ECPI/MCI Richmond VA

U.S.A. Virginia

Published

Hello! I'm registered to start the RN program at this end of this month. I understand that it's a fast paced program which I'm ready to handle. I have no job, a great support system, full time babysitter, and a encouraging hubby. Anyways I was wanting to get tips, recommendations, anything else you can think of from current, former students. Thanks! ?

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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

Moved to Virginia State Nursing Programs for more response from some of our VA members who are in or who have completed the program.

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It sounds like you're in a really good spot. When I went through nursing school I was going through a divorce, raising kids, and trying to work at the same time. Having someone there to support you and having a plan for your kids is great.

When you begin the program you'll start to get a feel for how much you can work and hopefully find a job that fits around it, or make the decision just to concentrate on school. Having job coming in often means school is going to suffer, but when you find a job around school you know what comes first.

I wish you good luck in all your endeavors.

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Thanks! I've been a LPN for 8.5 years in West Virginia. We moved down here due to my husband getting a job offer. Do you any advice or tips for studying for this program? What can I expect? Thanks!

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Hey I was looking into ecpi in richmond and was just wondering if you could give me some insight on your experience?

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I graduated from ECPI Virginia Beach a few years ago and have my BSN now. The program was okay. Plan on getting a BSN- Not from ECPI. I was good with the program until the middle. We were short instructors and they were filling slots with teachers that weren't qualified to teach those subjects. Also, the tests are NCLEX based. Instructors pull questions from kaplan in lieu of on the material taught in class. It's good practice for when you to take the NCLEX (I passed mine hung over in 45 minutes), but while you're in the program you will struggle. If your studying the skin- log into your kaplan account (I think you get this in pharm) and go through the sections on skin. Basically, what they teach is you is it's impossible to know everything and how to deduce with the information presented. I took me awhile to understand that. I have a BS in another subject and was used to being tested on what has been presented. MCI's method is applicable to real practice when you have to make decisions quickly. It prepares you to make the best choice.

The instructors vary. Had some great ones, had a few that were horrible. One of the teachers used questions from a CD included in a supplemental text unrelated to the textbook verbatim. If you bought the book, you had the test. Make friends with someone in a mod ahead of you so they can tell you about teacher quirks. Something I didn't care for about the program was you have to be incredibly flexible, almost to the point where you feel like you're paying to be abused, and they want you to be thankful about it. They can give you a print out with the wrong address for a clinical location and somehow it's still your fault.

It's not a bad program, has its quirks though.

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