So to start off, I'm in the United States Army Reserves and reside in Sacramento, CA. I wanted something to get my foot in the door to medical and the only thing they had to offer was Ophthalmic tech/ Optician. Needless to say, these jobs are rare to land even with experience and everything they require.
Before I joined, I wanted to become a Rn and possibly obtain a BSN, but could not afford to go to school without getting into outrageous debt. Now that I'm in the military, they pay for almost all of my schooling for 3 years and a $40K student loan repayment incentive.
Two of the schools I'm looking at (Kaplan College and Carrington College) both have LVN programs. Kaplan is only a 12 month program with a tuition of $31K (I only come out of pocket about $3K). They are also military friendly, which in my case as a ophthalmic tech, I do quite a bit of humanitarian missions so them letting me pick up where I left off is a BIG plus. Carrington on the other hand is a 18 month program, which will cost me more from my military benefits and more out of pocket in the long run, they aren't as military friendly as Kaplan, but they have the LVN to RN program.
Now to my questions. Do most hospitals or convalescent homes look at how long the program is at that school and in some way stereotype against tech schools or the duration of the programs? And my other question is do hospitals look at military experience? Giving quality eye care to about 100 patients a day in the poorest Providences in Panama is no easy task so we can perform under pressure. lol
Any input you may have, please leave feedback. I would greatly appreciate it.
Just to present you with an alternative that's likely a bit more accurate - I've been accepted into an LVN program through a community college in California (Chaffey, down in Southern California). I also wasn't selected on the first go, and I didn't spend 3 years trying to get in. Once I had the program-specific prereqs (combined A&P, Math for Healthcare Professionals (it's all about applying dimensional analysis to healthcare-related math problems) & the intro VN class) I applied & was rejected on the first go. Got on the alternate list and was picked up when a few of the selected students had to drop. I specifically asked why I was selected, and was told that the only thing that stopped me initially was the C+ I got in Math. What put me at the top of the alternate list was an essay I wrote about my experiences as my late mother's caregiver for the last 4 years of her life.
My point - It's not all about "luck of the draw"; I just finished looking at the Powerpoint for the SCC VN program, and it looks quite a bit like RCC's program (Riverside City College), which is two-tiered. It's all about the points, which is a combination of GPA, life experiences, prior degrees, prereqs for an ADN program, and so on. Get enough points, and you're in - don't, and it's luck of the draw. Not exactly a straight lottery, and I suspect that all the grousing caused 'em to rethink the whole lottery setup, which was inherently unfair IMO.
Big question is - do you have the academic chops to pull off a shot at a community college? That I can't answer, 'cause I'm not you. Best of luck to you whichever route you take.
Just to present you with an alternative that's likely a bit more accurate - I've been accepted into an LVN program through a community college in California (Chaffey, down in Southern California). I also wasn't selected on the first go, and I didn't spend 3 years trying to get in. Once I had the program-specific prereqs (combined A&P, Math for Healthcare Professionals (it's all about applying dimensional analysis to healthcare-related math problems) & the intro VN class) I applied & was rejected on the first go. Got on the alternate list and was picked up when a few of the selected students had to drop. I specifically asked why I was selected, and was told that the only thing that stopped me initially was the C+ I got in Math. What put me at the top of the alternate list was an essay I wrote about my experiences as my late mother's caregiver for the last 4 years of her life.
My point - It's not all about "luck of the draw"; I just finished looking at the Powerpoint for the SCC VN program, and it looks quite a bit like RCC's program (Riverside City College), which is two-tiered. It's all about the points, which is a combination of GPA, life experiences, prior degrees, prereqs for an ADN program, and so on. Get enough points, and you're in - don't, and it's luck of the draw. Not exactly a straight lottery, and I suspect that all the grousing caused 'em to rethink the whole lottery setup, which was inherently unfair IMO.
Big question is - do you have the academic chops to pull off a shot at a community college? That I can't answer, 'cause I'm not you. Best of luck to you whichever route you take.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
And would you be so kind as to share exactly where you got that specific figure from? California EDD? BLS? Local psychic?
----- Dave
The news release I've cited below specifically discusses new grad RN unemployment in CA, but things are no better for LVNs in CA (and perhaps worse) based on anecdotal evidence. Although the piece was written in 2012, the job market has not changed much.
More than four out of ten (43 percent) of California nurses, who were newly licensed as registered nurses in the previous 18 months, say they could not find a job, according to a recent survey paid for by the California Institute for Nursing & Health Care.
"Newly graduated RNs finding employment remains a pressing issue. After years of investment in building the workforce and increasing educational capacity, the economy continues to impact hiring and undermine the progress that has been made," says Deloras Jones, executive director of the California Institute for Nursing & Health Care.
Being a humanitarian is such a great thing. There are many ways to do it like LPN, RNs, Physicians Assistant, etc. The education cost will be about the same for you, just the return from the income will be different which may vary from 31,000 to 80,000 a year depending on which one you select.
I absolutely LOVED it. Especially as a ophthalmic tech because they are not as educated on eye protection from the sun and all of that so I was also responsible with that and referring them to hospital in Panama City. I was practically an Optometrist myself because of the amount of patience we had. everything from dispensing eye drops and antibiotics to using Retinascopes to check for cataracts. But I honestly didn't know that LVN's and RN's had those type of opportunities. I know my current job (VSP) does optical work for natural disasters in the US but I want to also help the less fortunate in different countries that can not afford that stuff, so that's good to hear!
Just to present you with an alternative that's likely a bit more accurate - I've been accepted into an LVN program through a community college in California (Chaffey, down in Southern California). I also wasn't selected on the first go, and I didn't spend 3 years trying to get in. Once I had the program-specific prereqs (combined A&P, Math for Healthcare Professionals (it's all about applying dimensional analysis to healthcare-related math problems) & the intro VN class) I applied & was rejected on the first go. Got on the alternate list and was picked up when a few of the selected students had to drop. I specifically asked why I was selected, and was told that the only thing that stopped me initially was the C+ I got in Math. What put me at the top of the alternate list was an essay I wrote about my experiences as my late mother's caregiver for the last 4 years of her life.
My point - It's not all about "luck of the draw"; I just finished looking at the Powerpoint for the SCC VN program, and it looks quite a bit like RCC's program (Riverside City College), which is two-tiered. It's all about the points, which is a combination of GPA, life experiences, prior degrees, prereqs for an ADN program, and so on. Get enough points, and you're in - don't, and it's luck of the draw. Not exactly a straight lottery, and I suspect that all the grousing caused 'em to rethink the whole lottery setup, which was inherently unfair IMO.
Big question is - do you have the academic chops to pull off a shot at a community college? That I can't answer, 'cause I'm not you. Best of luck to you whichever route you take.
----- Dave
See, I didn't know that they based it on that variety of topics. I have plenty of life experiences and a decent background in healthcare and I honestly have been wanting to do this since my senior year in high school (2009). I was set to become an LVN in about a year and a half at the college in the area I was located but my parents decided to move to Sacramento to be closer to family.
I have SOME of the prereqs out of the way, but not my general ed and I honestly don't want to waste my benefits on just general ed. Another reason I have been looking vocational and not local JC's is that the overcrowding at the schools. I don't do so well in that type of environment. I would probably get a C average in that setting. During my training for my job in the military, we had 10 soldiers starting out in my army class (we went to school with navy also who had roughly 15 sailors). I would have made honor grad if I didn't fail my optical math chapter (which I failed by only 1%) and would have graduated with a 93% overall on my didactic training. Now, before I joined the military, I tried to go to school and I found myself being uninterested in the subjects that honestly don't pertain to anything I wanted to become in life and felt like it was wasting my money.
I'm not ruling out CC's but I feel like I would be setting myself up for success if I went the vocational school route.
Which leads me to another question. Do hospitals or medical facilities look at WHERE you get your degree from and does that play a role in employment? for example, do they prefer a nurse that went to a state college to get there degree or nurses that get there degree from a school like University of Phoenix is scrutinized??
The news release I've cited below specifically discusses new grad RN unemployment in CA, but things are no better for LVNs in CA (and perhaps worse) based on anecdotal evidence. Although the piece was written in 2012, the job market has not changed much.
This honestly makes me want to change my career almost. I have always wanted to help people medically and possibly save lives without going into serious debt and this is the option I have chosen. I have had my heart set on this since 2009 and I will not let statistics slow me down. Statistically speaking, the job training I went to through the military had a success rate of only 40%. Unfortunately, that statistic was true in my class, and I was surprisingly in that 40%. I guess I love being an underdog. :)
lol
IEDave, ASN, CNA, LVN
386 Posts
And would you be so kind as to share exactly where you got that specific figure from? California EDD? BLS? Local psychic?
----- Dave