lpn to bsn program through athabasca uni??

k084 · Feb 2, 2007

Hi there,

I'm not doing the LPN course thru Athabasca that ur talking about, but I do have information on the university. Since it is a distance-education university, it is very hard to gain practical experience. Nevertheless, the courses are very intense just because of the all the reading material you have, and they are meant to be completed in a specific amount of time. For example, I believe a 9-credit course is supposed to take you exactly a year. I know the course I looked at previously had a 1000+ page text!

You go on contract with the university to complete ur course(s). For the 9-credit course, you pay around $1300. Again, that is just ONE COURSE, I don't know how much you would be paying for a PROGRAM.

I personally think hands-on experience is a must when ur in school because you learn a LOT (more so than if reading a text), so I'm not too sure about doing something thru correspondance.

EdmontonAB · Feb 8, 2007

I am in the process of just starting this program now. I am going to be 39 this summer, but don't think it's to late. I'm presently doing four courses at Athabasca. You do eventually need to be registered in Alberta but can start taking courses and then transfer them in to the program when your ready.

Tina

Fiona59 · Feb 8, 2007

I've done a few courses with Athabasca. They give you six months for a three credit course and you schedule your own exam date in conjuction with your tutor.

I would do the English, Pych, Stats, Phil. pre reqs at a local community college and go to them for the nursing courses.

Athabasca assigns a tutor for each course to you and clearly outline the time frame for dealing with questions and contacts with the tutor. If you don't get replies promptly contact the administration.

I work with PNs who are doing the course now. Apparently clinicals can be anywhere in the province and appear to be going to the smaller communities due the number of nursing students in Edmonton and Calgary using the teaching hospitals there. I've heard of people from Edmonton being offered places in Lethbridge. So there are additional expenses involved such as travel and accomodation.

I believe that you have seven years form acceptance to completion of the programme. So, you might want to get the arts prereqs done before doing the application and use them as transfer credits.

You also have to be disciplined and motivated to study on your own. That was the hard part for me. Life gets in the way of sitting down with the courses (you need an good internet connection!) that it doesn't have with committing to going to classes at a bricks and mortar college.

EdmontonAB · Feb 8, 2007

I'm interested why you would suggest taking these pre-req courses through a local college. I'm taking some of them now and need to take more and never checked into this option. Any info would be appreciated.

Tina

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Feb 8, 2007

I'd guess they're cheaper at Grant McEwan or Mount Royal than through Athabasca, and you can still do them by correspondence if you want.

Fiona59 · Feb 9, 2007

Athabasca includes the textbooks in their tuition fees, bricks and mortar schools don't.

I think if you've been away from formal education for a while (and face it, most PNs have) it helps to go back and sit in a classroom. I enjoy the discussions and the instructor is right there to ask, office hours are more available, etc. English and Psych can be pretty dry just on paper and the lecture makes them more interesting (at least I found the lectures interesting). Statistics by distance ed just scares me!!!

I just work better with strange materials in a classroom. The nursing courses are probably more familiar to people because of their background and work experience.

It's just my opinion, but learning is never wasted. Let's face it doing a degree by distance is a daunting prospect and the classroom time might be a valuable experience as part of the degree acquiring process.

abie rpn · Dec 8, 2007

I am in the process of just starting this program now. I am going to be 39 this summer, but don't think it's to late. I'm presently doing four courses at Athabasca. You do eventually need to be registered in Alberta but can start taking courses and then transfer them in to the program when your ready.
Tina

hi tina how are you doing with the programe, i am interesting in it, but i am very afriad, i just want to hear from a student that having being doing the program and how is the exam. it is don by interent or do you meet some where.

ple tell me all you can about the program thank you

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EdmontonAB · Dec 11, 2007

Hi there,

I've been doing the program through Athabasca for a year now and have completed 10 courses (30 credits). I'm really think it is a good program. Some courses are on-line, mostly the books and all course materials are sent to you. In the courses I have done the quizzes have been done on line and asssignmnents are either e-mailed or sent in my regular email. For the exams I go to the learning centre in Edmonton as I live in Edmonton but otherwise you can arrange to write the exam with an invigilator. Such as at a community college or I know my local library will invigilate exams. You do have to do 4 clinical practicums which must all be done (I believe) in Alberta. You also have to get registered as an LPN in Alberta once you apply to the BN program. You can start taking electives right away though and just apply them to the program once you change over to it. They credit you 30 credits for the LPN course and one-year experience. I'm not sure what else to tell you. It was definitely a challenge for me as I had never written a research paper, have no University experience and have been out of school for a long time. But having said that I have made out really good in all of my courses. I haven't had one problem with the University so far so I'm happy with the program. I find it really accessible. I have heard some places of employment will sponsor you through the program if you sign a retention paper ( I really don't know the details, though). If you have any other questions let me know I'm happy to answer them as I know I had so many questions before I started the program>

Tina

abie rpn · Dec 12, 2007

hi there, tina, its abie

thank you so much for your reply. i have more confident doing the program, i really would like to thank you some more. also i have more question to ask you, one how longe does it take to finish the nursing course, and how many courese were you taking to add up to 30 credit. and how many would you recomend. i realy want to get stared and also finish right away, what advise would you give me. and how is the exam, are they hard. and do you think i can do the program in less than 2 years. and can you tell me what elective you started up with first. you see i live in toronto canada and althabasca sound far away, i wanted to talk to some one that have don or at least stared the program, i wanted to know if this is right for me, i mean the distand internet learning that is what really scare me about the program i feel that there is no one to help me. but i do thank you every much. over here in toronto every thing is too hard, first you need to up grade to a deploma which is one year and another year in college and you need a gpa 3.25 to get in the uni and then if you make it you do the 2years in uni a total of 4 years in school if you don't drop any of the coures. so this is why am asking you al this question, i hope you are ok with it, once again thank you. i wish i can speak to you on the phone or chat. thak you and please repply. thanks

I've been doing the program through Athabasca for a year now and have completed 10 courses (30 credits). I'm really think it is a good program. Some courses are on-line, mostly the books and all course materials are sent to you. In the courses I have done the quizzes have been done on line and asssignmnents are either e-mailed or sent in my regular email. For the exams I go to the learning centre in Edmonton as I live in Edmonton but otherwise you can arrange to write the exam with an invigilator. Such as at a community college or I know my local library will invigilate exams. You do have to do 4 clinical practicums which must all be done (I believe) in Alberta. You also have to get registered as an LPN in Alberta once you apply to the BN program. You can start taking electives right away though and just apply them to the program once you change over to it. They credit you 30 credits for the LPN course and one-year experience. I'm not sure what else to tell you. It was definitely a challenge for me as I had never written a research paper, have no University experience and have been out of school for a long time. But having said that I have made out really good in all of my courses. I haven't had one problem with the University so far so I'm happy with the program. I find it really accessible. I have heard some places of employment will sponsor you through the program if you sign a retention paper ( I really don't know the details, though). If you have any other questions let me know I'm happy to answer them as I know I had so many questions before I started the program>

Tina

EdmontonAB · Dec 12, 2007

Hi Abie,

The course is based on three years but I believe you are allowed to be registered in six courses at a time. SO this would definitely speed things up. To get the 30 credits I have taken 10 courses, most of the courses are three credits. SOme that include clinicals are 4 credits or 6 credits. The last clinical that is three months is 9 credits. I found all the exams pretty goo except I found the last one quite hard but it was a 400 level course. But I don't find them bad at all. If you do fail the first exam you can do a re-write for I think $100. Then they take your best mark. I think it would be impossible to do in under 2 years. As you have to schedule in the clinicals plus yopu have to do the courses in somewhat of an order. There is a lot of support I find, I rarely contact my tutor as I find the courses quite easy to follow. But the university does supply you with a tutor for each course that you can phone twice a week at designated times and email as often as you wish for for help, etc. They also have a library (staffed) that will send you out any books, journals you need and all the postage is paid by the Univesity you just send them back when your done. I toke Eng255, Phil152, Psych289, Psych290 first. Then IDRL308(Occupational Health & Safety) & Math215 (Intro to statistics) next. Then Psych 356 & HLST320. Now I'm taking Phil335 & Psych 435. The big thing I found was just getting started. I wish I had just started when I first thought about it then I'd be a lot further along now. Once you get started you just keep rolling. If you're thinking about it you can can start with just one course and see how it goes. Have you looked at the University's site as it can answer many of the questions you probably still have. Feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

Tina

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Dec 12, 2007

Don't you have to do your clinicals in Alberta? Abie would need to take that into consideration, because the commute from Toronto is a pretty long and expensive one!