Indiana State University BSN students

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Here's a new sticky for students involved in online/distance BSN programs through Indiana State University. Enjoy!

Do you have to pay for the proctoring? That just adds to the list of all the other fees that have to be paid.... Do you tape the assesment during a clinical shift or just have a family member volumteer. I know this is a BSN program and not gonna be easy, but the more and more info I'm reading it seems like the process is really hard.....

Proctoring fees depend on the facility. I pay $25 at the cc. The library I used once was free but the people working there never shut up during my TEAS so I didn't go for tests there after that. Most libraries will do it for free. I might check around for a different library and try it for one of my CSMs because the $25 each time is adding up. You just need to do some legwork and check around. That's the thing with distance learning...you can't be afraid to do legwork on your own. Traditional programs do spoon feed you a lot and you don't really realize it until you don't have that set up anymore. I really like this aspect though. Makes me feel more in control of things but that's probably just the type A in me. lol!

The assessment class isn't a formal clinical, you just need to team up with a BSN prepared nurse. Can be a friend or someone you work with. My BSN friend let her license lapse so I just teamed up with a nurse educator at the facility I did psych at and we met up once a week and I did my checkoffs with her. The time you spend practicing at home counts toward the required hours too. This was actually my easiest class. I got a high A in it. :yeah: The video you can do at home with a family member if that's your arrangement. Since I did mine at the facility we used a video camera the hospital provided and my preceptor found a nursing student to be my patient and we taped it in an empty hospital room. I had been nervous the whole semester about it just because I'm camera shy but it was actually a TON of fun! :up::nurse:

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P.S. It sounds WAY more complicated than it really is. Honest. Do whatever program works for you obviously but don't be scared off of this one thinking it will be humungously complicated because it really isn't. It's great practice for being proactive though!

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To me its not that it's complicated that scares me...it just sounds hard, like am I smart enough? timed pharmacology, research, and the amount of writing . I'm not good at writing, but I've been collecting names and numbers of English major college students in hopes of paying for help when the time comes.

Who pays the clinical preceptor? In California I believe it's 500 hours in hospital required

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To me its not that it's complicated that scares me...it just sounds hard, like am I smart enough? timed pharmacology, research, and the amount of writing . I'm not good at writing, but I've been collecting names and numbers of English major college students in hopes of paying for help when the time comes.

Who pays the clinical preceptor? In California I believe it's 500 hours in hospital required

Research was my hardest class but the professor (Dr. Frank) is sooooo awesome! BSN level nursing isn't going to be easy no matter where you go and you have to write in any bachelor program. The thing with ISU is that you have to be self-motivated. That's the key. You have all the same requirements as on campus students but you have to get your own self moving which can be difficult at times.

Nobody pays the clinical preceptor. They don't get paid when schools place students there either. It's all part of nursing, kwim? The total hours I figured just now is 497 (practicum is 137 hours hence the odd number). 45 hours for assessment, 45 for psych, 90 for med-surg II, 90 for community health, 90 for med-surg III, 137 practicum.

Oh, I forgot to mention, so far in my ISU classes the professors have you turn in a rough draft for your writing assignments which they grade and then have you make corrections before turning in the final paper. My liberal arts professors would neverrrrrrr do that. You were on your own and expected to know how to write a paper. So the ISU professors definitely help you out there. You can't really help but get really familiar with APA format. lol!

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They don't get paid,? wow in my area there may be a problem. It is routine here that all sites and employees are paid extra for doing it and the sites are given "donations" for their trouble. Here the rate is around $18 an hour to "watch you" and around $1000 for the "donation" to the facility. I'm going to have to ask around, I have some friends that are BSN , question will be how good a friend are they. Thanks for info

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Hi,

How is everyone satisfying the Information Literacy Requirement?

There is a CLEP but it is another one that you have to have a score of 65 or better.

Brenda

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Do you mean the Information systems and Computer Applications clep? I've been studying it for 3 days ---Its a nightmare ! Why does that one have to be the 65 needed? I'm getting discouraged. I emailed ISU about alternatives like an intro to computers class or the Dantes Intro to computers exam (both of these would be a lot easier than this test) Chapter one of the TCN module has over a hundred vocab words in it alone . I called and emailed on Friday--they said they'd get back to me.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Yes I do.....I studied for one month and got a 53. ACE says passing is a 50 so I think we should ask ISU to accept that. It's not like I can't function with a computer...after all, that is how we are getting our degree=).

Let me know how it goes. I have not challenged this because my plate is full.

I am taking the ECE on Ethics in a week and my on campus summer Chem class starts on the 29th.... my boys will be home from college in 1 week for the summer.... and there goes my life as I knew it =)

Thanks for the info.

Brenda

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I took Information Systems through http://www.umuc.edu and ISU took it. I actually took a lot of my pre-reqs through them.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

If ISU won't accept a 53 on a CLEP then I will take it thru ISU. I think it is called NURS 108.

Brenda

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Specializes in hospice.

I satisfied my computer information systems requirement by taking a course at Ivy Tech Community College, CIS101, very easy I thought. Sometimes I have found that it is just easier to take a course for a semester then to spend tons of time studying for a test out that I may not even pass.

Chelle

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Specializes in Day program consultant DD/MR.
I satisfied my computer information systems requirement by taking a course at Ivy Tech Community College, CIS101, very easy I thought. Sometimes I have found that it is just easier to take a course for a semester then to spend tons of time studying for a test out that I may not even pass.

Chelle

I feel the same way. If a person has a good background wit the info it is possible. But If it is new info I find it difficult to take all the info in and remember it. I have yet to test and may try one soon thinking about sociology but not really sure yet. I will be taking courses this fall at CC to get my but in gear.....lol

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