Los Angeles County School of Nursing and Allied Health - Fall 2019

Overcast · Dec 4, 2019

I am finishing up first semester going into 2nd, which has the reputation of being the most difficult at CONAH, ugh...

There are several theory instructors for the entire class, but then you break off into clinical groups; just to clarify. You are assigned a different clinical instructor each semester, but I believe you rotate instructors in 2nd+ semester...

For 1st semester, we had a variety of expectations amongst each clinical instructor. For example, for the weekly worksheets/maps and for the nursing care plan you have to explain each lab for your patient. Some instructors will accept “possible anemia” for low RBC, hct, hgb etc., but other instructors want a very detailed reason of why this pt has those results .... and as a 1st semester student that could take hours just for that part.... you get out of theory at 12 and have a clinical worksheet packet due by 7am the next day.

I also live far away and the commute kills me....

I go to bed very late working on my clinical packet, wake up at 3am every day... leave by 4 and get to the hospital by 5. I was on 3 hrs sleep every day especially for the first few months and am expecting even less sleep for second semester ...anyway getting there at 5 allows me to skip traffic and also if your patient is discharged you need 5am-7am to prepare for a new patient because you must be prepared by 7am.... you must know each drug ordered for the patient which could be dozens (the detailed physiological action of the drug, the side effects/ black box warnings, nursing considerations, legal dosage ranges according to route of administration) and sometimes drugs are ordered for non label reasons, the significance of each lab result (there could be dozens).... a nursing care plan and diagnosis etc.... on top of this learning their computer system was absurd. Some clinical instructors would accept simple answers while others would expect you to research for hours to give them what they wanted to hear.

It does all come down to how old you are and what responsibilities you have outside of school. If you are young with no kids and can go on no sleep with high stamina, then maybe this is a good school for you. I can tell you everyone has quit their jobs and everyone is on financial aid or took out loans.

Antelope Valley college is not ACEN accredited either if I’m not mistaken? I don’t know if Antelope has a BSN collaboration, but LACONAH has a collaboration BSN program with Cal State LA, but it’s all in person and you have to upkeep a 3.0 (maybe they consider all college coursework and not just grades from the RN program). Cal state Dominguez Hills offers a primarily online RN-BSN collaboration program to a nursing student from any school as long as all your college coursework equals a 2.75 gpa. You can start the summer after you’re accepted into any RN/associate program under their “open university” program and then officially apply to their RN-BSN program the semester before you graduate the RN/associates program. Otherwise you can just do any RN- BSN program after you get your RN license.... just make sure your general ed and chemistry/ math (stats), etc. transfer over to the BSN program especially if you took those classes far away.

In essence, I’d highly recommend sticking with Antelope Valley College. You might have a better chance of getting hired at LA County hospital if you go to CONAH, but rent is so high in that area that any nurse would not be able to live out there by themselves and put away into savings/retirement at the same time. If you’re young and don’t mind having roommates upon graduation and have energy and can go on no sleep, etc. then go to CONAH...I know there are thousands waiting for a spot into any program and several hoping to get into CONAH, but I wish I would’ve gone to a different school.

Good luck!

Elleveein, LVN · Dec 5, 2019

Is there any current LVN to RN CONAH students willing to talk about their experience ? Now I’m not sure if I want to apply ?

Overcast · Dec 5, 2019

45 minutes ago, Elleveein said:
Is there any current LVN to RN CONAH students willing to talk about their experience ? Now I’m not sure if I want to apply ?

Hopefully you’ll get feedback from someone who did the LVN to RN bridge, but some of them have shared with me that after making it through the annoying bridge introduction over the summer prior, that it’s not too bad. Supposedly the last two semesters of the RN program (which is shared with the LVN bridge students) are the easier semesters. Many of the bridge students are LVNs that already work at LA County Hospital and could help you with the computer system and share their pathophysiology and medicine banks (to get through the worksheets quicker).

Racmalone864 · Dec 5, 2019

I’m an lvn to rn returning Jan. I’ll be entering 3rd semester. Attended summer 2019. Is it tough? Yes. But it is do-able. I’ve never heard of a nursing program that was easy. I’m nearly 40, I’m a single mom of 3 boys, and I worked part time during the program. So, it can be done. Don’t be scared

Elleveein, LVN · Dec 5, 2019

Thank you ! I feel better. I have 2 daughters I know it won’t be easy but but I wanted to make sure it wasn’t dreadful. I guess there’s a big difference between the LVN bridge and the generic RN program.

Racmalone864 · Dec 5, 2019

which are you applying for? The generic or bridge program?

Elleveein, LVN · Dec 5, 2019

1 minute ago, Racmalone864 said:
which are you applying for? The generic or bridge program?

I’m already an LVN, bridge program only.

Racmalone864 · Dec 5, 2019

Well I can vouch for an amazing clinical experience through Laconah. I can say the summer program was the hardest I’d ever worked in my life, but you start to get into a routine eventually and just kinda get used to “ok, this is my life for now” and do it. I had to have a lot of help from my family while I was in the program, and wasn’t able to spend much time with my kids. I’ve had to have a talk with them and say “remember how busy mom was over the summer?, well it’s going to be like that again for just awhile longer” all of my co workers who are in rn programs (Whether private/or community college) we all have similar stories about our hardships and struggles. I hear a lot of complaints about ATI, which I have not encountered at laconah, so there’s that!

SelenaLopez · Dec 6, 2019

On 12/4/2019 at 2:24 PM, Overcast said:
I am finishing up first semester going into 2nd, which has the reputation of being the most difficult at CONAH, ugh...
There are several theory instructors for the entire class, but then you break off into clinical groups; just to clarify. You are assigned a different clinical instructor each semester, but I believe you rotate instructors in 2nd+ semester...
For 1st semester, we had a variety of expectations amongst each clinical instructor. For example, for the weekly worksheets/maps and for the nursing care plan you have to explain each lab for your patient. Some instructors will accept “possible anemia” for low RBC, hct, hgb etc., but other instructors want a very detailed reason of why this pt has those results .... and as a 1st semester student that could take hours just for that part.... you get out of theory at 12 and have a clinical worksheet packet due by 7am the next day.
I also live far away and the commute kills me....
I go to bed very late working on my clinical packet, wake up at 3am every day... leave by 4 and get to the hospital by 5. I was on 3 hrs sleep every day especially for the first few months and am expecting even less sleep for second semester ...anyway getting there at 5 allows me to skip traffic and also if your patient is discharged you need 5am-7am to prepare for a new patient because you must be prepared by 7am.... you must know each drug ordered for the patient which could be dozens (the detailed physiological action of the drug, the side effects/ black box warnings, nursing considerations, legal dosage ranges according to route of administration) and sometimes drugs are ordered for non label reasons, the significance of each lab result (there could be dozens).... a nursing care plan and diagnosis etc.... on top of this learning their computer system was absurd. Some clinical instructors would accept simple answers while others would expect you to research for hours to give them what they wanted to hear.
It does all come down to how old you are and what responsibilities you have outside of school. If you are young with no kids and can go on no sleep with high stamina, then maybe this is a good school for you. I can tell you everyone has quit their jobs and everyone is on financial aid or took out loans.
Antelope Valley college is not ACEN accredited either if I’m not mistaken? I don’t know if Antelope has a BSN collaboration, but LACONAH has a collaboration BSN program with Cal State LA, but it’s all in person and you have to upkeep a 3.0 (maybe they consider all college coursework and not just grades from the RN program). Cal state Dominguez Hills offers a primarily online RN-BSN collaboration program to a nursing student from any school as long as all your college coursework equals a 2.75 gpa. You can start the summer after you’re accepted into any RN/associate program under their “open university” program and then officially apply to their RN-BSN program the semester before you graduate the RN/associates program. Otherwise you can just do any RN- BSN program after you get your RN license.... just make sure your general ed and chemistry/ math (stats), etc. transfer over to the BSN program especially if you took those classes far away.
In essence, I’d highly recommend sticking with Antelope Valley College. You might have a better chance of getting hired at LA County hospital if you go to CONAH, but rent is so high in that area that any nurse would not be able to live out there by themselves and put away into savings/retirement at the same time. If you’re young and don’t mind having roommates upon graduation and have energy and can go on no sleep, etc. then go to CONAH...I know there are thousands waiting for a spot into any program and several hoping to get into CONAH, but I wish I would’ve gone to a different school.
Good luck!

Thankyou for all this great information!(: If you dont mind me asking how far do you live away from the school ? That is another reason im considering my second option because my commute is about 40 to an hour and half if the traffic is horrible .

Overcast · Dec 6, 2019

2 hours ago, SelenaLopez said:
Thankyou for all this great information!(: If you dont mind me asking how far do you live away from the school ? That is another reason im considering my second option because my commute is about 40 to an hour and half if the traffic is horrible .

No problem at all...I live in Ventura County...the commute kills me. On Thursdays 1st semester has class 130- 430 and many times it has taken me 2.5 hrs to get home. People ask why I don’t hang around until traffic fades...my answer is that while everyone else is sleeping in on Thursdays I leave my house by 4am to skip traffic even though class doesn’t start until 130pm so by the time class starts at 130 I’m already exhausted and over it....by 430 I just want to get home. If you live in Santa Clarita, I might suggest taking the 210, 2, and 5 instead of taking the 405 or 5 the entire way...but regardless it is a very different experience living so far away (with traffic). I highly recommend going to the other school. You’ll feel healthier and get at least 4 more hours out of your day without that ridiculous commute. To me it is not worth it. If I could transfer to a different school mid-program I would. Unfortunately I’ve dug my grave.

Maybe your commute won’t be as bad since you’re a bit closer than I am though....

Racmalone864 · Dec 7, 2019

Ok, so I’m kinda spoiled; I live in San Gabriel about 25 mins away from the school/hospital. I don’t even have to take the freeway to get there. However, i still think lACONAH would have remained my 1st choice even if distance had been a factor because of the reputation for unrivaled clinical experience and job security. Just sayin’

mchlstvn · Dec 10, 2019

I agree with @Racmalone864 that LACONAH has a great reputation for breeding competent RN's based on clinical experience alone, and regardless of my commute I would chose this program. I haven't started the program yet, but I know this school is worth the hard effort. I have a lot of friends I worked with who has gone to Citrus College, Cypress, Mt. SAC, West Coast, APU, LLU, Rio Hondo for their RN. One thing I know CONAH has is it's unique relation to the county hospitals. Having clinical sites that support nursing students is a big deal for a great learning experience. I worked with some RN's who has gone to those programs that has only hung one or two bags of IV ATB or fluids and had only a hand full of bedside clinical experience in their entire program. I heard by the 4th semester will be managing 3-4 patients on our own. Furthermore, the school has several instructors who are graduates of the program and all of the staff are full time versus adjunct instructors you see in other programs. This could be a good thing meaning the instructors believe in the purpose and SLO of the program and want to part of the education of future nurses. Or simple because it's a county program and they have great benefits and pension for full time employees. haha.

The way I see it is at the end, the nice instructors is not giving you what you need in order to be successful when you take the boards or land your first job as a floor nurse. From my experience, the easier the class is, the harder you must study on your own. I know I must learn to appreciate the difficult and challenging instructors. They are the ones who have the most assignments, hardest exams, they are the ones who are truly looking out for your best interests.

We all know that there is nothing easy about nursing school. And each program is what you make of it.