ISU LVN to BSN program California

Nursing Students Indiana (ISU)

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ISU has two distant learning LVN to BSN programs. One is for California LVNs and the other is for non-California LPN students. While the programs are similar there are some differences.

1. The Calif BON has placed a limit on the amount of nursing classes that Calif ISU LVN to BSN students can take during a semester. Other states have no restrictions and non-Calif students would matriculate through the program and graduate faster than Calif students;

2. California ISU students are also students of Sanoma State University and must pay an extra fee to Sanoma State; ISU issues the diploma but Sanoma State is the qualifying university that will sign the paperwork for the Calif BON;

3. Lastly, TCN has one employee--the Sanoma State liaison--who deals with the paperwork and another person who is responsible for arranging the Calif clinical facilities and getting the paperwork signed.

This thread has been started to address the issues that California ISU LPN to BSN students or potential students are facing. Have questions about the California ISU LVN to BSN program, feel free to share.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Well at least it seems the restrictions might make a ISU degree more accepted in californa and that can't be a bad thing. However the reason I decided not to go with ISU was it seemed that getting clinicals was going to be difficult. is also a distant program but seems to have their own organized clinicals

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well at least it seems the restrictions might make a isu degree more accepted in californa and that can't be a bad thing. however the reason i decided not to go with isu was it seemed that getting clinicals was going to be difficult. wgu is also a distant program but seems to have their own organized clinicals

according to the calif bon (http://www.rn.ca.gov/schools/rnprograms.shtml#bsn): does not have an lvn to adn or bsn program in calif. they have a bachelors program but it is not a bridge program.

the only distant learning program: california approved programs in partnership with out of state online programs - lvn to bsn online program: sonoma state university (ssu) in partnership with indiana state university (isu).

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LadyinScrubs, I love you! I was just going to post a thread about this very thing. I was looking at ISU through Sonoma State....my backround is a little confusing but basically I'm an LPN, currently live in Massachusetts. I have a choice to either move to Washington State or to California in October, and I need to make a decision fairly quickly about that. Ultimately, however, I will end up in California as I have family in Big Sur and intend to permanently reside there.

So far what I've learned about ISU is that Washington State does NOT accept it. But California does. I was wondering if California accepted the ISU BSN if it was done outside of the compact with Sonoma State, and you're saying that it does- this is good to hear. You're also saying that by doing it via Sonoma State, it actually costs more (I had thought that maybe in-state residents got a break on tuition, but no?) and that it also takes more time than it would to complete if you didn't do it through SSU.

If all of this is true, then contacting SSU and moving to California is superfluous. Am I right?

On the other hand, if I complete the degree in Washington state, they won't accept it. Or as of right now, they won't. So if I want to practice with an ISU degree that I got out of state, I will have to move to California to do so.

I'm sorry if you already sort of answered these questions, but just to clarify:

Does California indeed accept an ISU BSN that was not taken through the compact with SSU?

Does it matter (to CA) in what state you do you preceptorships/clinicals?

Is there an in-state (for CA) tuition reduction despite the fee you mentioned, if you go through SSU, or no? I see that for out of state ISU students the cost is $5,000/semester.

If what you said is true, I would rather move to Seattle and work on the BSN there and then move to California when it's complete, assuming there's no tuition break for SSU students/Cali residents. California appears to be totally unreasonable about any number of things, which is utterly problematic in the pursuit of higher nursing education. But I really, really appreciate any info you can give me. I read your other threads and they're really helpful. Thanks!

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Well I ended up going with neither option having been accepted into a bridge program locally that allows me to take the final prereqs on campus while still having a defined start date for the nursing portion ( not WCU FWIW )

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i was looking at isu through sonoma state....my backround is a little confusing but basically i'm an lpn, currently live in massachusetts. i have a choice to either move to washington state or to california in october, and i need to make a decision fairly quickly about that. ultimately, however, i will end up in california as i have family in big sur and intend to permanently reside there.

i heard that there is a community college (or is it a university) in washington state that has a distant learning program. the didactic is completely on line. when that portion of the class is over, the student(s) goes to the college's site for a week or two of college arranged clinicas. many in the cohort group pitch in and rent a house or hotel room and share expenses. if you are planning to do distant learning and go to washington state, that may be an option.

so far what i've learned about isu is that washington state does not accept it. the approved schools in washington state:http://www.lpntrainingprograms.org/lpn-schools/approved-schools-of-nursing-in-washington

isu is the first school listed, but the washington state website is not as user friendly as the calif bon.

but california does. true isu dl lvn-to-bsn is approved in calif.

i was wondering if california accepted the isu bsn if it was done outside of the compact with sonoma state, and you're saying that it does- this is good to hear. you're also saying that by doing it via sonoma state, it actually costs more (i had thought that maybe in-state residents got a break on tuition, but no?) and that it also takes more time than it would to complete if you didn't do it through ssu. no, there is only one isu dl lvn to bsn program. if you are in california, the bon requires that you take the combined program that is offered through isu inconjunctioin with sanoma state (which is a california state university). there is no other option. the distant learning isu lvn-to-bsn is a combined nursing program--but sanoma state is a ghost in the program until you are ready to apply for the nclex. in calif, sanoma state signs off on the isu paperwork and certifies that the student has obtained the minimum number of clinical and didactic hours the calif bon requires.

if all of this is true, then contacting ssu and moving to california is superfluous. am i right? i am having a little problem following you on this point.

on the other hand, if i complete the degree in washington state, they won't accept it. or as of right now, they won't. so if i want to practice with an isu degree that i got out of state, i will have to move to california to do so.

if you become an rn in washington state you can apply with the calif bon to become licensed here. however, students who graduated from excelsior are having difficulty getting calif to accept their licence and get licensed in calif.

i'm sorry if you already sort of answered these questions, but just to clarify:

does california indeed accept an isu bsn that was not taken through the compact with ssu? 1. if you graduate and become an rn, you can apply to the state to become licensed in calif. 2, if you are a student and wish to take the calif approved distant learning program, then the only program available is the isu dl program (which is the isu and sanoma state program but sanoma state is a ghost until you graduate and wish to take the nclex for your license. at that time, sanoma state prepares the license paperwork and certifies you have met the requirement for the license).

does it matter (to ca) in what state you do you preceptorships/clinicals? the isu calif program (aka the calif cohort group) is valid in calif only. isu has the same program for other states, but you are not in the calif cohort group. you would be in the non-calif cohort group and most likely would graduate before the calif cohort group.

is there an in-state (for ca) tuition reduction despite the fee you mentioned, if you go through ssu, or no? i see that for out of state isu students the cost is $5,000/semester. because of the ghost of sanoma state, the cost of the program is higher than non-calif isu dl students. calif students must pay $300 to sanoma state for each clinical program. it is called a lab fee, but calif dl students also must pay the isu nursing lab free for clinical classes. in my opinion, this fee offsets the salary of the two tcn employees who manage the calif isu dl program. of course, you could always go to california state university, sanoma (the regular nursing program) instead of doing the isu dl program.

if what you said is true, i would rather move to seattle and work on the bsn there and then move to california when it's complete, assuming there's no tuition break for ssu students/cali residents. california appears to be totally unreasonable about any number of things, which is utterly problematic in the pursuit of higher nursing education. most licensed rn can move to calif and apply to be licensed in calif. there are no tuition breaks for isu students (calif or non calif). first, the isu lvn-to-bsn dl program requies you to pay a percentage of the required out of state tuition. if you have a bachelors degree, you wouild not get a fee waiver. additionally, because you are doing dl, you would not get other grants or financial aid. the only financial aid you would get is loans.

should you decide to move to calif, you can do isu dl lpn-to-bsn or you could apply to an adn bridge program at a brick and mortor facility. if you went to a regular nursing program, you would get the fee waiver (if you were a resident of calif for more than 1 year) and you would get other financial aid (if you were eligible--other than just loans). remember, if you move to calif and do the regular nursing program, you will pay out of state fees if you are not a resident for a year.

but i really, really appreciate any info you can give me. i read your other threads and they're really helpful. thanks!

it can be confusing. probably the first thing to decide is where you want to live--then make the decision what program you want to pursue.

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wgu is also a distant program but seems to have their own organized clinicals

here is the info on 's prelicensure bsn program:

wgu's innovative bsn prelicensure program - one must have a associates or bachelors degree. "because of limited clinical opportunities, this is a highly selective program." http://www.wgu.edu/online_health_professions_degrees/bachelor_science_nursing_licensure

"due to strict shift scheduling during the required clinical rotations of this program, applicants must live within a 50-mile radius of one of our hospital clinical sites to be eligible for enrollment. the list of active clinical sites changes over time; hence, for current information on this requirement, please speak with an enrollment counselor."

to be considered for enrollment into the pre-nursing curriculum, you must meet the following requirements:

■possess a current cpr certification at the healthcare provider level.

■take and pass the ati teas v exam at the "proficient," "advanced," or "exemplary" level. click here to learn more about the teas v exam.

■submit at least one letter of recommendation from your current healthcare employer.

■submit official transcripts from all previous institutions that show:

■you have earned a bachelor's or associate's degree and/or

■you have completed the program admissions prerequisites in liberal arts and sciences and behavioral sciences

■you have completed all nursing-related science prerequisites in:

■anatomy and physiology

■microbiology

■biochemistry

pre-nursing prerequisites for the b.s. nursing (prelicensure)

the courses below are pre-nursing domain prerequisites for entry into the clinical portions of the b.s. nursing (prelicensure) program. courses accepted by transfer must be college level from an accredited institution (chea), must have been awarded a grade of c or better, may not be used to fulfill more than one course of study, and must meet the competency unit and content equivalent.

language and communication requirements

a two-course sequence of english composition equivalent to 6 units and one course in speech equivalent to 2 units (excluding business writing and communication). they match up with the following codes:

■lac1 (2 units) - language and communication: foundations

■lae1/lat1 (4 units) - language and communication: essay/research

■lut1 (2 units) - language and communication: presentation

quantitative literacy requirements

either one statistics course and one mathematics course at the college algebra level or above, or two math courses higher than the college algebra level equivalent to 6 competency units.

■qlc1 (3 units) - quantitative literacy: college algebra, measurement and geometry

■qmc1 (3 units) - quantitative literacy: statistics, probability and problem solving

humanities requirements

two courses, equivalent to 6 competency units in the humanities (literature, art, painting, music, theater, philosophy, ethics, or religious studies).

■hvc1 (3 units) - literature, arts, and the humanities

■hvt1 (3 units) - literature, arts, and the humanities analysis and interpretation

social science distribution requirements

three courses, 9 competency unit equivalent, in the following areas: psychology, sociology, human development, or anthropology.

■bho1 - behavioral science part i

■bht1 - behavioral science part ii

nursing science requirements

■anatomy and physiology courses with lab equivalent to 8 academic credits.

■microbiology with lab equivalent to 4 academic credits.

■biochemistry equivalent to 3 academic credits

for transferring students, all sciences (including nutrition) must have been completed within the past five years to be considered for transfer credit.

■anc1 (3 units) - anatomy and physiology part i

■aot1 (3 units) - anatomy and physiology part ii

■alt1 (2 units) - anatomy and physiology lab

■mbc1/mlt1 (4 units) - microbiology/microbiology lab

■cbt1 (3 units) - biochemistry

potential nursing students must have a minimum of a 2.5 gpa in the science prerequisites (a&p, microbiology and biochemistry) in order to be considered for admission to the nursing program.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Surgical Post-Trauma, Peds.

So glad this thread was started! I am still doing my pre-reqs but am going to end up in the ISU program ASAP!!

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LadyinScrubs, you're a dynamo. And you basically just solved allllllllllllllll my problems when you posted the link to that LPN training program site! So, Washington state now DOES accept an ISU online BSN...I'd seen a couple of posts where people had copied the email they received from ISU, and Washington wasn't on the list of states that accepted that degree. Which I thought was odd, since Oregon and California (the most persnickety state) do. My problem has been that I've been trying to find a program that's easier to get into initially (the ADN bridge programs are really tough, as I'm sure you know- I just got rejected for this fall)... And program that's ALSO accepted by the Cali BON, since I intend to end up in Big Sur. But in the interim I'd wanted to live in Seattle for a few years. I was worried that I'd have issues with ISU in Washington, but that link just helped a lot! And you're right, the WA BON is not a very user-friendly site.

So do you think ISU is worth it? I don't think that completing the prereqs (phase I) will be too hard for me, except for statistics, but I'll probably take that a real live school. I've done about 75% of that stuff already and the rest I think will be pretty easy for me.

How is Phase II?

I read what you wrote about Phase III, only taking one course at a time. Does a course take a whole semester? If so, how long do you estimate it will take you to finish? How do the clinicals work? Can you just do them at your job or do you have to find specific sites and preceptors?

Thank you SO much for your feedback and help. I'm sure I'm not alone in being so grateful for this information!

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The prelicensure BSN program has been up and running in southern CA since 2009. You do not have to be an LVN to be accepted, CNA will do, as well as other healthcare occupations. Two benefits of the WGU program are that they have clinical placements arranged by the school and the cost is very reasonable. It remains $4250 for six months of enrollment.

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the wgu prelicensure bsn program has been up and running in southern ca since 2009. you do not have to be an lvn to be accepted, cna will do, as well as other healthcare occupations. two benefits of the wgu program are that they have clinical placements arranged by the school and the cost is very reasonable. it remains $4250 for six months of enrollment.[/quote]

you are absolutely right. wgu is not an lvn-to-adn or lvn-to-bsn program but a prelicensure bsn program. the program is 8 terms or 4 years if no classes are taken during the summer. one must have a degree to apply--aa degree or a bachelors. best case: if one has a bachelors in science, all the prerequisites and gen ed classes complete, the nursing component of the program is 4 terms (or two years).the clinicals are prearranged but the didactic portion meets at the university--it is not a distant learning program. a year's tuition is $8500. if the student has a bachelors in science and all the gen classes the best case would be the prelicensure bsn program is 2 years. cost would be $17,000; 2.5 years $21,250; 3 years $25,500; 4 years $34,000.

isu's tuition is determined by the units one carries. i paid approximately $2700 the spring 2011 semester. there was no summer semester and the fall 2011 cost was about the same. that does not factor in the additional $300 paid to sanoma state for the clinical fee. roughly the isu california distant learning lvn-to-bsn, spring and fall 2011, will cost approximately $5400 for two semesters; $8100 for 3 semesters if there are summer classes (aka one year). because the isu dl program is proctored there may be proctor fees, and i can't factor those fees in as not everyone pays a proctor fee.

the isu distant learning lvn-to-bsn program for california is approximately 2.5 to 3 years (depending on how whether there is a previous degree (aa or bachelors), how many general ed classes one must take, and whether there is a summer program at isu). the 2-3 years timeframe is the best case situation for someone with a previous bachelors in science and all the prerequisites. tuition for 2.5 years $13,500 or 3 years $16,200 (plus the sanoma fee for 6 classes @ $300 each = additional $1800 over the entire program). four years--this is a guess as i don't know how many semesters in a year the student would attend) about $25,000. note: non-calif isu dl lpn-to-bsn students do not pay the extra clinical fees to california state univ, sanoma.

beyond the tuition difference, the other differences between the two programs are:

- wgu is a prelicensure bsn program with classes taken at their facility. applicants must have an aa degree or a bachelors and the prerequisite lab classes cannot be taken more than 5 years before applying. students pay a flat fee for six months and may take as many classes they wish during that time period. because wgu has established clinical sites, students cannot live more than 50 miles away from wgu.

- isu is a distant learning program. there is no time limit on prerequisite lab classes. one must be an lvn and the tuition is charge per unit. students live all over the world and the clinicals are arranged through isu (or thru the student should a specific placement be desired), and one may have to travel to the clinical (i.e. the placement may not be your local hospital).

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The CA prelicensure program is listed on the CA BRN website on the schools link under the BSN section.

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