Healthcare Essentials course, where?????

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · Nov 21, 2009

Yup you can take it either at City College if they haven't changed the name of the course yet, or you can take it at Grossmont Health Occupations Center in Santee. Is that where you are trying to go for your LVN? I graduated from there. :) I think you can also take it in El Cajon at the ROP place. Not sure of the name.

josebeltran88 · Nov 21, 2009

I tried registering at GHOC for the course, but it was filled. I found out that National City Adult school also offers this clas, and that's where I'm going to take it, thx. And, no, I'm trying to get into the City College LVN program.

ricerocket · Nov 23, 2009

wow so the health essential class for the rop program for grossmont is already filled?! ..i was just telling my friend who was interested in the LVN program (ROP) to go there ... i been wanting to do it for a while now but dont have my cna cert or health essential class completed yet... i think thats the best route to go..its free tuition and you'll be done in three semesters...

josebeltran88 · Nov 23, 2009

Yeah, it filled within like the first hour of opening. There were 1,000 (yes! ONE THOUSAND) students lined up to register for classes from 4:30am that morning on registration day. can you believe that??

ricerocket · Nov 23, 2009

sheesh! thats crazy.. i guess i wont go that route. i was thinking bout going for lvn then do the bridge into rn. but seems like the longer i wait, they harder it gets. im already an RT and i want to become a nurse. so instead of waiting, i applied for the Kaplan nursing program. hopefully i get in. still waiting on that call for the jan 2010 class!

josebeltran88 · Nov 23, 2009

Well, did you consider Kaplan's accreditation? I was about to go for their LVN program about a year and a half ago, but their high tuition cost, and lack of accreditation really turned me away from them. Why would I want to spend $30K+ on a program that is not accredited, and thus doesn't transfer out to any University, and or community college.

In my opinion, you end up paying too much, for too little. You have to keep in mind that the 30K debt grows and accrues interest over its lifespan.

You might also want to check out their NCLEX-PN pass rate. For what it's worth, I wansn't impressed with their statistic.

In all honesty, stick with a community college. It might take a year or two longer, but in the end you obtain the same license, a lot less loans, and a lot more possibilities of becoming an RN through an LVN-RN program.

ricerocket · Nov 23, 2009

yea, but im not getting any younger.. i checked..as long as you graduate from their program, you're allowed to sit and take the nclex. and for me, that's all i need to be an Rn; and i just want to be working already. i feel like the longer i wait, the more i start losing motivation. sure its EXPENSIVE as heck, but just the thought of taking all the prereqs again..(atleast 2 years), then applying for the rn program ..(say maybe another 2 year wait)...then starting the program...(hmmm another 2year to complete)...that's going to take me atleast 4 to 5 years altogether for an ADN ... i hear what you're saying but i just want to be done and working already.. plus kaplan's credits do transfer to University of phoenix ..(which is a regionally accredited school..) if i want to further my education :) if i had more time, i would go the route you are sugguesting. but in my situation, i feel the best route at this time is to just jump right in, get it done, and start working..

josebeltran88 · Nov 23, 2009

I definately understand your point of view. Good luck with everything at Kaplan.

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · Nov 24, 2009

Kaplan is accredited by the BON. The RN program at Kaplan is not accredited by the Western Association of Schools and colleges (WASC) which is what the colleges go by. But I've heard that the LVN program at Kaplan is. At City College we have many Kaplan graduates doing the LVN-RN like me.

Kaplan RN graduates can go thru University of Phoenix to get their BSN. :) So really Kaplan is not a bad choice. You have a debt to pay off but financial aid will cover some of the tuition so you don't pay 100% of the tuition costs yourself and you can be working as a nurse sooner earning that pay. :)

Lastly, GHOC is not free. It costs $2,500 for the whole program unless they added some expenses on. They give you all the books for free and the scrubs to wear on Lab days and the clinical uniform. It's a great program. Not too hard to get thru IMHO. :)

ricerocket · Nov 25, 2009

faeriewand,

hey thanks for the great info! i didnt know that about the lvn program.. thats good to know though.. i plan on working my butt off after graduation to pay of the debt asap! the way i see it, the more you wait, the more expensive these private school program gets.

josebeltran88 · Nov 25, 2009

The last time I spoke with a Kaplan representative, he told me that the LVN program was accredited through ACCSCT, not WASC. If they were accredited by WASC, I would have chosen to go to Kaplan. I'm not too sure if those LVN credits from Kaplan will get you admitted into an LVN-RN program at a community college. RN graduates from Kaplan can go through WASC accredited University of Phoenixm to earn a BSN, but the tuition at Phoenix is outragously high!