Indiana State University Online LVN to RN program

LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN · May 9, 2011

seasons: you wrote:

"i'm still a little confused about the challenge & assessment exams...

once i submitt necessary documents to isu":after you have reviewed the prerequisites for the isu lpn/lvn program and have satisfied the prerequisites, you will apply for admission to get your student body id. once you have your id, start the process of evaluation of your transcripts. the transcripts must be sent to isu from the facility you attended--every one. once all your transcripts are received, isu will determiine if you are eligible for admission. this is the time to contact the nursing department. they will advise you from there. sooner or later the nursing dept will want an application to their program and transcripts.

"will they contact me to schedule challenge exams & and protocal exams ?" no, you are responsible for following through on the requirements, etc. you can take the challenge exams at any time, but it makes sense to take them when you have all the course requirements out of the way. once you get the okay from the distant learning liaison in the nursing dept, you will pay half of the cost of he challenge exam to the registrar. you will take the challenge exam and after you pass it, you will pay the other half. if you don't pass or pay the entire amount for the exam, you will not be given credit. you are responsible for locating a proctor; many posts have been made about proctors test companies or schools located in the us

"how many exams are there ?" there are 4 challenge exams.

"when do i take the assessment exams ?" see above.

"whut do i take first .. transition, assessment, or challenge exams ?" you are a licensed lpn/lvn and the challenge exams will give you credit for what you aready know or have taken classes in. you are testing out of the classes these exams represent. off the top of my head, i seem to remember some of the challenge exams are adult med surg, mental health, and the rest i am having a senior moment on.

once you pass those 4 challenge exams, you will be invited to start the distant learning lpn/lvn to bsn program. you will be admitted temporarily to take the transition and the physical assessment courses. once these courses are passed, you will be given credit for the 4 challenge courses, the transition and the assessment courses. after these steps are completed with an acceptable grade, you will be admitted as a student to the program and you are on your way. btw, after the first semester, there is a break in the program of one semester. many students take the required general ed classes at this time. after then, there will be no further breaks in the program (unless they do not have the classes you need during summer).

".... oh sorry forgot to mention, i already have my lpn, and as in general studies. " having an associates degree is beneficial as you will enter as a trasnfer student and have less general ed classes to take.

the thing to remember is you are entering a university program. if you are considering the distant learning nursing, you must be proactive and take control of your destiny. look at the requirements for the program, do you homeword about the institution, realize that distant learning programs are far more rigorous than a regular nursing program, and make sure you have the time, energy, and motivation to be successful in such a program. some students believe that a dl program is easy and something that can be done in their spare time after work is done and the hubby and kids are dealt with. actually, the program is like any other rn program; it will dominate your life while you are a nursing student. anything else will have to take a back seat or you may not succeed.

seasons · May 14, 2011

seasons: you wrote:
"i'm still a little confused about the challenge & assessment exams...
once i submitt necessary documents to isu":after you have reviewed the prerequisites for the isu lpn/lvn program and have satisfied the prerequisites, you will apply for admission to get your student body id. once you have your id, start the process of evaluation of your transcripts. the transcripts must be sent to isu from the facility you attended--every one. once all your transcripts are received, isu will determiine if you are eligible for admission. this is the time to contact the nursing department. they will advise you from there. sooner or later the nursing dept will want an application to their program and transcripts.
"will they contact me to schedule challenge exams & and protocal exams ?" no, you are responsible for following through on the requirements, etc. you can take the challenge exams at any time, but it makes sense to take them when you have all the course requirements out of the way. once you get the okay from the distant learning liaison in the nursing dept, you will pay half of the cost of he challenge exam to the registrar. you will take the challenge exam and after you pass it, you will pay the other half. if you don't pass or pay the entire amount for the exam, you will not be given credit. you are responsible for locating a proctor; many posts have been made about proctors test companies or schools located in the us
"how many exams are there ?" there are 4 challenge exams.
"when do i take the assessment exams ?" see above.
"whut do i take first .. transition, assessment, or challenge exams ?" you are a licensed lpn/lvn and the challenge exams will give you credit for what you aready know or have taken classes in. you are testing out of the classes these exams represent. off the top of my head, i seem to remember some of the challenge exams are adult med surg, mental health, and the rest i am having a senior moment on.
once you pass those 4 challenge exams, you will be invited to start the distant learning lpn/lvn to bsn program. you will be admitted temporarily to take the transition and the physical assessment courses. once these courses are passed, you will be given credit for the 4 challenge courses, the transition and the assessment courses. after these steps are completed with an acceptable grade, you will be admitted as a student to the program and you are on your way. btw, after the first semester, there is a break in the program of one semester. many students take the required general ed classes at this time. after then, there will be no further breaks in the program (unless they do not have the classes you need during summer).
".... oh sorry forgot to mention, i already have my lpn, and as in general studies. " having an associates degree is beneficial as you will enter as a trasnfer student and have less general ed classes to take.
the thing to remember is you are entering a university program. if you are considering the distant learning nursing, you must be proactive and take control of your destiny. look at the requirements for the program, do you homeword about the institution, realize that distant learning programs are far more rigorous than a regular nursing program, and make sure you have the time, energy, and motivation to be successful in such a program. some students believe that a dl program is easy and something that can be done in their spare time after work is done and the hubby and kids are dealt with. actually, the program is like any other rn program; it will dominate your life while you are a nursing student. anything else will have to take a back seat or you may not succeed.
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thank you soooo much. im scheduled to meet with tcn rep next week is there anything i should know bfor signing contract , also aftr i meet all prereqs . recv my student id. than get permission for challenge exam do they consist of only computerized test or is there an assessment too. when should i look for proctor,schools,co.?

LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN · May 14, 2011

http://www.indstate.edu/degreelink/lpntobs/ the ISU website. This may be helpful. It takes a few weeks to get the authorization for the proctor fromthe nursing department so give yourself enough time before you want to take the challenge exam.

Franticoola · May 15, 2011

Hi. I have completed all admissiOn requirements for the LPN-BS distance program and will mail it this week.

Can anybody guide me as to where or what should I do after? How does the online and clinical classes go? Any suggestions on what kind of facilities or clinics I should do my clinicals at?

Thanks. :)

LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN · May 15, 2011

Much has been written about what to do after your have your prerequisites. You are on page 6 and go to page 5 of this thread. Read my posts and your questions are all answered...if not, repost what you seek.

Franticoola · May 15, 2011

Thanks! Have you started the clinicals? I live in Los angeles and i was wondering if you can suggest what type of facilities, clinics or institutions I should look for for those classes that has clinical requirements.

Franticoola · May 15, 2011

LadyinScrubs, can you give me a run down on how the transition and assessment classes go? If you don't mind me asking, are you working full time while taking those two classes coz you said they're rigorous and too much work and that we should take them one at a time.

LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN · May 15, 2011

LadyinScrubs, can you give me a run down on how the transition and assessment classes go? If you don't mind me asking, are you working full time while taking those two classes coz you said they're rigorous and too much work and that we should take them one at a time.

Don't worry about clinical facilities at this time. Problem with Los Angeles is the clinical facilities are very impacted as there are so many LVN, ADN & BSN programs. Worry about the clinicals after your pass transition and assessment. You will be off for a semester after you finish transition & assessment in which whey get the clinical paperwork done for your class.

I recently posted my thought about the transition and the assessment classes. You can find those on line under a ISU thread. Honestly, they are rigorous and if at all possible take them separately. But if you are out in Calif and time is important--it will take you a min of 2.5 years to grad because the state will not let you take more than one clinical class a semester--you lime many othes in CA will take the transition and the assessment class together. Please refer to the recent past posts for the info that I provided about the two classes and the ISU program.

Franticoola · May 17, 2011

So it will take a minimum of 2.5 years to finish just the nursing classes? Not including the other upper division foundational classes? Like PE, psych, sociology, etc?

LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN · May 17, 2011

So it will take a minimum of 2.5 years to finish just the nursing classes? Not including the other upper division foundational classes? Like PE, psych, sociology, etc?

In a regular nursing program one must take the exact same prerequites. Should you decide to go for the regular ADN program it will take you 2 years; go the generic BSN route it will take you 4 years. Either way, you must take the prerequisites. As an LPN entering into ISU's LPN to BSN program, you are cutting down the 4 years to 2.5-3 years as ISU is giving you credit for your LPN degree.

I object to those who state that one can get a ADN or BSN degree in 2 to 4 years. What they conveniently leave out is how long it takes to acquire your prerequisites. For me, the nursing prerequisites counted for so many units that I got another AA degree.

Some LVN programs can transform a non-nursing person into an LPN in as little as 9 months (this enables them to qualify for the worker's comp training status); other LVN programs can take as long as 18 months.

No one said that the process of becoming a registered nurse was quick or easy. There are many distant learning RN programs that are shorter than ISU, however, ISU is a BSN program not an ADN. Check with your BON to see if these other distant learning RN programs are accepted in your state. Additionally, some BONS will allow ISU distant learning students to take more than one clinical class a semester, and this shortens the 2.5-3 years considerably.

BTW, I concur with the shock at the 2.5-3 year estimate; by the time I am done, I will have gray hair. Fortunately, I am specializing in gerontology.

As I have always said: do your research before your invest your $'s and time.

Franticoola · May 19, 2011

Thank you for your reply. ISU have received my admission portfolio and they said I would have to wait 3-4 weeks after the June 1 deadline for me to know if I will be accepted. Did it take you that long too? After completing all required documents, am I guaranteed admission to the program?

LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN · May 19, 2011

Thank you for your reply. ISU have received my admission portfolio and they said I would have to wait 3-4 weeks after the June 1 deadline for me to know if I will be accepted. Did it take you that long too? After completing all required documents, am I guaranteed admission to the program?

Because there are so many documents, it takes time to go through them and compile the names of all those eligible. Remember, a professor must be obtained for the class, etc. I don't remember how long it was, but it was not long.

If you have had your transcripts evaluated by ISU admissions, have received your evaluation (aka DARs), have submitted all the paperwork to the dept , taken your ATI exam and have a good score, you should be receiving a letter. I do not know what the program is seeking but supposedly there is no waiting list. There are two types of ISU LPN to BSN DL students--those outside Calif and those in CA. The Calif students have their own section and are cohorts but do interact with other sections on blackboard during the class.