Looking for LPN school in Colorado

U.S.A. Colorado

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I am looking for a LPN program in Colorado. I heard Emily Griffith has a great program but I want to later move into RN program. I also checked in Regis What do you think?

Specializes in Emergency, Pre-Op, PACU, OR.

I took statistics online through ACC. I had a great teacher and her online class set-up was well-structured. She used an online-homework/ quiz type website where you could redo the quizzes until you were happy with the results (each time you would get different values and questions) and it had a walk-through feature you could use afterwards that explained the steps in the calculations. I really liked that feature as practice for the actual exams, and if you don't mind spending some time on your online homework/quiz part (which you shouldn't mind in any online class) it is a great way to secure a good point foundation that can boost your overall grade. I agree with the previous poster: DON'T GET BEHIND on your readings and homework, and DO your practice exercises until you really get the concept. The chapters build on each other, and it can get a bit challenging towards the end, but it is absolutely doable. I am NOT a fan of statistics, never took it before, and A'd the class, and believe me, if I can do it, you guys can ;)

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Sand Dollar, thanks again. I also applied to CU, and am waiting impatiently for March :-) I have a previous bachelor's so I only had to take 4 pre-req's. I am not applying for any other programs and if I'm not admitted to CU this time I will likely resubmit my application for 2011.

Best of luck to you!

A

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Hi,

I am very close to getting all of my pre-requisites completed and am worried about my GPA for getting into either University of Colorado bachelors accelerated program or like programs at Regis or Metro State. I will have a 3.0 for pre-reqs and a slightly higher GPA for my previous bachelors degree.

Having said that, I was wondering if anyone knew if DSN was trying to get further accreditation. I know they are currently accredited with ACCSC but was wondering if there was any talk of them being accredited with either NLNAC or CCNE in the future. I know you need either NLNAC or CCNE to get into any kind of graduate school (not certain this is what I would like to do in the future, but would like the option).

I did call a few Denver area hospitals and spoke with their HR departments. Children's Hospital told me they wouldn't hire grads from DSN.

Any insight would be really helpful! Thanks!:nurse:

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If you don't mind me asking, what kind of a GPA in science courses do you need to get into Metro's Second Degree Program? I will currently have a 3.0 in pre-reqs and am wondering if I need to retake any classes.

Thanks

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I am thinking of University of Colorado as well. When you refer to needing a GPA of 3.5 or higher are you including a previous bachelor's degree grades or only the pre-reqs for applying? I have a 3.0 in pre-reqs, and a 3.75 in a previous degree and am wondering if I even have a chance of getting in...

Thanks for any input in advance!!

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WOW! You are super prepared! That is awesome! Can I come study with you? Lol. I have never, in my life prepared that much for a class, even when I was in school FT the first time and also working FT...I should have though, it probably would have made it easier. I am taking my class through CCD, not actually CCOnline, though there is plenty of room in the CCOnline course, I just thought it might be easier to get help if I had a specific instructor who I could go to for help if needed! I don't even have my book yet, I need to get it, still. I was having a hard time deciding what classes I was going to definitely take so I haven't bought any books yet. I really need to get on that!!! I am definitely going to take your some of your suggestions for preparing for class! I NEED to do VERY well in these last pre reqs I have, so any help I can give myself will be well worth it!

Since it's been quite awhile since I was in college, in your experience, what are the assignments, quizes and exams like? How many did you generally have regularly. I don't remember ever really having assignments in college the first time, we'd have an occasional quiz, like 3 a semester, but our grade was primarily the midterm, the final and a project. Can I expect regular assignments in Stats (how regular?) and Bio? Is there a big project that I'll likely be expected to do in either? How are the tests? Do you have to go into a testing center or are they online? Open book? Timed? I really have NO idea what to expect here!

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Specializes in Emergency, Pre-Op, PACU, OR.

Here is a pretty long thread about DSN that might be helpful to you, I believe there are a few threads about DSN already on here

https://allnurses.com/colorado-nurses/denver-school-nursing-349731.html

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

Well, like I said at the beginning of my post, I am seriously anal retentive about my GPA! :lol2: I am so freaked about keeping it high (to be competitive for CU) that I do anything remotely helpful - I developed my technique over time. I know I won't be able to use the same techniques in NS and will have to develop a whole new set, but no matter what my spreadsheet technique will come with me!

Since I wanted the least amount of impact on my family when I went to school, online was my only option. I have recommended it to a few others here on this board and they have all thanked me and absolutely love their classes. I have worried that I have it easier than those in a traditional classroom setting, but I think everything balances out. All the exams and quizzes are open book. So, in AP I didn't have to memorize much... however, I had to write weekly written assignments and Journal entries which always included a case study. I guess its 6 of one, a half dozen of another. My AP1 teacher was really tough and I would end up with 17 page detailed lab reports. There were LOTS of students whining that it was SO hard... and it was, but did they really expect it to be anything less? Know what I mean?

In AP I had weekly assignments, weekly journal entries, a bunch of quizzes, 10 labs and a weekly discussion you had to participate in. You can earn a total of 1010 marks in AP 1: quizzes 190, assignments 140, discussions 100, labs 400 and journals 180. All the exams are online, open book and timed. I usually put in my answer and then checked the book. The teachers seem to make the questions harder because they are open book and I had to seriously study for those exams. Rote memorization is difficult for me. However, instead of memorizing a bone, in my labs and journals I had to describe where it is, what's it for, etc... and I ended up remembering it this way, this method worked well for me. Oh, the exams are available for a while not just a single day. In algebra they were open from the day the unit 'opened' to the 11:59 the day it was due, two weeks later. You never have to be at a certain spot at a certain time for anything, nothing is live - you are given lots of time!

I have done well in all my classes, even getting more than 100% because of extra credit. It is very doable. However, I have a friend who took Micro and English Comp 2 last semester who failed both classes. It was one excuse after another but to sum it up, she wasn't organized or followed the rubrics. She is repeating both of those classes this spring. A costly mistake!

As for stats, I don't know exactly what its going to be like, but it looks like it's going to be exams only, with a weekly or unit EC. This is similar to my algebra class. We had to post one answer to a chosen question each week and for extra credit we did a second one. That EC is what saved my behind in Algebra and allowed me to get my A. I have only ever missed one EC assignment, and that was because I didn't feel like doing a 5 page assignment for points that wouldn't help me!

You don't have to worry about getting extra help. The teacher is available through the board, via email and they also provide a contact phone number. I have never really needed extra help except for Algebra. I ended up finding some great vids on youtube and doing it that way.

The worst part of all the online classes (for me anyway) are the discussions. I find them tedious and sometimes I just shake my head at people. I post more on AN than I do in my classes. However, since I have already printed out the course rubric, I know what the minimum requirement to meet my full points and make sure I meet it.

Once you are registed, you can log into the ccconline website and there is a 'pretend' class you can log into and see what its all about. I did that when I first started because I was just dying to know what I was getting into! lol You will have a learning curve when you start out, but by the end of the class you will know where everything is no problem. Most of the classes have the same setup. If you follow my advice and print out the assignment info pages, you will end up going on a treasure hunt and will have a good idea of where everything is, and be a little ahead.

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Oh gosh, the story about your friend has me freaked out completely! It's not that I'm not organized (I'm completely anal about being organized) but I am working FT plus some, I am a single Mom to a 2 yr old and taking these classes, I feel overwhelmed already and I haven't even started yet.

I hate to admit this, but what is rubrics? I feel sooooooo behind!!!

I HAVE to do REALLY well in these last classes I'm taking and I'm feeling the pressure!!! I have a previous degree, with a guestimated GPA of around a 3.5 (3 different colleges) and then I'll have these classes. I got an A in Bio and a B Stats the first time around, but although I tried, I wasn't crazy anal about it, the B in stats was the only B I got that year, I remember that.

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Plastic Surgery.

A rubric or a syllabus is a document teachers give you to tell you what their expectations are of you for an assignment/test/quiz. It basically details all the requirements and such for whatever task you are completing.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

Don't worry JamieA0132! Going into something unknown is always nerve wracking, your're just experiencing natural worries - you will be fine!:heartbeat How many classes are you taking? I did 5 last semester and have my two kids doing online school at home. If you aren't taking as many classes as me then you should be fine. It's all time management. About my friend, I don't think she took it seriously enough. She has something like 6 Associates degrees already (?!!?) and just doesn't have her head on straight yet. She even asked to have my AP tests after I was done, before she had taken hers. She thoughtfully (sarcasm here) offered me a copy of hers if she got them done first. I just told her I prefer to earn my own grades and didn't feel comfortable sharing my tests. I refuse to cheat but others do.

Don't worry about not knowing what a rubric is, I only heard of them before because of home schooling and then finding them given in our classes. A rubric is a tool used by the teacher to grade our work. They give it to us to let us know what is expected and (I think) allows them to mark evenly across the board. For example, in my Anthro class we have a rubric for the unit discussions. A discussion was worth 50 points and the rubric is set up like a table. The criteria are Frequency & quantity, quality, community, citation and length. Exceptional is worth 10 points and means "3 or more posts in EACH chapter. One answer to question and two replies to peer." Very good is worth 8, acceptable worth 7, needs improvement is 6 and no submission is 0. I love the rubrics because it lets me know straight forward what is expected and what i have to do to get full marks. It also allows for no whining when you don't meet the standards that have been set.

I'm worry a bit about Stats myself, just because I don't consider myself great at math. But, I don't think it could be any worse than college algebra - and this actually has real life applications. I really could not care when two lines come together but never meet - I just hated algebra! lol

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Thanks for the info! That was really helpful.

I think I will keep shooting to get into CU, Metro or Regis.

This accreditation info is hard to keep up with. I wish the best to DSON to getting further accredited.

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