alarmingly similiar (the main difference I have found so far is the pelvis is tipped forward in an animal!) If you get your CNA and TEAS done before the next application is due, you can definitely apply. I only had CNA, teas, algebra, human g&d, chem, and english when I applied. In order to graduate the LPN program, I must have A&P I&II done. Yes, I will be able to go directly into the RN program. They reserve a spot for all the LPN's in the next RN program, so as long as you pass, you have a spot in the program.

I don't know a whole lot about IWCC's program. I kind of looked into it, but I got into Metro, so I stopped. I know a girl where I work is going there and I think she likes it. I have heard from a lot of people that most programs are very self-teaching. I work at the Ne Med Center, and even the girls who are going there say the same, so I think it is like that anywhere. I know Metro is doing a lot of restructuring, so I think that is why it seems so unorganized sometimes. Metro had a 100% pass rate on the LPN boards for the last class, which is awesome. The teachers are nice, but not lenient (sp?) at all. They grade according to a highschool scale and don't round up, so you have to get a 76% at least on everything or you fail. Yes, it is VERY time consuming. Definately don't go into it thinking it won't be that hard, cause that is the mistake myself and many of my classmates made. The testing style is very different than anything any of us have ever seen. The questions are all extremely subjective, and multiple answers are correct, you just have to pick the best answer out of all of them. I know this is how they are on the state boards too, so they are just trying to prepare us for that. I have a 3 year old and a 1.5 year old and I work part-time, so it is very difficult to find time to study. Fortunately, I run best on small amounts of sleep and can stay up very very late to get things done, or else I would be in trouble. You can still have a life, you just have to manage your time well. I am doing the night/weekend program, so clinicals are Tues and Wed (pre-lab takes a couple of hours at the facility on Monday), and I have class from 8-4 every Saturday. We usually have 1-3 tests every Sat., so that kind of sucks.

As far as tuition, they told us that total expense, through the RN program, including books, uniforms, etc will be approx. $6500. That is probably the cheapest you will find in the country for an RN degree.

If there is anything I missed or anything else you want to know, just ask. I know how it feels to have a million questions and no answers!

YESI05, where are you taking A&PII online? Is it through IWCC? Thanks!

I am taking it online at bartononline...I went to the community college and graduated with an associates degree in science and did all my pre-requesetes there for their nursing program. The class is a 5hr acredited class and includes lab its 500.00 for the class same if instate or out of state student(in ks, moving to Omaha in Aug). Books are about 300.00, i'm trying to find mine used though. If you'd like to check it out you can go to Barton County Community College.com, I have often taken online classes but have always had a friend who takes it with me so we can help eachother out and this time i'm not so am a tad bit worried...the class starts May 25 and runs to July 25, since I am not applying for the nursing program till January was planning on taking it at Metropolitan and also doing my CNA so if I fail it here that is my back up plan. Are you taking the class?

And thanx so much for all that info and yes I have tons of questions haha I don't know anyone who is doing an LPN program but online always read how its very time consuming and how you have to read all of these chapter and test on almost the next day but am hoping to be okay for I am getting all of the needed classes out of the way to concentrate on strictly the program classes, I too will stay up all night and run on no sleep, my favorite time to study is at night I can have zero distractions to be able to concentrate. I am not sure if I will do the CNA program here its 600.00 and 120hrs and I know Nebraska only requires 75hrs plus don't want to have to retake a test for me changing states, what are your thoughts? and after I get done with it where would you recommend I apply to work? allot of cna jobs on Craigslist.com for example want someone with 6mnths experience. I worked at a nursing home and it was more work trying to stay out of the drama with the CNA's and CMA"s who work there then actually working. I worked there for 7mnths as a Activities director. I have heard you make more money as a CNA if you work for a traveling agency but am not too sure about it, I will be new to the area and am from a small town (10,000 population) so driving on the interstate scares me haha.