Indiana State University BSN students

karen2 · Nov 17, 2007

Well, the only possible problem lies in the fact that the public speaking credit is a pre-req and I don't know if I passed that one. The multiple choice part was easy but the speech itself is automatic failure if you are under 3 min or over 5. All we had was a wall clock and I don't know if I was long enough or not. It's difficult to watch a all clock, keep track of how many times the second hand goes around and do a speech at the same time! lol!
The results take 6-8 weeks to come in so I don't even know if I passed it or not. Told you it was a long story. lol! I've heard two different things from two different people there. Worst case scenario is they say not until I retake that test or the course and in that case I'll just start in the fall instead and finish the rest of my pre-reqs in the meantime. Not a big deal but it would be disappointing for sure.

I understand your situation with the wall clock thing while doing a speech, a former classmate from college said she had the same problems while she tested with TCN, she's in the army, so I don't know if she passed or not either. I read a post in the Sticky for: The College Network, that, is a 6 months wait to retest. So, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and wish you don't have to retest. However, :up: I like your positive attitude on how you plan to manage it either way.

chaxanmom · Nov 17, 2007

Well, the testing isn't with TCN at all. It's a Dantes test and I took it at a local community college so it was the college that was the problem. Then it's Dantes that sets the 6 mo window as well. TCN isn't involved in any of that. I do have to say that the study guide does indeed warn you that your testing site may or may not have a stop watch so you should bring one with you. The girl I talked to at the college was like "Oh no, we have them so don't worry about it." She was wrong and I took her word for it. Totally my bust there.

karen2 · Nov 20, 2007

Well, the testing isn't with TCN at all. It's a Dantes test and I took it at a local community college so it was the college that was the problem. Then it's Dantes that sets the 6 mo window as well. TCN isn't involved in any of that. I do have to say that the study guide does indeed warn you that your testing site may or may not have a stop watch so you should bring one with you. The girl I talked to at the college was like "Oh no, we have them so don't worry about it." She was wrong and I took her word for it. Totally my bust there.

Sorry you had so much trouble... I hope it works out!

karen2 · Nov 20, 2007

Hi , I'm Kathryn.
I've just finished up LVN school, studying for the Nclex and have started on the TCN modules for ISU BSN general study part. I'm in California so ISU is the only program available to me.
Brenda , what an accomplishment, how many more do you need to get to the nursing part. I have to do ALL the general ed, so quite a job ahead for me. I started with PATHO for my first test, just because it interests me so. I'd love to hear your experience with A & P that one and Chemistry look overwheming. How hard were they?

Hi Kathryn, how's patho going? I had an appointment with the TCN sales person today, I didn't sign up yet, still thinking if I should or not. Well, after going through the list for the required gen ed., I think I need to complete Gerontology and Patho. I also need to take the TEAS test, and then apply to ISU directly. Tests for both courses will have to be taken through Excelsior College, at a pearson vue center. The closest approved clinical site is like an hour from me.... might just have to apply there if I decide to go this route to get my nursing degree:smilecoffeecup:

karen2 · Nov 20, 2007

Hi!
Glad we have this forum!
I have read each and every post here and I wanted to just add some information which I didn't think I read anywhere ...
Like some stated Phase I is the general ed requirements taken "predominatly outside of ISU" while Phases II and III are a combination of general ed electives and nsg courses "predominantly taken at ISU"
After completing Phase I you then apply to ISU and have your official transcripts sent to ISU Admissions Office.
OK!
Other requirements:
LPNs will take the TEAS exam for entrance into the Nursing Program. This will begin for the Spring 07 Semester. Your exam scores will need to completed by Nov. 1st and sent with your College of Nursing application. http://www.indstate.edu/site/nurs/3240.html For more information on the TEAS exam and ATI Testing, please e-mail Michele Pantle at: [email protected]
Other Info:
All nursing courses are completed online. Even though the courses are online and self-paced, they are within the traditional Fall and Spring semester time frame and taught by on-campus faculty members.
Clinicals will be done in the state where you reside, with a preceptor at a local facility. This link is the FAQ for the delivery of clinical education for the LPN-BS Distance Education
Track: http://www.indstate.edu/site/nurs/pdfs/faq-lpn-bs-clinical.pdf
In regards to the TEAS exam, once you complete Phase I (general ed requirements) you will purchase the web-based test from ISU book store. You will need to have a Preceptor who monitors the exam. This person must be approved by ISU. You must score between a 38-40%. This is based off of 100 nursing students who take this exam. The exam is said to be 11th grade level of English, reading, math, and science.
OK!
I also thought it would be important to note that you need to take ATI test after each nursing course before you can enroll for the next nsg course/class:uhoh3:
More info:
Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI)
ATI's Comprehensive Assessment and Review Program has been adopted by the College of Nursing for pre-RN licensure students to strengthen the student's knowledge base throughtout the nursing program and prepare students for the NCLEX-RN state licensing examination. A portion of the program will be utilized in identified courses to enhance mastery of nursing content, assess students' strengths and areas of deficiency, and to remediate as needed. Scores on proctored examinations for nursing content areas falling below the 60th percentile rank for BSN programs nationally will require proof of remediation and retesting for successful completion of the course.
I recently passed my boards. I have most of the pre-reqs from colleges/univ I attended prior to lpn school. So really, I was just waiting to get my lpn license, which I now have. But, I am still considering this route, the ONLY draw back for me at the moment is this ATI testing which the ISU school of nursing have adopted. My lpn school had that as well, and I didn't quite do as well on those tests. ATI is really not my favorite type of exam. Other than that, based on the research and the information I have to date I really think the ISU program is a good one, which requires full dedication

Just wanted to say thank you for this post. I think is very informative. I met with a TCN sales person today... though I didn't sign up yet. The information from this post, helped me to understand the program better. The TCN sales person was amazed about how much I already knew:uhoh21:

mhr2133 · Nov 20, 2007

Karen2,

All you have to do is finish up Gerontology and Patho? Oh my goodness what I wouldn't give to be in your shoes. I have all 18 of them to do.

Patho is easy, at least I think it is. I test on Dec 3rd, I couldn't match up an open test date at my center..between my schedule and the holiday. The practice test in the back of the TCN module is so much like a med surg test from school. ...The cause of respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn is..1)deficiency of surfactant in the lungs 2)lack of development of alveoli 3)obstruction of the trachea by mucus 4)hypoplasia of pulmonary arteries--answer is 1

Lots of disease signs and symptoms and you guess the disease. I picked to do it first because I'm in the middle of studying for my NCLEX PN and just after having done the med surg review I could past the sample tests. So I'm doing Life Span and Development and Patho at the same time as the NCLEX study because they all over lap each others answers.

Let us know what you decide to do.

lvnandmomx3 · Nov 20, 2007

For those of you who are doing ISU and your generals with TCN. are you using just TCN modules or have you tired the actual dantes and clep study guides/books. I found alot when I did a search for dantes/clep test to get info on them. I meet with a TCN rep tonight, I'm not planning on signing with them just yet. I want to to as much as I can on my own and only use them for what I can't find elswhere.

Another question is I know that there are 3 different testing types. Is dantes and clep geared more toward your regular general classesenglish, Math and so on;and then the excelsior for say A&P, chemistry micro and patho?

Im getting excited I can't wait to meet with them tonight and then hit the net and see what I can start studying. Any recommendations on what I should start with. I need all 18.

karen2 · Nov 20, 2007

Karen2,
All you have to do is finish up Gerontology and Patho? Oh my goodness what I wouldn't give to be in your shoes. I have all 18 of them to do.
Patho is easy, at least I think it is. I test on Dec 3rd, I couldn't match up an open test date at my center..between my schedule and the holiday. The practice test in the back of the TCN module is so much like a med surg test from school. ...The cause of respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn is..1)deficiency of surfactant in the lungs 2)lack of development of alveoli 3)obstruction of the trachea by mucus 4)hypoplasia of pulmonary arteries--answer is 1
Lots of disease signs and symptoms and you guess the disease. I picked to do it first because I'm in the middle of studying for my NCLEX PN and just after having done the med surg review I could past the sample tests. So I'm doing Life Span and Development and Patho at the same time as the NCLEX study because they all over lap each others answers.
Let us know what you decide to do.

mhr, thanks for sharing! Yes, I only have patho & gerontology to take, this is simply because I had already taken the other prereqs from my local cc and univ., getting into a program was tough even with good gpa's, because seats are limited. Each school of nursing I had applied to had its own required prereqs, sadly after completing the required prereqs they tell you the seats are limited, long story short, I acquired all the prereqs just trying to get into the program. Well, since I couldn't wait for a seat to become available, I just applied to an LPN program. And now I'm back trying to get a nursing degree, the good thing about ISU is that there is no wait list.

I am curious though if the module and practice questions at the back of each chapter is enough to study for the TCN/Excelsior tests. The exams are Excelsior tests. I asked the TCN sales person yesterday concerning that (I guess I'm just used to doing so many different questions especially after taken the nclex... who wouldn't be?) all he could say is passing is guaranteed, a tutor will be provided should a student not pass, but I also read in another thread here at 'allnurses' that there is a 6 months wait... I hope we all pass:pumpiron:

I will let you know if I decide to go this route to get my nursing degree. Let us know if the module prepared you enough for the test.

Good luck in your board exam and all the other tests you have to take:)

lvnandmomx3 · Nov 21, 2007

OK so I met with the guy from TCN today and I got exactly what I wanted the who what and when and nothing more. I did not sign a contract I got all the info I need I think to do the GE's on my own. I do need to use them for the phase II of the ISU program but will deal with them when it comes time.

For now I will try to get modules off ebay, use clep, dantes, and excelsior study guides or recommended books and in the end I should be able to knock the $8000 down considerably.

The guy was really nice and did not pressure me at all. He was willing to work with me when I told him could not do $180 a mo. He told me they had an 8 module option that would be about $120 a mo but that was it as far as pressure.

calliesue · Nov 29, 2007

Hi Yellow Finch,

I would like to know some things , like:

Did they accept a lot of your prerequisites form other colleges?

Did you have any trouble getting clinicals done?

How did you set clinicals up?

How long did the program take?

Would you do it again?

Thanks for taking the time to answer all my question, Calliesue

mhr2133 · Dec 4, 2007

Ok my first test ...Patho..I got an A !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

let's be honest, I knew the TCN study guide really well, I mean I got 99% on the practice test in the back but it was harder, a lot harder than TCN. I think it felt alot like people describe how my NCLEX will be . You feel sort of shell shocked, like this stuff was never in the books, you keep looking for the questions like you were expecting. An example, TCN gives you all kinds of questions like , the top two sign/symptoms of the disease and then you get to pick out of the 4 options which disease it is, its straight memory. There were almost none of those, they gave you a list of lab results, or a diagnosis and then 4 answers each with 3 symptoms on it and you pick which symptoms they would have. Things were just vague not so cut and dry easy like TCN lots of critical thinking. 10% of it wasn't in the book at all, I felt unsure about 20% of the answers. I'm just not use to the feeling of seeing a question straight out of left field, things I've never seen before. Honestly TCN was good but I probably could have just found the textbook that Excelisor used and done it that way.

But it worked, I got an A. Happy to just be on my journey. I'm doing Life span Devel next.

lvnandmomx3 · Dec 4, 2007

WOOOOHOOOO!!!!! WAY TO GO.:balloons::balloons::balloons: