Do TCN graduates exist?

caliotter3 · Jun 12, 2008

First of all, welcome to the site. Please research some of the many threads about this subject before you make any commitment. The material that this person is going to try to get you to sign a contract to buy, can be found, used, on ebay for a fraction of the cost. Many people do just fine in getting their nursing degree from Excelsior without having anything to do with any of the publishing companies.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2008

there are no tcn graduates because tcn is not a college it is a over priced publishing company. there are many threads over the subject and i urge you to read over them. welcome to all nurses.....

i am a lpn in ga and was thinking of furthering my educations with the college network and the representative cannot give me the name of any graduates due to privacy issues. has anyone out there actually completed the lpn to ad rn program and gotten a job in georgia?

elkpark · Jun 12, 2008

Welcome to allnurses! :balloons: I'm moving this thread to the Distance Learning forum, where you're likely to get more responses.

To be precise and persnickety, there's no such thing as a "TCN graduate" because TCN is not a school and does not award degrees -- no one "graduates from" TCN. It is a publishing company that sells study materials to assist people in completing the Excelsior College program. TCN has customers, not students. There are a bunch of threads on this here -- I strongly encourage you to find them (you can use the "search" button in the upper right corner of the page) and read some of them.

TCN and the other publishing companies like it are somewhat controversial -- a lof of people will tell you that you don't need to buy extra materials, that the materials EC provides you are sufficient to complete the program. Also, the TCN program is very expensive, and you are signing a legally binding contract for the full amount of the program -- if you decide later on that you don't need the extra assistance after all, or you're not satisfied with what you're getting from them, or you change your mind about completing the EC program for whatever reason, you will still be obligated to them for the full amount that you agreed to up front, and you won't be able to get out of that contract.

On the other hand, there are people who have posted here who are happy with their experience with TCN.

I strongly encourage you to read the comments here about TCN and think carefully about your choices before you sign a contract with them! :) Best wishes.

Music in My Heart · Jun 13, 2008

Also, the TCN program is very expensive, and you are signing a legally binding contract for the full amount of the program...

Yikes. I'm in a distance program through a traditional university but I've got enough educational and life experience to say that signing such a contract might prove to be a very bad decision.

If their materials are so useful there would be no need for a contract. I wouldn't touch those guys with a 10-foot pole.

formyfly · Jun 13, 2008

I am a LPN in GA and was thinking of furthering my educations with The College Network and the representative cannot give me the name of any graduates due to privacy issues. Has anyone out there actually completed the LPN to AD RN program and gotten a job in Georgia?

As others have replied, NO ONE graduates from TCN. But I can speak from experience, I am an Excelsior College student, I took and passed Nursing Concepts 1 and 2 by following the content guide and reading and studying the textbooks. OMG it took a long time for me to get through it. I joined TCN in March, since I have read the material I purchased through them, supplemented it with practice test from Excelsior and reading the discussion boards also...I got my first "A" in May. I am now working on Nursing Concepts 4, in the same manner. Just remember each person learns differently and always know to follow-up on anything you are not sure on. I hope this helps, and feel free to pick my brain on any TCN or EC question or concerns! And be sure if you go with the used material on ebay you are getting the updated stuff. Excelsior students who enrolled after October 2007 will NOT use NURSING CONCEPTS material. Good Luck! :loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya:

chaxanmom · Jun 14, 2008

Yikes. I'm in a distance program through a traditional university but I've got enough educational and life experience to say that signing such a contract might prove to be a very bad decision.
If their materials are so useful there would be no need for a contract. I wouldn't touch those guys with a 10-foot pole.

You are financing a product (the modules). Anytime you finance something you have to sign a contract. Have you ever financed something without signing a contract?

Music in My Heart · Jun 15, 2008

Nope.

I don't believe in financing things that don't appreciate.

chaxanmom · Jun 15, 2008

Nope.
I don't believe in financing things that don't appreciate.

I don't either (we're Dave Ramsey people) but financing things still requires a contract. That's a basic, not a red flag and has nothing to do with usefulness of the product. :)

gradyrn2b08 · Jun 16, 2008

I HAVE A CO-WORKER AND CLOSE FRIEND WHO IS OUT $8,000 BECAUSE OF PROGRAMS LIKE TCN AND OTHERS WHO REPRESENT THEMSELVES AS AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE!!! GO THROUGH EC, USE THEIR STUDY GUIDE AND PRACTICE EXAMS. YOU CAN DO THIS PROGRAM WITHOUT OUTSIDE SOURCES WHO WANT TO CHARGE YOU THOUSANDS!!! JUST MY:twocents:!! BEST OF LUCK!!!

Music in My Heart · Jun 16, 2008

I don't get it.

My program through a public university is all online (except for clinicals, of course). They refer to it as "e-learning" but it really isn't. All it is is book learning with "e-evaluations". So, I have a bunch of required textbooks and a bunch more that I've purchased as support materials (mostly older versions 'cuz they're cheap). With that stuff I seem to be doing pretty well based on my ATI scores, test scores, and - most importantly - the feedback from my clinical instructor.

So why does somebody going to EC need to pop thousands of dollars for these materials? Is not the necessary material contained in text books, most of which have older editions available for less than $10 off of Amazon or Half?

I don't get it.