just a quick intro

Hi IB Nurse Robin and welcome to allnurses! Best of luck to you in your BSN program. :Melody:

Hello and good luck in school. I have always heard MSU is pretty good place but it is expensive. How are you finding it? Anyway jump in anytime.

Robin-
Hello, there! I saw your post and thought I'd send a reply. I am in the LPN-BSN program through Mountain State University, too. I am in the 2nd semester of the program. Where are you? How do you like it so far? I like it. I work in a correctional facility.

CRJnursewarrior

Hello everyone!! I just found this thread for Nurses in WV! I am not a nursing student yet but hope to be one soon. I saw where a couple of you go to MSU....I am going there taking some pre-reqs. I am finishing up this semester as a Independant Study student and will be coming on campus in the fall. I am a little nervous about that. I was wondering where you went to get your LPN...How long did u have to work before getting into the LPN-BSN fast track? Was getting your LPN hard? I am trying to figure out if I shoulf get the LPN first or try to get straight into the Rn program!? Any advice would be appreciated!!!!! PM me if you want..I'd like to talk with people who have been there and done that!

Thanks,
Steph

Greetings and welcome to allnurses! :Melody:

I went to Fred W. Eberle School of Practical Nursing in Buckhannon, WV. I have been an LPN for 5 1/2 years. I am going to MSU LPN to BSN program. I don't think there is any requirement of years as an LPN to get into the program, as there are several people in my class that recently graduated from LPN school, so I think you just probably have to have the LPN degree. Best wishes!

Thank you for your reply cjnursewarrior! Are u attending the program full time or is it only offered one night a week? I was also wondering how long it is going to take you to complete the program? Are u satisfied with it so far? Sorry to ask you a million questions I just wanted to speak with someone that is in the program. Thank u so much for answering my post! I hope all is going well!

Steph

Steph,

No problem to answer your questions...I attend class one night a week, and then when clinicals start they will be one weekend a month. It takes 3 years to complete the program, but you have a BSN when you are done. That is a plus, and if you have to work and have children/family, the one night a week thing is really convenient. So far I am satisfied. The homework is not too bad yet. I do have a friend that is in the fourth semester and she said it gets a lot harder. They say the 2nd and 4th semesters are the hardest, so we'll see what happens. Now, she was kind of upset because she is just starting the clinicals and they had to buy uniforms and it was $140 for one uniform, and it was out-of-pocket and not included in the tuition...and then I guess she has to drive to Beckley for the clinicals and they had told us that we were going to be able to do clinicals in the area where our cohort class is located, now they are telling her she has to go to Beckley. Also they were wanting them to go down the night before and "pre-plan" which is basically collecting info on the patients they were to have the next day. She said isn't that what report is for? Anyway...she is not very happy about that, so we'll see what happens! Feel free to post any more questions...I don't mind at all.

Please tell the student who has to go the evening before clinicals to pre-plan for her patient the instructors are very picky about this part of the clinicals. I have seen one instructor be very nasty to a student who could not pre-plan because of transportation issues. A couple of students who rode together actually came in early, around 5:30 am gathered data, and went to the lobby/cafe to do pre-plan sheets. This made for a very long day but it was better than making 2 trips to Beckly, especially when winter weather and snow was an issue. Other students actually got rooms at a local hotel, split the costs, did the pre-planning and reported for clinicals ready to go. I should not tell you this, but there are ways to cheat on pre-planning, some info on certain diagnosis is a given, make the sheets and leave the test results blank, do as much as you can before hitting the floor. Nurses do not like the way students take the charts and do not check for outstanding orders or leave them on tables open, so please, at least tell the unit clerk where you will be with the chart, Always check to see if there are outstanding orders on the chart before you remove it from the desk, and Never leave it on a table open. I know you have heard all of this before but I think this reminder needs to be reinforced often.
One of the facilities where you will be having clinicals is sort of "old-fashioned" and the other facility is high tech and cold. NEVER let any of the staff at either of these facilities hear you make a negative comment regarding their style of nursing. I have known students who were given lots of abuse after a remark, warrented or not, was made known to the staff. One or two of the doctors at these facilities are jerks with no patience and will, if given the chance, be rude and nasty, report this behavior immediately to your instructor, these guys are in need of discipline and not reporting their behavior leaves the students and staff with just another stressor to deal with.
Personally, I love the students, their fresh outlook on nursing always gives me energy, but when staff is short, patient load is high, and procedures are in progress, please be patient with your staff nurse. I wish all of you luck, I know completing the BSN is hard work.