TTC LPN Program. Been There? Or Anywhere Else?

U.S.A. Tennessee

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I was recently accepted into one of the TTC LPN programs and I am very excited! I do have a few questions for people who have been through it.

1) I fully expect to poke and be poked when learning how to draw blood, insert IV's, etc. However, I read on one of these posts that someone was told at the start of their LPN class (not one at TTC to my knowledge) that they would also be inserting foley caths into one another. I gotta be honest, I'm not up for that. I understand the importance of being able to sympathize with a patient, but that would probably be deal-breaker for me. Has anyone had to do that in school?

2) This one I know can be different from one school to the next, but for those who went to TTC, were your clinicals pretty much 1st shift, or did the hours vary. I have babysitting issues and will have to plan early to resolve those.

I do plan to ask my instructors about any questions I may have, but class doesn't start for a month; plus I want to start learning from other people and building a support system. I'm pretty sure I'm going to need it.

Thank you for your replies, and good luck to my fellow future nurses.:wink2:

PS

This is my first post, I hope I'm not violating any rules. I've read them, and to the best of my knowledge I'm not; but it's late and I'm a little out of it.

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Specializes in Oncology/med surg, Occupational Health.

Pebbles,

I attended TN Tech center's LPN program a few yrs ago. We DID NOT practice inserting foley's into each other! We did practice starting IV's on our instructors. The LPN program was 4 days a week, 8 - 2pm, class 2 days, clinicals 2 days. Hope this info eases your mind alittle. Let me know if you have any further questions.

Good Luck

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Thank you! Yes that does make me feel better.

Man, I wish we were only going 4 days a week. That would leave 1 whole day during the week to study in peace while the kids are in school. Whatever though. I'm just thrilled I got in.

The foley cath is probably what scares me the most so far. I know it's not a huge deal, and I'll get over that after I do it a few times, but I had to have a urine sample taken that way once when I was pregnant and I think that was the worst memory I have of my time in a hospital. :scrying: I would way rather be in labor than have to deal with that again.

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.

I went to TTC Memphis in 2005-2006. We did not insert foleys into each other. We didn't even practice injections or IV's on each other (actually, we didn't do anything at all with IV's at the time because this was before Tennessee started requiring IV training in the PN curriculum).

We had dummies that we practiced on for most skills. Otherwise, the patients were our unfortunate victims. At the time, we actually got VERY little skills lab time and the patients were at our uneducated mercy during clinicals.

Class/clinics were always M-F. Class was 7a-2:30p, clinic varied but was usually either 7a-2:30p or 6a-1:30p. We never had class/clinical on weekends or in the evening.

Clinical rotations were 1 day a week for the first quarter, 2 days a week for the second quarter, and 3 days a week for the third and fourth quarter.

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Thanks for your reply. What is your overall impression of that program? I'm not about to waste a year of my life am I? Did you go through any other programs? I assume this is a good program. I just need to be able to get a job when I get through it.

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.

To be completely honest, I would avoid the program if possible. I work with an LPN who graduated from TTCM last year, and she confirmed that all of the political BS is the same as when I went in in 2005.

If you have the means to get to the TTC program in Covington, I would go there. Their program is faaaar superior -- I also work with a former TTCM instructor who transferred from Memphis to Covington because of the BS, and she says Covington is MUCH more student-focused.

However, if you HAVE to go to TTC Memphis, take it for what it is and try to avoid getting caught up in the instructors' and director's nonsense. Keep your head low, keep your mouth shut, and you'll be fine.

Don't get me wrong -- you will learn what you need to learn, but it will be the biggest headache of your life. All nursing schools are rough on their students, but TTCM takes the cake.

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Oh, I don't live in that area. I'll be doing TTC Hartsville (I'm in Northern Middle TN), but as long as the program teaches what I need to know, I'm happy. Thank you so much for your input!

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.

Ooooops! I don't know why I was thinking you were in the Memphis area!

TTC in general is supposed to be pretty good, but Memphis is the suck. Like I said, Covington is good, I've heard that Jackson is good, so I imagine overall it's a decent program. Again, we did learn what we needed to learn at TTCM, but had a lot of unnecessary political BS and drama attached.

I say go for it. Worst case scenario, you spend the first quarter finding out that it's not for you, and you move on to something else.

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I attend TTC Nashville. I will graduate in December. Ease your mind a little. We didn't insert foleys on each other. We used a dummy to insert foleys, nasogastric tubes, enemas, etc.. You also don't have to worry about inserting IV's either because in TN you have to work for 6 months then attend a class for IV training before you can put in an IV. TTC Nashville is a good school with an excellent Nclex pass rate but it's hard work. The actual work is not hard, it's the speed at which you have to learn everything. Just make sure not to get behind. You can do it.

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Thank you! Another question for those who've attended the TTC program. Were you able to find any lenders for a private student loan?

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I got the stafford loan that the school offers. You can get $9750 for the year if you need that much. I didn't look into any other loans because luckily my spouse can afford to pay the bills. Also if you have lived in TN for at least a year you will get the Naifer lottery scholarship. That will take off about $667 for each trimester. This is not based on income just residency so if you've been here for a year and you complete a Fafsa, you qualify.

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I've gotten enough grant money to cover the cost of attendance, but my husband is having a hard time finding a job and I need a student loan to cover emergency expenses. He was offered a job last week and he took it, but he couldn't handle the work (he has holt oram syndrome which causes deformities in the hands and arms) and so he had to quit and now we have to wait 6-8 weeks to see if he gets to keep his unemployment. Meantime we get no income. He is, of course, still looking for work.

The TTC that I'm going to doesn't qualify for stafford loans, and I'm having a hard time finding a lender to do a private one.

Thank you though!

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