Can't decide: Hondros VS Galen LPN to RN program

U.S.A. Ohio

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Specializes in Home Health, Podiatry, Neurology, Case Mgmt.

Well hubby is deploying again :scrying: and i'm moving back to ohio. I got accepted to an LPN to RN program through Hondros :yeah: for the Oct 08' class BUT i wouldnt graduate until 5 months after he returns from deployment :down: so that's going to be more like 20 months seperated from him and we have two kids (a 3yr old and newborn) as well.

Well they (ARMY) just told him that he has the option of going to FT Knox if he wants after this deployment, so i thought about moving back to ohio just for the deployment, and work as an LPN and save the money for school and then find a program to go to in KY near FT. KNOX (i'm willing to drive 45 min one way to school) the end of next year 2009 beginning of 2010. But i'm not real familiar with the schools there and my mom is already willing to help me out if i go to school while he's deployed (i'm moving back in with her to save money and go to school) My mom even took a Respiratory Therapist job closer to home (even though it pays less) in order to be there for me and my kids.

So that's another reason i'd hate NOT to just go to Hondros since i've already done everything and have been admitted already! Plus hubby isnt sure if he wants to re-enlist to get fort knox or if he wants to go to drill sgt school and be a drill instructor at ft. benning, ga.

BUT then i found that there is a school called Galen School of nursing that's actually in Cincinatti, OH AND they have one in Louisville, KY (45 min from Ft. Knox). I called and she said she was pretty sure that i could transfer to the KY one when he gets stationed there. So i checked both BON's and Ohio is on conditional approval because they are so new, and KY - galen school of nursing has full approval. So has anyone here attended either program or is currently attending? What have your experiances been?

I just dont know what i should do.:banghead: I REALLY want to be an RN! I want to work maternal/newborn and labor and delivery so this is a BIG decision. Any ideas and advice is welcome. Thanks for listening/reading! :D

Thanks for the Info!

tasha

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Hi Tasha- I am pretty new on here and just saw your post, so you may have already decided. I am also looking into these same schools! I am in the Miami Valley area. You may have discovered that Hondros does not accept federal financial aid, only private loans through Sallie Mae, and that may be a big deciding factor for you, unless your mom is willing to fund your full education. They are much less expensive than Galen, but I believe Galen does accept federal loans as well as outside scholarships. Also I know that Hondros is not regionally accredited at this point, being so new. I am not sure about Galen. I am going to an informational session at Hondros tomorrow to find out more about financing and accreditation- will let you know what I find out!

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I don't where you live in Ohio but Miami University Middletown has an LPN to RN program. It's 3 semesters, from what i've gathered some of the classes are online (but not all).

http://www.mid.muohio.edu/

heres some info about lpn to rn at the school. http://www.eas.muohio.edu/?id=7623

It's about 45 minutes from cincinnati depending on traffic. I know some women that drive over an hour to get to school.

Good luck with everything

The nursing program is nationally accrediated by the NLN.

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Specializes in Home Health, Podiatry, Neurology, Case Mgmt.

i think the LPN to RN program at middletown has a year and a half wait...cant remember, but someone told me that

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Hi, I'm new to the site but I'm a current student at Galen College of Nursing, so I thought I'd chime in.

Miami University of Middletown and Hamilton do not have waiting lists, but you have to be accepted into the program. If you aren't, you just have to try again the next time until you get in.

I am going into my 3rd quarter at Galen, and I have to say while it isn't horrible it isn't fantastic either. You have to realize they are a new school in the area and they have their kinks still. I am getting the impression that all nursing schools are a headache, but be prepared that Galen is seriously disorganized.

Also, I highly recommend that you take your Pre-reqs (A&P and Micro mainly) at a different college. I can tell you that when I started, we had 63 people in A&P and all but 23 of us failed. If you can, I would take A&P at a different college and transfer it in.

If you can't decide and want more information on Galen, I'd be happy to help. My advice to you though, is to definitely come in and check it out first.

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I am going into my 3rd quarter at Galen, and I have to say while it isn't horrible it isn't fantastic either. You have to realize they are a new school in the area and they have their kinks still. I am getting the impression that all nursing schools are a headache, but be prepared that Galen is seriously disorganized.

Also, I highly recommend that you take your Pre-reqs (A&P and Micro mainly) at a different college. I can tell you that when I started, we had 63 people in A&P and all but 23 of us failed. If you can, I would take A&P at a different college and transfer it in.

If you can't decide and want more information on Galen, I'd be happy to help. My advice to you though, is to definitely come in and check it out first.

Welcome to allnurses! I am also new(er) on here. Are you attending Galen in Cincinnati/Sharonville? I visited there yesterday and it seems to have its drawbacks but for me, being able to start right away in October is a huge plus. I was also looking at Miami U but would not be able to start until next fall, if I get in.

Do you know what the qualifications of the A&P and Micro professors are? It sounds like you passed A&P (yeah!!)--would you say that the failure rate was more student- or teacher-related? Thanks for your input, and good luck!

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Specializes in Home Health, Podiatry, Neurology, Case Mgmt.

thanks for the info!

I actually completely changed my mind and decided to go with Excelsior's program instead! It's just going to be easier since hubby's in the army and i dont want to have to spend anymore time away from him than i already have to with these stupid deployments back to back. Plus we have a newborn daughter and a 3yr old son, and if i go to one of these programs i will end up spending at least 4mo extra away from him to finish, plus the time after to wait for my ATT to take my Nclex and it's not fair to the kids to do that!

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Welcome to allnurses! I am also new(er) on here. Are you attending Galen in Cincinnati/Sharonville? I visited there yesterday and it seems to have its drawbacks but for me, being able to start right away in October is a huge plus. I was also looking at Miami U but would not be able to start until next fall, if I get in.

Do you know what the qualifications of the A&P and Micro professors are? It sounds like you passed A&P (yeah!!)--would you say that the failure rate was more student- or teacher-related? Thanks for your input, and good luck!

There is a teacher that teaches A&P I who is new this quarter. She was a professor at NKU for awhile. I've heard mixed things about her, so I really can't give you much information about her that is factual.

The chair of the science dept. is who is teaching my class. She taught A&P I and II for us and you can look her up, her name is Jennifer Myka. She's really an AWESOME teacher. I think the problem is her testing. She tends to take a lot of questions on the tests out of test banks so the questions would be harder than had she wrote them herself. Apparently, she will be teaching the lecture for A&P I and II from here on out and the new teacher will teach lab.

As far as the failure rate... how do you do under pressure?! It gets down to the last test pretty much to determine whether you pass or fail. She doesn't allow room for a curve and there is no homework/extra credit. You also have to have a C in both lab and lecture to pass. You may have an A and lab and a D in Lecture and while your average is a C, you still fail because you didn't pass lecture. I don't think this is a student problem, but I don't necessarily blame her. If you do ok on tests normally, study and you should be fine.

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i am supposed to start in oct 2008 at hondros. i heard the 1st quarter is 3 days a week and after that it is 5 days a week. is this true

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i'm attending hondros right now. as of now we have by far the worst a&p teacher. a class that has 30 something students right now only has 10 students passing. he jumps around, doesnt follow the book, and takes things out of his head rather than at our level. he also teaches things incorrectly and we have to point it out to him and correct him. i wouldnt recommend anyone to come here unless they had their a&p transferred in!

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