Calling all Northern KY nurses and students!

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I am wanting to start nursing school (ADN) soon, but have so many questions. I would really appreciate some help. I live in Northern KY (Florence) and my biggest problem is choosing a school. All of them say they are the best, but which one really is? I also heard that in 2012 only BSN's will be hired. Is there any truth to that? Does anyone know about Beckfield or Cincinnati State? I know that Beckfield isn't NLN certified but they told me that the only down fall to that was I couldn't work for the VA. Is that a big deal. Also I am am and older student (29) and am worried about memorizing the info. PLEASE HELP! Thanks so much! ;)

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I am in school in the Louisville area for an associates. I had the same questions about the bachelors hearing rumors, so I sent several emails to some of the hospitals in my area. Most hire ADNs, only one hospital here only hires only BSNs. I would recommend doing that, and not just going by what the school tells you, because they will just tell you what you want to hear.

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I just graduated from Bluegrass community and technical college. I had to move from Cincinnati to Lexington to get into nursing school. Even then it took 3 years to complete an associate degree program. Have you looked into Galen, NKU, or Gateway?

I'm in Florence also and didn't think there would be any trouble at all with finding a job. I have applied and applied and my brain is fried from it all. I just don't have any connections or know anyone around here. I am stuck with no job, no money, no friends, and declining self-confidence because I am afraid I will not perform skills as I have no lab or equipment to practice with...

I will help answer any questions you have, maybe it will help me feel like I have a purpose after all. Good luck! -Jeremiah

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I live in Florence, KY and did my LPN at Hondros College in West Chester, OH. They also have the RN program and accept students 4x/yr so no WAITING. Yeah it was a drive but sometimes you just have to sacrifice a little to get what you want. The LPN program was 1yr and the RN program was an additional 15 mos. Check them out if you want to really get your RN and not WAIT. Hondros College - Real Estate, Insurance, Mortgage, Home Inspection, Appraisal, Securities and Nursing School

Also, you may want to check out Beckfield College. Had some friends go there and loved it but said it was tough. They might have a waiting list though. I know the Director of the program there has a 1 on 1 interview with prospective students and that is how they determine if you get accepted. Good luck.

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The problem in Northern Ketucky is that St. Elizabeth created a monopoly by buying St. Luke, and now there is the issue that St. E upholds their "standards" and will only hire from certain schools--St. Luke would have hired you, but St. E has a skewed culture that is mostly based upon assumptions and opinons. Further, it is an organization that follows Catholic teachings-so if they suspect that you did something that is not in line with the Catholic religion-even suspect it-without any proof- they will make up a bogus reason and fire you. Real religious, huh? Noprthern Kentucky is NOT nurse friendly-and there is very little real respect for nurses here.

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I totally agree and therefore the reason I am interviewing and moving to Louisville, KY. :)

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Thank you guys so much for your responses. I really appreciate it. First of all, DABI, you have me a little scared. I never thought of the religious aspects of working at the St.Elizabeths. I am not catholic, nor will i ever be. Will I even be considered for a job there since i'm not catholic? Do you have any personal stories? I am just so lost and the more i research nursing schools and careers the less I want to do them. I have a good job now, but i've been here for 10 yrs and its time to move on. There is nowhere else i can work making this much money. (it's not a lot but more than i would make anywhere else w/out a degree)

Lindsay

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I am still looking for a job... St. E replies with "If we are accepting new grads, it will say so in the job description, other than that, experience is required, or you have to be an existing employee."

Should I just apply as a CNA and once hired, apply for an RN job?

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I graduated from Beckfield in 2008. An individual I work with graduated from Beckfield in 2009, and is in the military reserve. Neither of us can work at the VA, b/c Beckfield was not, at the time, NLN accredited. I am an ex-Federal employee (twice) & I loved & adored working at the VA in a non-nurse capacity. Graduating from a non-NLN accreditred school can also impact where you can get your BSN. I positively WILL NOT get my BSN from Beckfield; too many "growing pains" in their program getting my Associate from them; I do not wish to be their guinea pig for a BSN.

I went to Beckfield b/c at the time, Cincinnati State had a 2 year plus waiting list, and Beckfield said I could start in a few months, and Christ Hospital's program was $260/credit hour - gasp! (Beckfield was $253 at the time) In hindsight, I should have bitten the bullet and paid the money. I did not know that NLN accreditation was important, I just thought that if you passed NCLEX, you were a nurse.

Duh.

Wish I'd gone to Christ. They keep raising the tuition at Beckfield, current students were not grandfathered in at the original tuition rate, people kept having their check/loans altered b/c of the rate increases, and oh hey, guess what . . . don't know if the other nursing programs are using this, but now you get to pay for some type of e-book netbook program, whether you want it or not. Like I had to pay for a Palm Pilot I never used, & finally gave away to the little boy next door.

If you can afford it, try Northern Kentucky, University if Cincinnati, etc and get into their Bachelor's program. If you want to work in a hospital in Northern KY, St. Elizabeth owns everything. I've heard good things about Raymond Walters, but I wouldn't know anything about tuition or wait list info. Is moving to Dayton out of the question? Surely there are other schools more suitable.

Best of luck to you. Nursing is a worthwhile profession and seriously, a lot of fun. You will be challenged, you'll have to think, and people are a hoot! There are so many different types of nursing to get into. I never regretted being a STNA & doing home health - I always had hours. Please keep moving forward. You WILL go to nursing school and you WILL graduate.

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

Or there is always the distance learning option of Excelsior College's LPN to RN program for ASN =)

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

Or Indiana State University distance program for LPN to BSN!

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student focused nurse training is absolutely necessary for success.

the best unbiased opinion on the quality of a nursing school can easily be found at the state board of nursing websites. kentucky, ohio and indiana boards of nursing post nclex pass rates for all nursing schools located within their states. this is public knowledge available to anyone with a computer or telephone.

beckfield college does not have a wait list for the lpn, rn or rn to bsn programs and seems to pride itself on being student focused. national league for nursing (nln) membership is the first step towards accreditation from the nln. beckfield college has been a member of the nln for some time now and is working towards nln accreditation so that nursing graduates will have more opportunities for employment - namely va hospitals.

you get what you pay for when purchasing education these days. cheaper isn't always better and most expensive isn't always best.

the majority of institutes of higher learning raise their tuition on a yearly basis, even the state funded traditional colleges.

beckfield college seems to be graduating nursing students who pass their state licensure exams and start careers. according to the kentucky board of nursing website, 86% of the rn graduates passed their state test (nclex-rn) in 2009.

true, student focused education and training is a relative concept. each individual may define it differently. finding a school that fits well with your individual wants, needs, goals and desires is crucial. do all your research up front and you will make the best possible decision.

:twocents:

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