Confused about everything

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Hello everyone, newbie here

I have been reviewing these boards and the internet like crazy trying to figure out what the best path would be for me to become an RN. I have not started attending a college as of yet, I can see that every comm.. coll, in California has an enormous waiting list. I have been thinking about attending a for profit school (ie, Everest, Summit, Concorde etc...) in order to gain my LVN license and then join a bridge to RN program. Does anyone know if in order to attend a bridge program at a Comm. Coll. all that is required is the LVN license? And the 5 pre-req classes? Therefore eliminating the need to attend a regionally accredited school for my LVN. If so, it sounds like I could become an RN in about 3 yrs. Provided the bridge doesn't have a waiting list. I am also curious to know weather or not employers really care about what school you attend, weather it's a for profit school or a regionally accredited college. As if that weren't enough to deal with I am 27 I have 3 kids and my wife and I are planning on moving to Arizona (west Phoenix area) within one year. I understand that if I attend an for profit school, I probably will not be able to transfer therefore I would have to wait until I finished that, but If that is not a viable solution and I have to attend a comm. coll, would I be able to transfer. My goal is to become an RN and acquire my BS, I have an ok job now, I make $17 an hour and I am looking for a career that will enable me to support my family, but I can't really afford to wait 4 or 5 years to do so. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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The first thing you should do is find out what the pre-requisites for the nursing program are here in Arizona. You can see it here www.nursing.maricopa.edu then you should start taking those pre-reqs at any community college in California (just make sure the credits are transferable to our schools here) Usually there is not waiting list at community colleges for taking pre-reqs. These classes will take you about a year to complete and if by then you move to Arizona you can explore what schools are best for you here. The pre-reqs that you take at a community college here are good for almost every school in the state. If you decides to go to ASU you may have to take a couple more but the credits are all transferable. Hope this helped :)

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I was thinking about that as well, but I''m just not sure thats the best bet given that then I would have to wait until I got excepted into a program which could take a long time(i don't have) Ahat do you think about the private school path?

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There will be a lot of naysayers, but I went the private school route (Apollo). I don't have 5 years to wait. I decided to go to Apollo last June or July and started the program by Nov. It was very quick. I will be finished in 1-1/2 years from now. Pass rates are, I believe, the best in AZ currently and it is possible to do an online BSN bridge a couple of ways. Not interested in debating everyone about Apollo - just giving you my decision, which I am very satisfied with.

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There will be a lot of naysayers, but I went the private school route (Apollo). I don't have 5 years to wait. I decided to go to Apollo last June or July and started the program by Nov. It was very quick. I will be finished in 1-1/2 years from now. Pass rates are, I believe, the best in AZ currently and it is possible to do an online BSN bridge a couple of ways. Not interested in debating everyone about Apollo - just giving you my decision, which I am very satisfied with.

I hear you on this...Do you know if when taking a bridge program it must also be at a private school? I know that some Comm Coll's have bridge programs but Im not sure if you just need is an LVN license( from any school) or if it has to be from an regionall accredited school?

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I don't know anything about LPN bridge programs except when I checked into it the CC rep advised me to go to RN school if my intention was to become an RN because the training is completely different. In order for me to do a BSN bridge I will have to do it at University of Phoenix, another that is located out of state (don't remember name), or possibly Chamberlain (owned by Devry). Apollo is owned by Devry so we are assuming Chamberlain's online bridge will take Apollo credits soon. So yeah, options are limited but still possible.

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So are you taking an RN program at appollo or LVN/LPN? Whats the cost...I have been reviewing costs here in cal and for an lvn its about 25-30k for an RN its astronomical like 65k (west Coast University)

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Also...Do you know if it matters to employers weather you get your RN from a private or a public school since the accredidations are different. Have you heard anything on this?

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Apollo doesn't offer LPN or allow you to test out for LPN. It was $46K when I started last Nov but my bet is that it will go up even higher, esp now that they have such high nclex pass rates. There is a girl in my class from No. Cali who came here just to go to Apollo then she plans to move back when she graduates. Smart girl! I have heard things both ways - that an RN is an RN and it doesn't matter where you go to school. I have read on this board 1 or 2 people say that their hospital wouldn't hire an Apollo graduate - but I have no reason to believe their claims are credible and I take them with a grain of salt. Esp when I know for a fact there are Apollo graduates working in hospitals around here.

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I think you have several options:

First option - wait, which you don't want to do.

Second option - get into a company that will give you a greater chance of placement in the waiting pool, Banner hospitals for instance.

Third option - Go to a private school.

Pros to first option, you can afford it and not leave school with huge debts.

Pros to second option, have a job while you are in school and get through quicker.

Pros to third option, get through quickly.

I hear it is difficult to get a job if you go to Apollo when you get out and you have high student loan payments to make so I would ask them what their placement rates are and pass rates. If you can afford Apollo go for it. I can't afford much, I am switching careers from a teacher to a nurse so I have to pay off a bachelors and masters. So I am going to the community college. You have to wait a really long time, and if you don't have a tolerable job I would try to get registered ASAP.

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Hi all,

I am currently in Block 2 / Banner Nurse Fellow. I have a few thoughts to add...

There are hardly any jobs in AZ for new grads right now.... Hopefully in a year or 2, that won't be the case.

In AZ, LPNs are pretty much disappearing from the hospitals. They are still used in home health and long tern care. The only community college in Phx that offers an LPN program is Gateway CC. All the other comm colleges do allow you to jump in to Block 3 (there's 4 blocks) with an LPN license and some pre-reqs. The best place info source on this is www.nursing,maricope.edu

I know that Gateway doesn't do a waitlist for their LPN program, they do have pre-req's and its more of a lotto system. All the comm college's RN programs have master waitlist that is about 3-4 semesters long (2 years). All the pre-req info can be found on that website.

As far as going the private route, well, time is money. If you haven't started any pre-req's and you don't want to wait, its a good option. Just realize the cost and the fact that the schedule and program are so intense that working while attending isn't really an option. And you may be limited in your options to get a BSN. Usually those options are more pricey too....

Hope this helps!!

God Bless

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I just wanted to add to what MassagetoRN had to say. In addition to Gateway's LPN program, there are two "skill centers" that are also affiliated with the community colleges that offer the LPN program. They do not require pre-req's and currently have fairly short waitlists. The cost is roughly $7-8K for a one year program. You could always get your LPN that way, continue working on pre-req's and then move onto a bridge program. That is what I intend to do and in my opinion, is a shorter, less expensive way to go. Good luck to you!

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