LPN attending Gaylen College TB, HELP!!!

Buyer beware, BSN · Jan 20, 2017

Just as question. Why have you chosen to go to this expensive for-profit?

At 21K per year plus books and fees the math is simple. If you tack on interest over years and years on the loans the cost is way more than just the yearly tuition.

Have you considered the community college route. You could work and pay as you go.

That way with patience and diligence when you graduate your paycheck will be yours.

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Jan 20, 2017

I graduated from Galen's online hybrid almost a year ago. If you are transferring most of your general education credits in, the first two quarters won't be that bad.

The program is fast paced with courses lasting only 11 weeks. The downside to this is your first test is about 3 weeks in, and then it seems like the rest are all crammed in the last two weeks. Stay on top of the reading and discussion posts because catching up is an uphill battle.

The clinical days change each quarter so it will be important to find an employer that will work with your school schedule. The tests and labs are in the evening so you will need to plan for these as well, as they require a lot of visits to the campus that a lot of us didn't realize the extent until after we were halfway into the program.

I would strongly recommend renting books on amazon, except for the Med surg book, that one you'll be using for several quarters.

The Tampa Bay Area has tons of job opportunities, especially for an experienced LPN. If you don't mind the pay cut, private duty home health is a great opportunity for nurses going back to school. You will have down time to review your material on most cases (except when your patient gets ill) once you get to know your patient and their plan of care. Most agencies are very flexible with scheduling I've noticed.

The hospitals won't hire you as a nurse but instead as a tech or nursing student (basically a tech in nursing school). There are many LTC opportunities in the area. Some of my classmates also worked in offices, the jail, or with hospice.

Housing is a mixed bag here. You can be in a great area, turn the corner and a few blocks down you're in the ghetto. Best to research the area first before signing a lease. There are also a lot of private rental properties that you may be able to find through an agent, which typically offer more square footage for your dollar. Apartments can be a bit pricey in some areas but definitely reflect the area you are living in.

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Jan 20, 2017

As previous poster stated, community college is usually a cheaper route, except now you would be an out of state student so the price may even itself out. At the time I went to Galen they were the only regionally accredited school I could find that would take my really old math and science credits (now they have the same five year cap as everyone else). It saved me a lot of time and that was my motive to go this route and not retake a bunch of stuff.

Also, community colleges are extremely competitive with GPA for acceptance. Galen's NCLEX pass rate is high compared to many of the other for profit schools in Florida. When it comes to Florida schools definitely make sure they have the accreditations you are looking for, especially if you are planning on getting a BSN, which many hospitals in this are are starting to lean towards. If not, your credits may not transfer. I know someone who was 6 months from graduating from one and they closed down.