Any advice on schools?

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Hello! Just found this site today while looking for schools. Seems like a really good place to ask for advice. I am looking to become an RN after recently getting laid off at my job at United Airlines:cry:. All I have is a high school diploma, so I have no idea what pre-req's I even need to start. I have looked online at Everest, Apollo, and Chamberlain. I have no idea what the tuition on any of these are since they all want you to come in to talk to them. That is a little hard with a 1 year old at home and a 6 year old to pick up from school. And I hate the pushiness of those people! So any advice would be great! Also, what is the general opinion of getting an LPN and doing the LPN-RN bridge later?

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I just got a seat in a nursing program and start this fall. I have 2 young children 5 and 3 thankfully I have family helping me with my children since I will be in class even more. I was wondering if you checked with the Community Colleges as well. If you have no or limited college experience you will have to start at the beginning, Eng 101, Math, etc... you can also take a test to get out of some of these courses as well. Depending on your ability many of the community colleges offer some courses online. I took several classes that way and did pretty well but you MUST be able to read and study on your own and take good notes. I set blocks of time aside just for my classes (nap time and for 3 hours after the kids' bed time.) They can also provide you with some online advisement, the wait time to get a seat in the nursing program is around 2 years. I have been waiting around finished with my pre requisites and co- requisites for a long long time and am worried I forgot a lot and am now starting the program.

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Sorry that you got laid off. I did my pre reqs. at the community college level and applied as soon as I was eligible for the Maricopa waitlist. When I finished my co reqs I applied to the Banner Program. Maybe you should look into these options.

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Thanks for the help! So are both of you doing the nursing program through the community college? Which one? Those private schools are just way too much money. I have the time to wait to get into the class since I don't really want to start working till my daughter is about 3 years old. So the community college sounds like it is the way to go.

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Yes I am! I just got accepted to the Banner Health Nurses Fellows Program as well and start at GWCC in October. I took several of my classes at Rio Salado College's online program. I had a previous BS that I completed in 1997. Rio also offers over the phone and online Advisers though I think it is really important to go in a speak to them in person to start off. I also looked into the other options you had posted since some do not have a long wait list but I can't afford their program, even without the wait time, that also motivated me to look into employer assistance programs. Here is the tuition for Chamberlain http://www.chamberlain.edu/FinancialAid/TuitionFees/tabid/652/Default.aspx

Best of luck in your decision.

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Wow, congrats on getting accepted to the Banner program! I just looked it up and it sounds great. I am getting very excited about pursuing my nursing career. I am signing up to do my prerequisite classes and then will look into the Banner program myself! I'm sure it will be a long wait to start the nursing program with the community college, but hopefully my patience will pay off. I heard the online science classes for Rio Salado are pretty hard. What did you think?

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I got into the Banner Program for Oct at EMCC, but I personally would not take an online science class only because I think it is very important to have hands on. Anatomy 1 & 2 are tough as it is and I think it would be even harded to just learn out of a book or online and not have personal experience. Thats just my opinion. Where about do you live, what community college are you looking at going to? I did my prereqs at Glendale and I loved the professors there. Good luck I hope everything works out.:monkeydance:

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I did take A&P 1&2 online and did well, but I also have personal experience you never get in a classroom, I have a 5 year old with a kidney transplant at 3 yo. He is also hearing impaired due to antibiotic toxicity and had GI issues stemming from an incorrect diagnosis. I had a crash course in A&P the first 3 years of his life. The labs for A&P included a CD ROM of a real human body where you could slowly "peel back" layer by layer the tissue and see everything, I agree with meximel81, hands on is impossible to supplement though and well worth it if you can do it. The one course I did not like online the most was Microbiology. I really struggled through that one, not sure why. So I have spent the last few months reviewing some of the terms and topics as a refresher. I guess I should do the same with A&P since it has been 18 months since I was in those courses.

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I thought Micro was easier but the labs were all done with a mircoscope so hands on is definantly better. I took Biology 187 8 years before I took Anatomy and I did well in the class but struggled until I got back in the routine of things. Online classes are tricky and only certain people can handle them, you have to be dedicated and be able to learn on your own. I am a visual person and like to be able to see the professor while lecture is going on to see hand and facial expression, but again that is just me. More power to you if you are capable of learning on you own, I wish I could.

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I thought Micro was easier but the labs were all done with a mircoscope so hands on is definantly better.

That is exactly it MexiMel the hands on an guidance while looking in the microscope would have been helpful. If you have the ability to manage time, are comfortable contacting the class instructor when you have questions (what sucks is you can't include attachments so have to explain everything) and finally USING ALL OF the Additional "helps" included in the program. I took every quiz, reviewed all the "cartoons," and followed nearly every link provided...Microbiology was all links and after a while everything looked the same.:cry: After 2-3 hours of looking at slides online (I still think some were terrible examples) I felt like my eyes were going to roll out onto the floor. My big motivation was being home with my kids to manage medication, meals and provide him as much a normal life as possible. Since my husband works so many hours I did not want to have to leave when he was home, so I FORCED myself to make online courses work for me.

Anyways best of luck in your decision. Hopefully I will have time to be online in the next 16 months to see what you decide. :wink2:

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Meximel....

I live in Surprise and am most likely going to be taking classes at Glendale as well. As far as the Banner program, you can apply after your pre reqs are done, correct?

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you need to complete both the pre-requisites and co-requisites. Once you finish your pre-requisites apply to Maricopa County Community Colleges Nursing Program. Once you have done that continue with your co-requisites then attend the orientation and apply to Banner's Nurse Fellows Program. Hopefully you won't wait too long to get in...the time does go fast especially when you have children.

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