International College of Health Sciences (ICHS) - LVN to RN

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Hi 

Anybody in CA heard of International College of Health Sciences (ICHS) in Florida where you can do your LVN-RN online? Then do clinical concurrently out in Florida?  They are ACEN accredited.   I heard some people from CA were able to endorse their FL license to CA.  For me, I don't care because I work in a federal facility so I can keep my FL license and use it there.  But I know a lot of LVNs in CA are having a hard time moving forward because of all the roads blocks.  I am starting the October 2024 cohort.  

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Specializes in Long-term care; geriatrics.

Each 15 week semester, you can schedule clinicals at any time, they usually range from 10-14 clinical days depending on where you are, think Capstone has the most days. All of clinicals are in Florida and theory is completely online where assignments are due Sunday 11:59PM EST. You can view lecture recordings at your own time where attendance is not mandatory. Hope this helps.

2
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Specializes in Long-term care; geriatrics.

I forgot to add, if you do proceed with the program, I've been informed by the faculty it's easier to sit for the NCLEX in Florida, then just endorse your license to California. I've been told this process is much faster than to request for your authorization to test for California and taking your NCLEX there, not sure why.

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I don't need a CA license, I work in a federal facility.  I can stick with Florida, I may get a CA license just to rub it in the BRN face that I did it in spite of CA making it so difficult for LVNs to advance to RNs online.  

I saw in another post you said too much homework.  What kind of homework do they give?  In my program we just had a lot of reading and studying and making useless drug cards 

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Specializes in Long-term care; geriatrics.
SFBayAreaLVN said:

I don't need a CA license, I work in a federal facility.  I can stick with Florida, I may get a CA license just to rub it in the BRN face that I did it in spite of CA making it so difficult for LVNs to advance to RNs online.  

I saw in another post you said too much homework.  What kind of homework do they give?  In my program we just had a lot of reading and studying and making useless drug cards 

I heard in Capstone in your last semester, you're expected to complete 7(?) EAQs (Evolve Adaptive Quiz) they consist of 100-200 questions each? And you have to complete them before your "residency week" where I believe that's when they do all the exit exam prep and skills check off. (There's literally only one time for skills check off the entire program, literally at the end). You really can't procrastinate on that one. As for general assignments, you could be assigned 3-5 EAQs each week and the number of questions depends how well you answer since it's adaptive. It would take an hour to do one EAQ, but luckily, I recently found out from a classmate is what you can do, have a second monitor, do a "self study quiz" on 'study mode' so you can get the answers and rationales on one monitor, and then do your assigned chapter EAQs on another monitor, it will have the same exact questions. The self study quiz on Elsevier, you can choose what textbook chapter to quiz you on. But before! No one knew about this, so this would have taken you hours. Other assignments can include virtual simulations called "Shadow Health" where you may have 1-3 assigned each week. So you'll be doing things like interviewing and assessing a virtual patient and those can take 30-60+ minutes to do because there's documentation involved and some questions at certain points. You may or may not have to do a concept map, think it depends on your instructor because one just wanted the "lab pass" that shows I did it and the other (for psych) wants a concept map. There's also video quizzes, where you watch the video and each certain interval you get a question to answer, there's "SimChart" which is like a case study plus simulation in accessing an electronic health record and documentation, weekly discussions requiring your input and peer feedback. There's also nursing skills assignments where it consists of tabs that show the video, description and steps, and the quiz tab. It's just the EAQs and shadow health that were the most time consuming, but I think you'll be okay if you used that method I mentioned. Midterms are instructor created but finals at the moment are HESI exams outside instructor's control in regards to its content. But there has been a lot going on lately and panic among students because the school had secretly switched to ATI for current capstone students, when we've always been studying by and using HESI. Sorry this is long, but I hope this helps you know what to expect.

3
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Specializes in Long-term care; geriatrics.

I just want to add, if you just wanted to zip through the program to become eligible to sit for the board and not much else matters, I think you'll be okay. I started February 2024 and if I had applied myself and disciplined myself a little more, I'd graduate May 2025. So just a year and then some for your RN isn't all bad. Just a forewarning though that faculty aren't the kindest and most supportive. Finals in my Fundamentals semester caught students by surprise and were never informed it was a HESI exam (or that there could be NGN/NextGen NCLEX items, select all that apply versus the midterm that was a total joke and easier). If you're looking to learn or have a lot of exposure to different settings in clinical rotations, don't count on it, but if it's just the sake for your RN, 47k tuition (for me) versus 100k I would have to pay for a california BSN in a private (because I don't want to apply to an impacted program with competition or be waitlisted in community colleges) is a good option.

1
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Specializes in Home health.

I am looking  to complete RN-BSN , I already  RN bit my school was approved ( non accredited) I want to assume  my credits won't be able to transfer. 

At same time I do not know if this school would just let me take the accelerate BSN as I am already RN.

I was trying to contact them over the phone but ...no response 

A friend of mine called and she mentioned:

"The person on the phone was very pushy asking from her transcripts, and focused on hurry up steps but do not provide to much info. The problem I believe is not enough staff on that school to take their time to guide prospective students with details and patience demeanor "

I would like to know if I could have info about price, and classes length. 

As I also know Florida has so many schools for nursing programs that closed in a blink leaving students with debit and no transcripts 

Please,  any help

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Isabella1988 said:

I am looking  to complete RN-BSN , I already  RN bit my school was approved ( non accredited) I want to assume  my credits won't be able to transfer. 

At same time I do not know if this school would just let me take the accelerate BSN as I am already RN.

I was trying to contact them over the phone but ...no response 

A friend of mine called and she mentioned:

"The person on the phone was very pushy asking from her transcripts, and focused on hurry up steps but do not provide to much info. The problem I believe is not enough staff on that school to take their time to guide prospective students with details and patience demeanor "

I would like to know if I could have info about price, and classes length. 

As I also know Florida has so many schools for nursing programs that closed in a blink leaving students with debit and no transcripts 

Please,  any help

If you ah e a BA/BS you can do ABSN, that's for those who already hold a bachelors already in another field.  For RN-BSN Part time is 48 months and full time is 24 months. But if you have Gen ED already out of the way it may be shorter.  I don't see tuition costs in the college catalog.  FOR ABSN PT 24 months and FT 12 months 

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michrrcat95 said:

I just want to add, if you just wanted to zip through the program to become eligible to sit for the board and not much else matters, I think you'll be okay. I started February 2024 and if I had applied myself and disciplined myself a little more, I'd graduate May 2025. So just a year and then some for your RN isn't all bad. Just a forewarning though that faculty aren't the kindest and most supportive. Finals in my Fundamentals semester caught students by surprise and were never informed it was a HESI exam (or that there could be NGN/NextGen NCLEX items, select all that apply versus the midterm that was a total joke and easier). If you're looking to learn or have a lot of exposure to different settings in clinical rotations, don't count on it, but if it's just the sake for your RN, 47k tuition (for me) versus 100k I would have to pay for a california BSN in a private (because I don't want to apply to an impacted program with competition or be waitlisted in community colleges) is a good option.

I am just looking to be finish and pass my NCLEX-RN.  I had acute care clinical rotations during the majority of my LVN program so I am good.  What I do care about is being provided with all the information on what it's going to take to pass the program.  If they expect us know certain things then they should provide us with the tools.  I understand we are responsible to learn everything and I'm fine with that as long as we are provided with what we need to learn.  I also understand they can't go over everything that needs to be learned but if they expect us to know it then they need to provide it and it's up to us to self discipline ourselves to learn it.  I already hold a masters degree so all I need right now is my ASN.  My work takes into consideration my MBA so I can still advance there. 

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michrrcat95 said:

I heard in Capstone in your last semester, you're expected to complete 7(?) EAQs (Evolve Adaptive Quiz) they consist of 100-200 questions each? And you have to complete them before your "residency week" where I believe that's when they do all the exit exam prep and skills check off. (There's literally only one time for skills check off the entire program, literally at the end). You really can't procrastinate on that one. As for general assignments, you could be assigned 3-5 EAQs each week and the number of questions depends how well you answer since it's adaptive. It would take an hour to do one EAQ, but luckily, I recently found out from a classmate is what you can do, have a second monitor, do a "self study quiz" on 'study mode' so you can get the answers and rationales on one monitor, and then do your assigned chapter EAQs on another monitor, it will have the same exact questions. The self study quiz on Elsevier, you can choose what textbook chapter to quiz you on. But before! No one knew about this, so this would have taken you hours. Other assignments can include virtual simulations called "Shadow Health" where you may have 1-3 assigned each week. So you'll be doing things like interviewing and assessing a virtual patient and those can take 30-60+ minutes to do because there's documentation involved and some questions at certain points. You may or may not have to do a concept map, think it depends on your instructor because one just wanted the "lab pass" that shows I did it and the other (for psych) wants a concept map. There's also video quizzes, where you watch the video and each certain interval you get a question to answer, there's "SimChart" which is like a case study plus simulation in accessing an electronic health record and documentation, weekly discussions requiring your input and peer feedback. There's also nursing skills assignments where it consists of tabs that show the video, description and steps, and the quiz tab. It's just the EAQs and shadow health that were the most time consuming, but I think you'll be okay if you used that method I mentioned. Midterms are instructor created but finals at the moment are HESI exams outside instructor's control in regards to its content. But there has been a lot going on lately and panic among students because the school had secretly switched to ATI for current capstone students, when we've always been studying by and using HESI. Sorry this is long, but I hope this helps you know what to expect.

Thank you do this info.  This is very helpful, I still have to work full time but I'm determined to finish as this is my only way to get my RN.  I've been a LVN for 15 years and have been stuck because there are no online options in CA and I can't afford to quit work. I am preparing myself and also buying extra study material.  How do you practice clinical skills since there only seems to be one skills check off and it's during the program during the last semester.  Do they give you a list of all skills you must learn?  I would hope so especially if they expect you to learn them 

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Specializes in Long-term care; geriatrics.
SFBayAreaLVN said:

Thank you do this info.  This is very helpful, I still have to work full time but I'm determined to finish as this is my only way to get my RN.  I've been a LVN for 15 years and have been stuck because there are no online options in CA and I can't afford to quit work. I am preparing myself and also buying extra study material.  How do you practice clinical skills since there only seems to be one skills check off and it's during the program during the last semester.  Do they give you a list of all skills you must learn?  I would hope so especially if they expect you to learn them 

Hey again,

I heard from other students there are over 200 nursing skills but in the last semester, (at least with the past Capstone semester), they chose and provided a list of 26 nursing skills in which any of them you can be tested on, in addition to evaluating how well you do a head to toe assessment. The awful thing though is you hardly have any lab days to review these skills and they just expect you to know it. Not sure if you're offered to test again if they see you didn't perform the skill properly. I'm just hearing about everything word by mouth because some of my classmates are in touch with the last semester/Capstone students.

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Did it worry any of you that ICHS doesn't have financial aid available? Even if you're not eligible for the aid, is there a reason to be concerned? I see they are accredited though. I'm from CA and trying to spot loopholes of future problems with obtaining the lisence. 

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