International College of Health Sciences (ICHS) LPN-RN/LVN-RN Program

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Hi

I am a California student and I just enrolled in ICHS program for LVN-RN.  I am looking for students who are going to be starting October 2024.  I'm starting off in Pharmacology.  Are there anybody who are currently in the program or who completed the program who can offer some insight?

 

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Specializes in Long-term care; geriatrics.

I don't want to scare you, but I regret going to this school and I'm even debating if I should drop out. Clinicals offer no learning experiences whatsoever; a vast majority of clinicals take place in SNFs. Any exposure to a hospital is little to none. I'm two semesters in, and have always placed in SNFs with one psych hospital location as an exception. As an LVN who already works in a SNF, I'm not really learning anything new with regards to new nursing skills, procedures, etc. You have to be really lucky if a charge nurse gets an order for IV insertion and starting IV antibiotics and actually lets students or the instructor know. Otherwise you're just an unpaid CNA while also doing the dirty work of fingersticks and vitals which is something already known as LVNs. Most intructors just assign you a care plan and you go out independently to assess a patient of your choosing or theirs, while they're completely off the floor hiding somewhere because they're grading care plans. A cohort is about 200-300 students, so I can only imagine. Some instructors are hands off but some are great and are more proactive with trying to assign you tasks and make the best of the environment to provide a valuable learning experience while guiding you on your head to toe assessments. With clinicals I expected exposure to different healthcare settings, especially hospitals. You're not going to get that here. As for the distance learning, instructors are kind of hit or miss. Either they're really great or literally read word for word off slides for their lecture. My LVN co-worker got a temporary Kaiser flu clinic role who told me she met some Kaiser hospital RNs who share the same sentiments as me, who have graduated ICHS's program with the same remarks of clinicals being unpaid CNA work and that they give too much homework. The appeal of an online program is that you're able to do it on your own time, homework, viewing lecture recordings, etc, but working a full time job in this program will create a poor work life balance. My classmate luckily passed her final and barely passed the course debating to quit her full time job for next semester. As for me, I didn't pass, it's really hard keeping up with the homework. In addition, they send you home for the most minor things, like not having pure white socks, not having the correct mask (depending on your site it's N95 or KN95) when employees don't even wear these.

TLDR; clinical is just SNFs and unpaid CNA work, homework is too much and unreasonable. Faculty don't care, it's a business in the end.

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I guess I should consider myself lucky.  During my LVN program we had 2 terms in a SNF and 2 terms in a hospital where we had rotations in ortho/ dialysis/peds/labor/MB/ER/oncology etc.  we went to every floor in that hospital.  We got to insert catheters, DC catheters, DC IV's, check NG tube placement, give meds through tube feedings.  We were VERY lucky because this is unheard of in LVN programs.  When I graduated I got to work in acute care hospital so I think I'm well rounded, but I would like to give meds through IV.  In CA I'm IV certified and was able to hang blood, start IV with saline just not push IV meds.  I'm really doing this because I just want my RN.  I am more administrative now and just need the RN to do more administrative wise.  Your insight is appreciated!! 

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Specializes in 10yrs EMT experience. Current Phlebotomist.

This school does not have an LVN to RN bridge. You are joining the Traditional ASN and are given the ability to take an Exam for Fundamentals and Pharmacology and skip Semester 1 if you pass both then you will start in Semester 2. Many LVNs only pass Fundamentals and only take that class during Semester 1.

I also regret this program as well. They are for money only. Even LVNs are failing out out of this school regardless of experience. This is school is ran as a business, not much of a school. No true Clinical Experience. RN Skills are learned by watching videos. You will get a few days of skills lab consisting of most common skills with demonstration in which if you are LVN you should already know them. The RN skills are given via videos and you are expected to perform any of the 200 or so successfully at Residency week to graduate. No Semester check offs. Only SNF and Assisted Living. No Acute Hospital, OB and Real Pediatric clinicals. Clinical Instructors are the Rudest I have ever encounter, They will disrespect you in front of staff and you can say nothing about. They make it very difficult to get through their program. At this moment the focus is on who is cheating and not on the students who work hard for their education. They do not teach according to what you will be tested on, they teach only what they feel is important key concepts and then give exams that do not line up. You are totally self taught. LVNs come in thinking Oh I been through it before and I am not going to have a problem. This school will change your mindset, mentally strain you and make you feel absolutely stupid which has been said the students.   The school changes their curriculum every semester and will switch exam and platforms on the drop of a hat and tell you that they are not switching. They are not transparent and truthful with students.  The things I heard about my classmates in Capstone who went to residency week and the experience they went through was unbelievable. 

I am planning to just apply to take the LVN boards and get my license and find a bridge program because I thought this school was going to improve but nope. They are getting worse and there is no comparison to any other programs difficulty. School is difficult, This school is beyond ridiculous. Good Luck and prepare for alot of major issues that will have you regretting you ever enrolled.

I am so disappointed at this school as I used the last of my benefits to do this program and this last semester was an absolute disaster thanks to the faculty in charge.

I am sorry but I do not and will never recommend this school to my worse enemy. This is the feeling of just about all students who got through this program who worked hard to try and get through. Only those who may have cheated their way through will say it was a good program for them.

Good Luck to you.

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Hello! I am literally looking into doing this program. A fellow colleague is starting October 7th and has friends who have passed and working as an RN. I'm so hesitant but sounds convincing due to cost and online format. I've been an LVN 8 years and want to become an RN so bad! It's so hard in California cc are impacted 

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Specializes in 10yrs EMT experience. Current Phlebotomist.

Good Luck and may God be with you. You are going to need it.

 

This is school is not the business. It is ran as a business. We take your money and you get bare minimum and graduate with CNA skills.

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Specializes in 10yrs EMT experience. Current Phlebotomist.
Mellissa Ramirez said:

Hello! I am literally looking into doing this program. A fellow colleague is starting October 7th and has friends who have passed and working as an RN. I'm so hesitant but sounds convincing due to cost and online format. I've been an LVN 8 years and want to become an RN so bad! It's so hard in California cc are impacted 

I suggest Community college.  I am moving my Education to Community College. ICHS is not a proper school but a business ran as a school so they can make alot of money.

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Specializes in Long-term care; geriatrics.
Mellissa Ramirez said:

Hello! I am literally looking into doing this program. A fellow colleague is starting October 7th and has friends who have passed and working as an RN. I'm so hesitant but sounds convincing due to cost and online format. I've been an LVN 8 years and want to become an RN so bad! It's so hard in California cc are impacted 

I think a lot of private institutions are the same, I mean it's for profit. I was curious about Nightingale College who has a hybrid program for their BSN, but I see mixed experiences (some say the grading is crazy and unfair and unclear, financial department lacks communication especially when inquiring about financial aid and how much is covering theit tuition, faculty don't care, but my friend said she has a co-worker who graduated feeling like school-work-life balance is manageable and can maintain her 2 jobs). Think it's just a matter of picking and choosing, but Nightingale does have clinical rotations in hospitals and various health settings unlike ICHS. Don't go to ICHS if you're hoping to learn anything in clinicals, literally just doing CNA work with the addition of a charge nurse making you do their vitals and fingersticks and it's the same at any clinical site in SNF settings.

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Specializes in 10yrs EMT experience. Current Phlebotomist.

Nothing is as bad as ICHS. I am moving my education to the Community College that I was at before I made the horrible mistake of switching to ICHS.

I hear more good about Nightingale then I do ICHS. My idea of going out of state to get nothing experience especially in clinicals has ruined my new of all out of state schools.

ICHS Is preying on California Students because we are trying to get a fast track to RN with no real experience. They will pass some students through just to keep their numbers reported to the Board when they are not operating like they make themselves seem. Lure you in, hook you and make you hate life while taking your hard earned money. Thats their focus. Get you and fail you while they keep your money and come after you if you have a balance.

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