LPN student in Orlando -any advice?

Cococure · Oct 16, 2006

hey & congrats on getting into the LPN program at Orlando tech...i don't attend the school but i am trying to get into the May program. I know a couple of nurses at work that went to orlando tech and they said it was a good program and it did prepare them for the role of beaing an LPN...basically i have heard a lot of positive feedback about this program....by the way when are you starting? I plan on going to VCC bridge program LPN-RN after i finish at Orlando tech...

all the best

coco

tiroka03, LPN · Oct 16, 2006

I am an LPN, but live in Duluth. I have relatives in Orlando and have been considering moving to Orlando next summer. Do you know if LPNs are hired in hospitals? Do the hospitals in Orlando use computer charting or pdas for med passes? I know this was off topic, but I am very curious.

Cococure · Oct 16, 2006

i am an lpn, but live in duluth. i have relatives in orlando and have been considering moving to orlando next summer. do you know if lpns are hired in hospitals? do the hospitals in orlando use computer charting or pdas for med passes? i know this was off topic, but i am very curious.

some hospitals in orlando do hire lpnii or advanced lpn's e.g florida hosp. ormc, health central ...but the jobs are few and they trying not to hire lpn's because they want to attract rn's and also the hospitals pay lpn less than asst. living, nursing homes etc as for the charting is varies from hospital to hospital.

Hudd70 · Oct 16, 2006

I am starting the LPN program Oct.23 - classes actually started Sept. 5 for FALL 2006, those of us who are also CNA's were able to test out of the first 6 weeks (CORE classes and CNA classes). I am excited and nervous! I have talked to a couple of LPN's at ORMC who went through the program and said it was good too. Its nice to hear positive feedback. I'm sure it won't all be perfect - I've heard patience and plenty of studying is needed. I'm up for both. I am expected to finish September 2007. I can let you know more next week after I am actually in class!!

luv4nursing · Oct 19, 2006

I graduated with my LPN from O-Tech September '06. I just found out I got accepted into the LPN to RN bridge at Valencia starting in January. I cant wait! Its cool because the bridge program at Valencia is online now...u only go to clinicals once a week and to the school for midterms/finals and practice lab. I work in home health so I can get a lot of the work done while at work.

Anyhoo, back to O Tech, its a great program. Very demanding but very rewarding and the best year of my life I ever invested, as far as the doors it has opened and allowing me the opportunity to take care of myself financially. Study hard (flashcards are ur friend!), be respectful to the teachers, and u will be fine. Good luck!

PS:

ALSO, but Saunders Comprehensive review for the NCLEX PN. That book alone couldve gotten me through LPN school! Its awesome bc it outlines every system with the important points to know....most of which are the same things the teachers test on.

busylady61 · Dec 2, 2006

Hi Luv4Nursing,

I have a question. You said that you graduated from Orlando Tech this past September, and now you've been accepted to the Valencia LPN to RN bridge program in January.

That is really interesting to me because I am thinking I would like to do the same thing. I just have a couple of questions.

I had read other posts on these boards, that Valencia has a huge waiting list of a year or two. How did you get around that? Does the bridge program not have a long waiting list? When did you actually apply to the Valencia bridge program -- did you wait until after you graduated from O-Tech? I was under the impression that if I go to O-Tech, I might have to wait a year or two after graduating before even being able to start the Valencia program. So, I was really encouraged when I read your post!

Also, you mentioned that the bridge program is online except for the clinicals once a week. When are the clinicals and practice labs held? I'm going to be working full time while I'm in the program (assuming I get accepted eventually! lol) ... so I'm wondering how I will make all of this come together.

I was really interested to read your earlier post about working in home health care, on the night shift, and that that enables you to study at night. Wow, I would love to be able to do something like that.

I am thinking more and more that I am going to have to bite the bullet and go through that evening LPN program at Orlando Tech. It will be a really rough 18 months, but if I could graduate and then get hired as a home health LPN like you did, then I could arrange my LPN schedule around my Valencia studies.

Right now as a teacher I just don't have that much flexibility....

luv4nursing · Dec 2, 2006

Hi Luv4Nursing,
I have a question. You said that you graduated from Orlando Tech this past September, and now you've been accepted to the Valencia LPN to RN bridge program in January.
That is really interesting to me because I am thinking I would like to do the same thing. I just have a couple of questions.
I had read other posts on these boards, that Valencia has a huge waiting list of a year or two. How did you get around that? Does the bridge program not have a long waiting list? When did you actually apply to the Valencia bridge program -- did you wait until after you graduated from O-Tech? I was under the impression that if I go to O-Tech, I might have to wait a year or two after graduating before even being able to start the Valencia program. So, I was really encouraged when I read your post!
Also, you mentioned that the bridge program is online except for the clinicals once a week. When are the clinicals and practice labs held? I'm going to be working full time while I'm in the program (assuming I get accepted eventually! lol) ... so I'm wondering how I will make all of this come together.
I was really interested to read your earlier post about working in home health care, on the night shift, and that that enables you to study at night. Wow, I would love to be able to do something like that.
I am thinking more and more that I am going to have to bite the bullet and go through that evening LPN program at Orlando Tech. It will be a really rough 18 months, but if I could graduate and then get hired as a home health LPN like you did, then I could arrange my LPN schedule around my Valencia studies.
Right now as a teacher I just don't have that much flexibility....

Hey busylady,

That is the beauty of the bridge program! No waiting lists! If you dont get in, you would reapply the next year but u wouldnt get preference. But as long as you have all pre reqs, get your app in early, etc, you should get in. There were 100 applicants this year for the Valencia bridge, they picked 60...but I think many of the others didnt have the pre reqs all done. There were a few with super high GPAs who got in without having them all, but they said after this year they wont accept anyone who hasnt completed them all. I got in on the first try, and my gpa was the bare minimum (I had a billion college credits and flaked out on school when I was younger). I think what helped me was my net score was very high, and I had an "A" average in LPN school so that must have been to my advantage since Im sure I was against ppl with 3.5's and 4.0;s and here I am with my 2.5 lol.

You dont have to wait a year or two to apply, u either had to have graduated within the past year or have at least one year experience. You also need to be IV certified. Orlando tech also offers an IV certification thats online, and its the only one in the country that transfers anywhere in the US (I thought that was cool). I think you may have misunderstood me, I graduated in September 2005....and by the time I got my license it was past the deadline of October 1st to apply for last January. So I applied this year for this January.

As far as clinicals and labs....you will have lab one day a week for the first about 6 weeks for skills check offs, etc....its on Thursdays for us. After that you start clinicals and you get to pick your clinical day each rotation...but it works just like other classes, first come first serve so u have to sign up early. Whatever day you choose, you will have a 12 hr clinical once a week for the rest of the program, I think there are a couple of times where you have 2 days a week bc of psych/mental health nursing.

You sound very motivated so I say go for it! I love my home health job, but Im spoiled bc Im basically babysitting (very) sick kids, so when I get a "real" hospital job I know Im gonna be working hard for my money lol.

BTW do u teach in Orange Co? My best friend is a Teacher, she teaches middle school.

Anyway HTH and best of luck!

busylady61 · Dec 3, 2006

LOLOL you and I sound alike... when I was at college I partied all the time and got horrible grades and even fell asleep during one final exam after cramming all night! (lol) I think I barely have a 2.5 gpa for my bachelor's.

Now that I am older and more mature I am much more responsible. When I took my teaching certification classes at Valencia I got mostly A's...so yes, this time around with nursing I will be studying a lot to try to do my best!

Yes I do teach in Orange County ... third grade. Due to it being a small world and that I'd like for my principal not to get wind of this through the grapevine (LOL), I'd rather not say what school I work at. I love my school in many ways. I love every single one of my students. My principal is wonderful. I have great co-workers. I have mixed feelings about leaving teaching.... it has been a tremendously rewarding job and I've learned and grown so much through it. I never dreamed I would even think of leaving teaching. I guess I'm becoming more disillusioned with the bureaucracy and paperwork, especially all the stuff I take home on weeknights and weekends. I feel I'm working some pretty heavy hours for a job that only pays $36k. If I had a husband to help support me it might be different but I am a single lady and my teaching salary is barely making ends meet with my household expenses. I want to make more money but doing something meaningful to help others, and I think nursing would be a great opportunity that way...