Graduated from a vocational school?

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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Have any of you graduated from a vocational school? What do you think about them?

Our state has just recently added LPN programs through Pionner Pacific, Apollo, and Concorde. I'm wondering how effective these guys are at teaching and getting their students hired?

These school look at work/school history, references and the CPAT score. No pre-reqs required.

We don't have any LPN programs at the Community College level that don't require acceptance into a Nursing Program (You can take the NCLEX-PN after completing year 1). The wait lists are long and very competitve.

Thank you for you insight!

I definately think that a vocational school is the way to go for me. Our Community Colleges do not have free-standing LPN programs. You have to complete all the pre-reqs (45 credits) and apply to the Nursing Program. We don't have any waitlists, so each year you have to reapply with no advantage.

I know a lot of people who finished bachelor degrees with out really learning anything, so I think, just like anything it is up to the person to determine how much they are going to get out of a program. You can learn the system or you can learn the job.

Specializes in nursing home,psych,chemical dependency.

OMG !!! WOW !!! How things have changed in just a few years.....I attended vocational school in 1992, and it cost me approx. a whopping $1500.00....you guys need to check and see if it is a "state" operated school or private,,,,could be a HUGE difference....I know I attended a long time ago,,,but $20,000,,,OMG,,,,,I can't accept.......

Specializes in Peds HH, LTC.

I am finishing up a vocational school. In fact, I will be graduating tonight! Our DOn has informed us that the last graduating class had a 98% pass rate on the NCLEX-PN. (She's hoping for 100% with our class).

She believes that the reason the person failed was because they waited so long to take the NCLEX. (Graduated in December, and just took the test last month.)

I feel I had some great experiences, alot of clinical hands on. And it cost about $10,000 (books, tuition, fees & uniforms)

If I was able to slide right into a RN program, I would have chosen that route, but I'm not regretting taking this route, especially since other nurses I have spoken with who deal with some of the local schools don't feel the students from the other schools have learned enough for their clinical experiences.

Good luck in your decision!

Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Peds, LDRP.

I went to a tech school and we had two full days at the end of the year of folks coming to speak to our class to recruit us.

Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.

I graduated from the Practical Nursing program at a Vocational-Technical school back in 1972. Looking back, it was probably the best education I have ever received, for I don't think I would have ever made it through RN school without it. They taught me how to read and do simple math (which I never learned in high school), and my instructors were exceptional.

My son also chose to enroll in an IT program at a Technical School after discovering it would have taken him five years to obtain a B.S. in Information Systems. Now, ten years later, he is the Executive VP of E-Commerce for his company.

Vo-Tech rocks!

Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.

I waited a year to go to a local vocational school. I felt the wait was worth it because the program had been running for over 20 years, I had good recommendations from nurses who had been through it, and the cost was only $4400, everything included in 2004. Also, I called a private school (which has now been shut down) and they tried to get me to enroll in their medical assisting program telling me LPNs couldn't do things like give injections and MA's could.

You can't do too much research before picking a school.

The school I am looking into also stated they had 3 students out of the 36 that waited 6+ months to take the NCLEX, which affects their reporting results.

I appreciate the feedback on the public/government schools, but there are NO free standing LPN schools through Community colleges in my area. They are all 2 year Nursing programs that allow you to sit for LPN boards after you have completed the first year. 2 of the 12 schools are on a lottery system. 800+ apply. They admit 100 (or less). The other schools work on a point system, which basically requires that you complete 3 terms of A&P, Micro, Integrated Chem, Human Development, Family Nutrition, Research Writing, Algebra (36_ credits). According to all of their past admit stats, in order to havea 85% chance or better of getting accepted you must have between a 3.5-4.0 in all of these classes. Even then, you have to participate in an interview process, whereby which about 80% are admitted. It is extremely competetive to say the least. There are no waitlists on any of the programs. You must re-apply each year.

Believe me if I could get into and only pay $10k for a 2 year RN program, I would do it in a heart beat. There just is no guarantee that after spending 1 year + completing the pre-reqs, that I will get in.

I did meet w/ the school. The MA program is not what I want to do. The advisor was very helpful and feels I should be able to get into the program. (Even LPN is very competive!) I should know more in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks so much for your responses!

Specializes in SNF, Psych, Sub Acute, Long Term Rehab.

BEWARE of private vocational schools. I am a successful LVN. I have been to public colleges (I am attending one now for my RN) and went to a private vocational school in the Antelope Valley area in So. Calif. for my LVN. Public colleges have a chain of command and protocols to follow. They are more regulated. If you are having a problem in the class there is always someone to go to. BEWARE of vocational schools who grade on a curve! They fool the student into thinking he/she is passing, then when the last installment of the student loan is paid to the school, they take the money and drop the student, keeping the money and the student is SOL. They do this in an attempt to protect their NCLEX pass rates. They will drop students at the end of the year whom they feel will have no chance of passing the NCLEX! The student never gets a chance after all of that hard work! The student is stuck with a $19,000 student loan and no recourse and no chance to sit for the NCLEX. Another tactic is that the class and clinical instructor will give you your grade for the quarter and you will sign for it, then the CEO (based on vendettas and/or whims) will just drop the student's grade, lower the score. The student has no recourse. The individuals involved refuse to discuss the issues with the students. In a public college, a student can go to the Dean, not so with the private vocational schools. Another game they play is to tell the student to study chapters 1-5 for a test, then test the student on chapters 27-35 (for example). The students again have no recourse and the CEO refuses to correct the wrong. I have seen instructors in private vocational schools give the students answers prior to class tests. The students have yet to pass the NCLEX. In vocational schools politics are paramount. If you can't play politics and are not good at "Kissing up to the right people" as far a staff goes, forget it. You better keep your grades high and your nose clean or you're out. After my experience with Vocational schools and public colleges, I will ALWAYS choose a public college and will NEVER recommend a private vocational school, especially the one I attended. If you are interested in a private vocational school, interview a lot of nurses, not the students the school recommends - they are handpicked and will not give an honest review. Also look up their NCLEX pass rates. Don't believe advertisments. My school was advertising 100% pass rate, but they were kicking students out that they felt had no chance after taking all of their money, the pass rate for this school now is 68%. Find out how they grade. Ask local hospitals about the school. I believed the staff when they said we would do our clinicals locally. After we were committed to the curriculum, we found out we had to drive almost 200 miles round trip because that school was not welcomed in any of the local hospitals. We never inserted an NG tube, most students never even inserted a foley. Most LPN skills were not done during school. We had to do these these skills for the first time in the workplace. I wish I had done more research. At least now I have my license and I am making $25/hr working registry and going to RN school. Nursing is a FABULOUS career. I am not unhappy I made the decision to become a nurse, just in my choice of schools

I got my training in the Army. Was free, however had to rejoin for three years. Was well worth it

i graduated from a votech school and i feel that my education was far superb from many of the lpn's and rn's i have worked with. we went for 12 months with 2 weeks off. we also had 100% pass rate on boards and 100% employment past graduation. the only problem i have encountered as i have debated with returning to school for my rn is the fact that even though i had 72 hours of college credit (i was going to be a teacher) none of my nursing course/lpn program counts toward college hours. i am looking at some clep tests however be aware if you are planning on going on for your rn... this could result in some problems as far as credit hours

Specializes in Geriatrics.
BEWARE of private vocational schools. I am a successful LVN. I have been to public colleges (I am attending one now for my RN) and went to a private vocational school in the Antelope Valley area in So. Calif. for my LVN. Public colleges have a chain of command and protocols to follow. They are more regulated. If you are having a problem in the class there is always someone to go to. BEWARE of vocational schools who grade on a curve! They fool the student into thinking he/she is passing, then when the last installment of the student loan is paid to the school, they take the money and drop the student, keeping the money and the student is SOL. They do this in an attempt to protect their NCLEX pass rates. They will drop students at the end of the year whom they feel will have no chance of passing the NCLEX! The student never gets a chance after all of that hard work! The student is stuck with a $19,000 student loan and no recourse and no chance to sit for the NCLEX. Another tactic is that the class and clinical instructor will give you your grade for the quarter and you will sign for it, then the CEO (based on vendettas and/or whims) will just drop the student's grade, lower the score. The student has no recourse. The individuals involved refuse to discuss the issues with the students. In a public college, a student can go to the Dean, not so with the private vocational schools. Another game they play is to tell the student to study chapters 1-5 for a test, then test the student on chapters 27-35 (for example). The students again have no recourse and the CEO refuses to correct the wrong. I have seen instructors in private vocational schools give the students answers prior to class tests. The students have yet to pass the NCLEX. In vocational schools politics are paramount. If you can't play politics and are not good at "Kissing up to the right people" as far a staff goes, forget it. You better keep your grades high and your nose clean or you're out. After my experience with Vocational schools and public colleges, I will ALWAYS choose a public college and will NEVER recommend a private vocational school, especially the one I attended. If you are interested in a private vocational school, interview a lot of nurses, not the students the school recommends - they are handpicked and will not give an honest review. Also look up their NCLEX pass rates. Don't believe advertisments. My school was advertising 100% pass rate, but they were kicking students out that they felt had no chance after taking all of their money, the pass rate for this school now is 68%. Find out how they grade. Ask local hospitals about the school. I believed the staff when they said we would do our clinicals locally. After we were committed to the curriculum, we found out we had to drive almost 200 miles round trip because that school was not welcomed in any of the local hospitals. We never inserted an NG tube, most students never even inserted a foley. Most LPN skills were not done during school. We had to do these these skills for the first time in the workplace. I wish I had done more research. At least now I have my license and I am making $25/hr working registry and going to RN school. Nursing is a FABULOUS career. I am not unhappy I made the decision to become a nurse, just in my choice of schools

:yelclap: Well spoken. I agree with the above quote. Ive never attended private school.I went to Public school and seen this tactic, especially in my 2nd and 3rd semester. I saw the grading on the curve thing to the students who "saw through the system" get dropped like flies.My favorite instructor got out of teaching in the classroom to do only clincals, because she said in her own words that they "handpick" the students they want to pass and fail the ones they dont want in the program and she didnt want any part of it. So the kiss up thing is true as well as staying quiet and not speaking up.That maybe the only way you'll get through the program.The teachers have the power in some way.

just wondering if anyone did a vocational tech school near ft worth,tx...thinking of attending concorde since its closer...just wondering if anyone had more information

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