LPN-RN by correspondence? Help

[nursnancy]

I'm an LPN w/3 yrs experience in LTC. Never worked in a hospital except in nursing school. I'm thinking of getting my RN through correspondence courses, which would entail getting study materials through the mail, testing out for each course at a local testing center, and doing my clinicals in one or two weekends at a hospital. My reasons for this are: (1) I could get the RN much faster this way than the conventional way; (2) I am 47 years old, and feel kind of funny in classrooms with kids now; (3) I need to start making the money I could make as an RN; and (4) I simply want more nursing education. I am especially interested in comments from anyone who has done this or anyone who knows someone who has. After you/they got a job as an RN, were you/they treated differently than those who went through the conventional classroom program? Was it harder to get a job? Please help.

[Dr. Kate, BSN, RN]

The only time I have ever heard of anything negative about a nurse who went the route you're considering was someone who was looking for a job in acute care whose only experience outside of LV/PN school was in a weight loss clinic. The problem with her was more related to a need for a referesher course after years in the weight loss clinic than her education per se.

If you think you're up to working on your own, go for it. The people I've known who did Excelisor have liked it and done well.

[arlyne]

I used the RUE program. When people say you do not need Rue I laugh. It's obvious they have not done their research. First of all, yes....you can get your study guide for free from excelsior but have any of you compared excelsiors studyguide with Rues workbook. Excelsiors is like 20 pages w approx. 20 sample questions. They give you a general idea what the course is about then it is up to you ....Rue does ALL THE RESEARCH for you. The rue workbook has like 300 sample questions AND they direct you to the answer. That saves time. Simply put....Excelsior is "independent study" Rue is "DIRECTED independent study"