Help! accreditation question!!!

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I am currently enrolled in an LPN program ;however, I decided to take the TEAS test for the RN program at Bryant and Stratton I passed the teas and I am so excited! However when I was signing papers for the enrollment process it says that the school is accredited but the nursing program is a candidate with Virginia Board of Nursing it is accredited through the state only.When I asked my advisor about this she said it would not affect me in anyway and I would still be able to take NCLEX and it will not affect me getting a job however I am looking for a unbiased answer to this, I do not want to spend an additional 30 to 40 thousand dollars for a license I cannot use or get!!!!!!!

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
what I mean by there are no prerequisites is that you do not have to have them finished before you start they incorporate all of those classes into the program

Why would you want to do that? Nursing school is already stressful enough, why add what should be the pre-reqs into your nursing schedule?

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

I will tell you this: We see a box school on your app, we toss it. Most large teaching hospitals will.

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Why would you want to do that? Nursing school is already stressful enough, why add what should be the pre-reqs into your nursing schedule?

Well, that depends on the program. I went to a nationally-top-rated BSN program and took English, psych, anthropology, bio c lab, and intro chem c lab (2 semesters) freshman year, plus 2 semesters of distribution reqs of whatever we wanted, plus a no-credit freshman intro thingie with the dean that met weekly for a semester but that I skipped. ;) Oh, and we had a phys ed requirement! I skipped that most of the year and then found myself making up gym classes all the time, 2-3-4 per week in May and June. Whew.

Clinicals started sophomore year with 2 1/2 days per week of 0645-1400 x 2, and 0630-1100 X1 (1 semester each med/surg). We also took one semester each of anatomy, organic chem c lab, physiology c lab, and nursing lecture (3 hours) and nursing lab (3 hours) per week, plus an elective (I took sociology). Pharmacology was integrated into the labs and nursing lectures all through the years. We were expected to have passed at least 3 years of high school math (algebra 1 & 2, plus geometry), so we didn't have a college remedial algebra course.

Junior year was 3 0630-1400 days of clinical again (my rotations were psych and public health first semester, OB and peds second), micro c lab, and 4.5 hours of nursing lecture, and an elective (government for me).

Senior year was 3 days of clinical (medical with advanced options for me first, surgical c advanced options second; some people did their options in other areas like peds or OB), 4.5 hours of nursing lecture, leadership/reasearch, and another elective (I forget now, lol).

So we had what some programs now have as prerequisites blended into our program. That didn't mean we weren't supposed to learn some of it on our own as background-- if we had a patient c stroke or MI in early sophomore year, for example, we were expected to have looked up and learned the relevant anatomy and physiology before appearing in clinical.

One thing I remember was the occasional feeling of, "Dang, I wish I'd known that last month," when I had XX patient at clinical or at work, but it was actually motivating for me to soak up more and also made me see why it was relevant and useful to know for the next time. This was also why I never ever had the feeling of, "(freak out!) I never did (task) this year!" because I could see perfectly well that I would have ample opportunity to do it later. It was also practice for ongoing independent learning for a lifetime of work.

Obviously managing schedules like this for 140 students in multiple clinical placements all over the metro area was a logistical challenge for the university, which I came to appreciate only after I grew up and started working and teaching myself. I think that may be why a lot of programs now put all the strictly academic course work in the first two years (and you figure out how to get it all done in your schedule) and then do all nursing the second two years.

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what I mean by there are no prerequisites is that you do not have to have them finished before you start they incorporate all of those classes into the program

The program I'm in does it this way (unless you've already taken them prior and they transferred in).

I will tell you, if you can get your pre-reqs out of the way and only have to focus on nursing courses only, do it!

I only had two courses transfer in and both were transferred in for this semester. So this semester I'm only taking two courses: Fundamentals and A&P I (which I am retaking because my A&P credits didn't transfer because of not taking it at a regionally accredited school).

Two classes, 9 credit hours. It doesn't sound like much. It truly doesn't. I'm 1 week into the semester, and I will tell you that my work load is unbelievable. I already feel behind. This is two classes only. It's overwhelming. I know I can get it done with excellent organization and time management.

However, next semester, I'll have about 14 credit hours. Four courses: A&P II, Nutrition, English 2, and Med-Surg. If I'm already overwhelmed and have a huge work load with just two classes... next semester isn't going to be fun. If these two are overwhelming and challenging, you bet you next semester will. As well as the three semesters following that.

I, unfortunately, have circumstances that require me to get and get out. We are one income, low income at that. If my husband can work two jobs to get me through school, then I can do this. Otherwise I'd love to go do my pre-reqs and just focus on nursing courses and be able to spend some extra time with my kids. Maybe this is the same situation for you, but if you have the time and circumstances allow, please listen to those on here that suggest knocking out pre-reqs first if you able to have them transferred in.

Those that are giving you advice on here have either been through it (for profit schools, taking pre-reqs, or taking the pre-reqs as co-reqs with their nursing courses).

You may find that sometimes responses may seem harsh or that everyone is ganging up on you, but I will tell you that these are the people that will give you excellent advice that will help you get through this. I feel like I'm where I'm at because of the help from several of the members here, whether they know it or not. You're going to do what you're going to do, but I promise that these responses are truly for your benefit. They are to help you.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

Find out if they are accredited by ACEN (for ADN programs) & by CCNE for BSN programs. If the answer is no, you may have problems getting a job and getting into other educational programs in the future such as RN to BSN or MSN. 20 thousand is way too much for LPN though some cost more. Locally at the state university a bachelors degree would cost about $24,000. Look at a community college that will do LPN to ADN or go straight for your BSN.

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