Indiana state university lvn-rn program question

[Nurse Chef]

Im an lvn graduate. A friend of mine in california told me about an online school called indiana state university. He said that you can take an lvn to rn program. also, he told me its accredited in the state of california and can take the RN nclex afterwards. I tried to do some research and found out they have an "lvn to BS" program.

I know this may be a dumb question but does that mean the program is an "LVN to RN" program? or is it a program to be an LVN with a higher degree? I dont know exactly what an "LVN to BS" means. Also, is a BS the same exact thing as a BSN?

Also, anyone tried that school and how was it? Thank you.

[HannaBee]

by the way...there was no investment of my time for ISU as I have all the pre-reqs from my BA. I have made no investment of time or money. If they are up and running again, fine, if not, fine. I applied because might as well get a BSN. I had everything required and would have just gone into the Stage where you take 4 challenge exams. That does cost something, but I wasn't there yet so it doesn't matter. My advice would be to just hang in there and see. There seem to be people who don't want to see this happen and they are very discouraging. Just try to filter things and go about your life if all I can think.

[HannaBee]

No doubt they need to make things more accessible in CA. Every place I've worked there is a nurse shortage and I am often asked to work a double and I never want to but sometimes do out of concern for patients. We all went through a school for the LVN, if they insist everyone go through a brick and mortar school for the RN, they need to open up more programs.

[puppskmm]

Hannabee, I can understand your concern about people who monitor this site. While the CA BRN may or may not read the posts, I can absolutely state that ISU not only reads our posts but has an shill, who fails to identify him/herself as a employee of ISU and provides ISU LVN/LPN to BSN information about our posts. [shill is defined as: An accomplice of a hawker, gambler, or swindler who acts as an enthusiastic customer to entice or encourage others."] This person has never taken any of the prerequisites, challenge exams, and has never registered for a ISU nursing class. I find this deception a problem. Yet others on AN who are associated with a college or university, clearly identify themselves.

As far as my being associated with the CA BRN, I am not. I am a student like you. Since you stated you have another bachelors degree, you are well aware the importance of critical thinking and research. Following ISU through the CA BRN website and attending BSN meetings is not difficult. Anyone who is seriously interested in what is happening with the ISU LVN to BSN program should have done the same.

As far your time, energy and financial investment into in the ISU LVN to BSN program, you may not have had to take any prerequisites because of your previous degree, but you still had to take the challenge exams. The cost of the 4 exams is approximately $350 each and then there is all the paperwork and certifications that must be provided to ISU--all of which cost money. You and the rest of us lost a minimum of $1500 for the pleasure of applying to ISU and passing the challenge exams. There were 144 in the last class. Multiply 144 x $1500.00 and the total is $216,000 for the fall 2012 class. A nice chuck of change that directly increased the LVN nursing department's bottomline. If you and other students signed up for the first class--Intro to Nursing--the tuition increased the financial gain.

While you were waiting for your entrance letter into the Fall ISU LVN to BSN program, ISU had been put on notice that their precarious house of cards was about to be obliterated. ISU had been notified form the CA BRN that the Board received student complaints about the class syllibus and that the Spring 2013 Long Beach VA clinical did not adhere to the Calif Nurse Practice Act. ISU did not rectify the problem, but the action it took was to pulbically slandered, shun and blackball those complaining students as well as lie to the CA BRN investigator. Why did ISU do this: to continue their lucrative LVN to BSN program and to save face or their job.

Further, during the CA BRN investigation, information came to light that ISU was running a pilot LVN to BSN program in Calif that was never submitted to the CA BRN for approval nor did it receive an approval. ISU had been running the pilot program for more than a year. According to the Calif Business and Professional Code and the Calif BRN Nurse Practice Act, the pilot progam was illegal, yet ISU continued to accept students and charge tuition for an illegal California LVN to BSN program.

You received an acceptance letter during the initial CA BRN investigation in 2012, but it was not until September 2012 that the true issues came to light. Sometime between May and September 2012, the Calif State University Chancellor realized the scam ISU running. Not wishing to sully CSU's stellar reputation, the Calif State University Chancellor quickly declined to continue the contract with ISU. Still, ISU denied any wrongdoing and continued its scam of the CA BRN. Further, ISU did not take responsibility for its actions but continued to blame the innocent LVN to BSN complaining students as well as the CSU Chancellor.

The straw that broke the ISU LVN to BSN camel's back was what happened after the September 2012 CA BRN Board meeting. The Board took serious interest into what ISU, SSU and Chancellor's office representative testified to during that September meeting. The CA BRN had gathered enough information, and based on its investigation and testimony, it remove ISU's school approval.

What I have seen and continue to see is the ISU nursing department continues to mislead California LVN students. Everyone wants to trust its University, and it is very difficult to accept that ISU has been scamming California LVNs and operating an illegal nursing program in California from 2007 to December 2012.

Hannabee, I agree with you that there is a serious void in LVN to ADN/BSN programs that California offers licensed and working LVNs. The Calif State Universities and the University of California system have a minopoly on the clinical sites within California. Whether this could be called racketeering, I don't know but sooner or later California will have to rectify this if any distant learning program is to be successful within Calif. It may be that CSU and U of Calif may start offering a distant learning program of their own--I understand UCLA is about to offer a distant learning program in Los Angeles.

Hannabee, I disagree with you. THERE IS NO NURSING SHORTAGE WITHIN CALIFORNIA. ADNS and BSNs who have graduate find it next to impossible to get a job. As far as LVNs, schools who train LVNs, they are as common as jelly beans. Every 6 months a new crop of LVNs is graduated. The problem is, by law, those LVNs cannot work acute care facilities and can only work in SNFs, private duty, or home health. If your facility requires you, an LVN, to work overtime, it is not for a lack LVNs. It may be that LVNs do not want to work for the facility or that the facility has poor nursing administration. Again, THERE IS NO NURSING SHORTAGE WITHIN CALIFORNIA.

For those students who are not in California but enrolled in the LPN to BSN program, realize that ISU will do anything to protect its program. WHAT HAPPENED IN CLAIFORNIA CAN HAPPEN TO YOU.

[karrikon]

Hanna Bee, or anyone who has done research, I have a question. If i do the ISU program, get licensed in NC and eventually move back to my home state of Cali, will Cali refuse my license? Is it like Excelsior in that way? Please advise!