I attempted to take the course at ISU but after starting my application process in April 2015 and being essentially ignored by ISU until the day AFTER classes started in the fall--and then being told I have to take an extra math placement test after my transcripts had already been evaluated and I had already been told that I was able to take the College Algebra course, I just walked away.
Additionally, the ISU LVN to BSN program is one the most expensive that I've seen in the entire nation. University of Phoenix was expensive at $67K for their course. ISU is much more expensive than that. I'm in not including any College Network courses because I went directly to ISU and bypassed TCN.
So then why not answer the question the OP posted, arlel58?
Sorry, but I didn't find your post helpful. It seemed more like gloating to me.
adchism,
FWIW, I have been looking into Lamar as well and found the same info (that the program was on hold). I was told by them that AFTER Oct. 1, 2013 they would be rolling out a "revamped" program and that the next LVN to RN will begin Jan. 2014.
So far, I've been playing the usual "phone tag" with Lamar. I call, get nobody, leave a message, never get a return call. I've done that repeatedly. I've tried getting information off the website; however, from the vantage point of someone who just goes to the Lamar-Port Aurthur website to find this program it's NOT user friendly (apparently, you have to know EXACLTY where the webpages are in order to find them). It looks more like they've tried to bury this program somewhere and make it very hard to find. Their webmaster is pretty awful, IMO.
When you do finally find a page with some information, it's rather scant and doesn't indicate whether you're reading the "new" (post-Oct 1) information or the old information that they have yet to update. Given the rest of my experiences with Lamar, I think the possibility that they have not updated their website is a legit possibility. So, I've yet to find out what has changed between the new and the old and whether the courses that I have meet the pre-reqs or if I need something more.
I work in an LTAC and have a co-worker who went from LVN to RN at Lamar. She just graduated a few months ago (I knew her as an LVN and now as an RN). I talked to her about it and she said that her experience at Lamar "sucked bad". She said Lamar is VERY focused on money and little on helping students AEB their lack of technical support and communication while being quick to processes payments. As ONE example (and she said she had many), she was taking a timed test online to complete one of the classes that she'd paid for. During the test, the website crashed while she still had time left on the timer. She was unable to log back in to complete the test due to the website crash. She emailed and called Lamar for support and when they FINALLY got back to her (not the same day) they ran her back and fort through the "transferred called/voice mail" system and eventually told her that she'd simply have to take the course again--of course PAYING AGAIN to take it. She wanted to graduate so she re-did it. A few weeks later, at the end of the class, the IT Dept. finally replied to her and told her they could have let her log back in and finish her test that had crashed. She said that sort of stuff happens a lot with Lamar. She told me that if she had another option, she wouldn't have got through Lamar.
Unfortunately, here in Texas, it looks like our other options have dried up and Lamar has a monopoly on the LVN to RN transition programs.
Personally, I'm still shopping around because if Lamar is THIS hard to get in contact with BEFORE they have my money....after they have my money, I'm afraid they'll just neglect me.
Hello Avon 42 I moved to Texas a couple weeks ago looking for employment in The Woodlands. I am a new grad with no experience with my Licensed. Do you have any places that would be a good start? Thank you, Michelle
Michelle, when I was a new grad, I applied for a position with St. Luke's hospital. They said they generally DON'T hire new grads. Generally, if you have NO experience, it's very hard to get a job anywhere--even in Houston which is one of the healthcare capitals of the nation. If you are willing to commute (about 30 to 45 minutes), I'd recommend applying with Icon Hospital in Humble. They are a Long Term Acute Care that does hire new grads. There are several nurses working at Icon who commute from The Woodlands.
I should warn you that at Icon, the LVNs and RNs do the same job so you may find yourself facing tasks which are outside of your comfort zone. You can ask the charge nurse or house supervisor (or even another staff nurse) for help, of course--and they will give you an orientation too. Just wanted you to know that you will be doing some things that you may or may not have covered in school. You will have 6 patients for a 12 hour shift, they are all Acute (very sick and/or very injured), and it's fast paced. Also, there are several schools in Houston that run LVN programs and they send those students over to Icon for clinicals. It does not matter if you are a new grad or not; if there are students at the hospital that day, you are pretty much guaranteed to get one or two shadowing you (it's stressful and it throws you behind schedule). That happened to me at Icon within a couple of weeks of my hire, I was still within my 90 day probationary period, and had only had my LVN license for about 4 or 5 months--didn't matter, I had students to teach. One day I had 3 students at once! The one nice thing about it is that you can assign a student to a patient and have them help with CNA stuff (like toileting, bathing, and feeding).
If all that sounds like something you'd like (or are not afraid of, at least), apply at Icon. The chances of you getting hired are VERY good.
I am a RN and was offered a $25.00 an hour travel job in Texas. What a slap in the face. So, I can not see making more than that. Just saying..Good luck.
Well unfortunately, there are so many new nurses graduating from school every semester now and add to that the Affordable Care Act (aka Obama Care) which will begin in full force very soon, you can expect wages for nurses and other healthcare workers to begin dropping noticeably.
I would just show up in PT's and play dumb.. I doubt they are expecting anything more than you being at the right place at the right time. You should be able to contact your first line leader and try to meet them 15min before 1st formation.. Truthfully your first line leader should be making contact with you but don't stress it. Show up a little early and follow the crowd. Maybe bring in some dougnuts on Sunday.
I agree with ALL of this except the donuts...I'm "iffy" on the donuts. Why? Because bringing donuts will draw attention to you and if you're already overweight and not meeting the Army standard, the enlisted troops are going to see you as a joke...and that's a very hard 1st impression to wash away with enlisted troops.
You can't go wrong wearing a PT uniform if you don't have ACUs. In fact, IF you do have your PT uniform, you are probably required to wear it. If no one told you this before hand, they should have.
Cut your carbohydrate intake down, eat protein bars for meals. Eat vegetables and lean meats for dinner. Don't drink alcohol, no soda, no sweets. Take a daily multivitamin. Eat under your daily requirements for caloric intake.
Run everyother day. If your abet of gym get a trainer, if not find a gym to train and get a trainer. If you do t like gyms google p90x, buy a copy and work it.
If you do his you will lose weight.
Keep your head up and don't ever give up.
Uh...I disagree with some of this. I can speak from experience. When I was in the Army and we trained really hard, if I went even ONE day without running, my run time would slow down. My advice: Run EVERYDAY! Don't concern yourself with running the 2 miles in your minimum run time. To prepare for the APFT run, you should run long distances (not fast). The APFT is 2 miles. Try building up to running 5 miles a day. Trust me...I've done this. When you do, the 2 miles for the APFT will feel like your "warm up" time on your regular run. You will be able to nail your 2 miles well within your time limit. If you REALLY want to cut your run time down, after you've been running 5 miles a day for a few weeks, start using Fartlek Runs. That's where you jog at a decent pace from one marker (e.g. a light pole) to the next, then you SPRINT from that marker (e.g. a light pole) to the next. Repeat this cycle--if you can--for up to a mile. You'll ace your APFT run if you do--you'll ACE IT!! (I'm talking 90+ pts on your run event!)
Sit ups: If you can't do your minimum, that's your first goal. Do your minimum count of situps DAILY! Even if you have to take a break and finish them later. For example, if you have to do 40. Make sure that you do 40 situps everyday before you get in bed. Even if you have to do 20, rest, 10, rest, 5, rest, 5. Each time, try to do most in one sitting until you can do all 40 at once within your 2 minutes. Then, push yourself daily to do as many situp as you can within 2 minutes.
NOTE: Once you reach the point that you can do 1/2 your situps all at once, start doing sit ups WITHOUT anything bracing your feet. Just lay on the floor and try to do your situps with not foot brace. That will force your body to use more abdominal muscles and less hip flexor muscles. Eventually, you will do your full set of situps with your feet flat on the floor and nothing holding them. That will enable you to be able to not tire during the APFT situp event and you'll ace your situps too!!
Push ups: The same instructions as for sit ups.
I have taken many APFTs in the Army and as a sergeant I have graded quite a few also. Don't waste money on gyms, personal trainers, or special programs. Your APFT will consist of 2 minutes of pushups followed by a 10 minute rest period, 2 minutes of sit ups followed by a 10 minute rest period, and a 2 mile run. You don't need ANY special equipment to perform the APFT and you don't need anything but gym clothes and running shoes to prepare for it.
Don't eat protein bars for ALL your meals. I like to go with a low-carb, healthy protein (nuts, tuna, egg whites, etc.), low-calorie plan. To prepare for an APFT, I have in the past used something like the Extreme Fat Smash for a maximum of 3 weeks. I would eat 1,000 calories/day or less and run 3 miles or more DAILY. It can be extremely unpleasant at times and I don't recommend it for any longer than 2 or 3 weeks but in the short term, you'll survive with no ill effects and I've lost 6 lbs/week on that plan. Again...for the SHORT TERM ONLY! I wouldn't recommend it for more than 3 weeks, personally.
Dress professionally if you don't have a uniform yet. The unit will understand and won't expect much from you this first time around. Twice per year, every Army unit (Reserve too) have to take the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). Failing this test can have very negative consequences such as discharge from the service, bar to promotion, bar to "favorable action" including receiving Tuition Assitance, etc. Since you JUST joined the unit, they are not going to expect much and probably will not give you an grief over failing the APFT. Be sure you are ready to pass it next time. I have known officers (in the Reserve) who have been kicked out of the Army for failing APFT. It's not guaranteed that you would be kicked out for failing the APFT--just a possibility as the Army does have the right to do that if they choose.
Don't sweat the whole thing too much. Life in the Reserve if pretty easy for officers.
...Before you head out to drill, just stop and say a prayer thanking God that you're not enlisted. Life is much tougher for enlisted.
Getting in at 35 with a BSN might not be a problem. Once you hit 40 yrs old, they do an "over-40 physical" on you and the medical scrutiny gets a little tighter. In any case, you can't be on ANY medications of any kind to join the service. They will check your cholesterol and give you an ECG as well. At least this is what they told me. If you can get in before 40, that would be best. If you have to wait until 40 or older, the medical screen is tighter and your chances get a little slimmer.
...I've never heard of a law that a home health agency must require 1 year of experience, and have worked with new grad LVNs in home health, so I believe you were given incorrect information...
BTW, I don't want to sound like a jerk--though I'm sure I will--but at this point, the LAST thing I care about is some foreign nurse having the ability to take the NCLEX and take yet another job away from me. Sorry, kids, America has been the land of milk and honey for everyone for too long. We're running out of resources for ourselves now. My suggestions is stay in your own country and make it work...that's we I have to do over here. Do I sound like a total jerk? Maybe...but I'm okay with that right now. I'm not feelin' the love today.
Now imagine your a new graduate who has moved to a new town (or even state) and don't know ANYBODY but your own spouse! Then look for a nursing job when they all seem to want anywhere from 6 months to 3 years of experience.
I was in the Army as a medic for 8 years. I know all about being a robot. I know about the chain of command, being in place on time, staying on task, staying within your scope of practice, etc. I have experience as a CNA at acute care hospitals and home health. I've served as a CNA in hospice assignments and worked with geriatric patients and the terminally ill.
Now...I'm a "new grad" nurse and no one will talk to me. No emails, no return calls. When I call, it's "sorry we don't hire new grads". Yes, I've tried all of them from prisons to mental health to long term care to acute care to home health to school districts, etc.
When I started, I was told nursing was the next gold rush. "You'll never be without a job!" they said. I haven't had income in months and I'm broke. If I ever do land an interview, I'll have to rob a bank to pay for a haircut and a load of laundry just to go! Sometimes it doesn't even matter if you CAN be a robot and fit the mold...you still can't get noticed.
Well, this thread may have started out as a joke or not but I'll just say this..
Vaginas are just another part of anatomy. You have to look at it that way. It's like an eyeball or a foot or a blood vessel. Just a part of the anatomy. If you look at it like that, you'll find it easier to act like a pro. When you act like a pro, your patient won't find it awkward.
So do your best not to giggle when you see a hooha and act like a pro.
Check the local jobs posted in your area. In the Midwest, an incredible majority of them state "must be a graduate of an NLNAC program." So, in many areas of the country, people are graduating from CCNE programs only to find out their time, hard work and money were a waste and they must then apply for a NLNAC school. Of course, CCNE schools will not tell prospective students this.
That doesn't seem to make sense in reference to the 3rd post which explained the difference.
Have you actually met people or know of situations where this has happened?
I'm looking at attending U of P for my LPN to BSN too. I already have an Associate of Applied Science in another discipline from a state university. I'm going to call U of P on Monday and talk to them about transfer credits, etc.
Anyway, I'm very intersted in this topic and I have really learned a lot in this thread so far. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. Thanks for all the helpful info so far!
As far as I know (my instructor told me this), there are no LPN programs accredited by NLN. Only programs offering degrees (i.e. RN programs) are accredited by NLN. At least that's the way I understand it. Since LPN is a "trade school" program that prepares you for licensure after passing the NCLEX-PN, it is accredited by The Council on Occupational Education. The program that I'm graduating LPN from is accredited by that body as well. I have looked around to see if this accreditation is accepted around the country and from what I can see, it is.
At their site, you can find a list of all the schools accredited by them. You will notice that they accredit schools in pretty much every state in the union. You can download a PDF list of all the schools accredited by them as recently as Sept. 2011.
I was worried that my program would not be recognized in other states; however, after a little digging around and looking at the list, I feel better that the program I'm in is reputable and will be accepted. My concern is completing the program in one state then moving and taking the NCLEX-PN in another state. It seems that I shouldn't have much of a problem.
I plan on calling the BON of the state I'm moving to in order to make sure I will be able to do that.
I attempted to take the course at ISU but after starting my application process in April 2015 and being essentially ignored by ISU until the day AFTER classes started in the fall--and then being told I have to take an extra math placement test after my transcripts had already been evaluated and I had already been told that I was able to take the College Algebra course, I just walked away.
Additionally, the ISU LVN to BSN program is one the most expensive that I've seen in the entire nation. University of Phoenix was expensive at $67K for their course. ISU is much more expensive than that. I'm in not including any College Network courses because I went directly to ISU and bypassed TCN.
ISU...no thanks. Good luck to you folks, though.
So then why not answer the question the OP posted, arlel58?
Sorry, but I didn't find your post helpful. It seemed more like gloating to me.
adchism,
FWIW, I have been looking into Lamar as well and found the same info (that the program was on hold). I was told by them that AFTER Oct. 1, 2013 they would be rolling out a "revamped" program and that the next LVN to RN will begin Jan. 2014.
So far, I've been playing the usual "phone tag" with Lamar. I call, get nobody, leave a message, never get a return call. I've done that repeatedly. I've tried getting information off the website; however, from the vantage point of someone who just goes to the Lamar-Port Aurthur website to find this program it's NOT user friendly (apparently, you have to know EXACLTY where the webpages are in order to find them). It looks more like they've tried to bury this program somewhere and make it very hard to find. Their webmaster is pretty awful, IMO.
When you do finally find a page with some information, it's rather scant and doesn't indicate whether you're reading the "new" (post-Oct 1) information or the old information that they have yet to update. Given the rest of my experiences with Lamar, I think the possibility that they have not updated their website is a legit possibility. So, I've yet to find out what has changed between the new and the old and whether the courses that I have meet the pre-reqs or if I need something more.
I work in an LTAC and have a co-worker who went from LVN to RN at Lamar. She just graduated a few months ago (I knew her as an LVN and now as an RN). I talked to her about it and she said that her experience at Lamar "sucked bad". She said Lamar is VERY focused on money and little on helping students AEB their lack of technical support and communication while being quick to processes payments. As ONE example (and she said she had many), she was taking a timed test online to complete one of the classes that she'd paid for. During the test, the website crashed while she still had time left on the timer. She was unable to log back in to complete the test due to the website crash. She emailed and called Lamar for support and when they FINALLY got back to her (not the same day) they ran her back and fort through the "transferred called/voice mail" system and eventually told her that she'd simply have to take the course again--of course PAYING AGAIN to take it. She wanted to graduate so she re-did it. A few weeks later, at the end of the class, the IT Dept. finally replied to her and told her they could have let her log back in and finish her test that had crashed. She said that sort of stuff happens a lot with Lamar. She told me that if she had another option, she wouldn't have got through Lamar.
Unfortunately, here in Texas, it looks like our other options have dried up and Lamar has a monopoly on the LVN to RN transition programs.
Personally, I'm still shopping around because if Lamar is THIS hard to get in contact with BEFORE they have my money....after they have my money, I'm afraid they'll just neglect me.
I should warn you that at Icon, the LVNs and RNs do the same job so you may find yourself facing tasks which are outside of your comfort zone. You can ask the charge nurse or house supervisor (or even another staff nurse) for help, of course--and they will give you an orientation too. Just wanted you to know that you will be doing some things that you may or may not have covered in school. You will have 6 patients for a 12 hour shift, they are all Acute (very sick and/or very injured), and it's fast paced. Also, there are several schools in Houston that run LVN programs and they send those students over to Icon for clinicals. It does not matter if you are a new grad or not; if there are students at the hospital that day, you are pretty much guaranteed to get one or two shadowing you (it's stressful and it throws you behind schedule). That happened to me at Icon within a couple of weeks of my hire, I was still within my 90 day probationary period, and had only had my LVN license for about 4 or 5 months--didn't matter, I had students to teach. One day I had 3 students at once! The one nice thing about it is that you can assign a student to a patient and have them help with CNA stuff (like toileting, bathing, and feeding).
If all that sounds like something you'd like (or are not afraid of, at least), apply at Icon. The chances of you getting hired are VERY good.
You can't go wrong wearing a PT uniform if you don't have ACUs. In fact, IF you do have your PT uniform, you are probably required to wear it. If no one told you this before hand, they should have.
Sit ups: If you can't do your minimum, that's your first goal. Do your minimum count of situps DAILY! Even if you have to take a break and finish them later. For example, if you have to do 40. Make sure that you do 40 situps everyday before you get in bed. Even if you have to do 20, rest, 10, rest, 5, rest, 5. Each time, try to do most in one sitting until you can do all 40 at once within your 2 minutes. Then, push yourself daily to do as many situp as you can within 2 minutes.
NOTE: Once you reach the point that you can do 1/2 your situps all at once, start doing sit ups WITHOUT anything bracing your feet. Just lay on the floor and try to do your situps with not foot brace. That will force your body to use more abdominal muscles and less hip flexor muscles. Eventually, you will do your full set of situps with your feet flat on the floor and nothing holding them. That will enable you to be able to not tire during the APFT situp event and you'll ace your situps too!!
Push ups: The same instructions as for sit ups.
I have taken many APFTs in the Army and as a sergeant I have graded quite a few also. Don't waste money on gyms, personal trainers, or special programs. Your APFT will consist of 2 minutes of pushups followed by a 10 minute rest period, 2 minutes of sit ups followed by a 10 minute rest period, and a 2 mile run. You don't need ANY special equipment to perform the APFT and you don't need anything but gym clothes and running shoes to prepare for it.
Don't eat protein bars for ALL your meals. I like to go with a low-carb, healthy protein (nuts, tuna, egg whites, etc.), low-calorie plan. To prepare for an APFT, I have in the past used something like the Extreme Fat Smash for a maximum of 3 weeks. I would eat 1,000 calories/day or less and run 3 miles or more DAILY. It can be extremely unpleasant at times and I don't recommend it for any longer than 2 or 3 weeks but in the short term, you'll survive with no ill effects and I've lost 6 lbs/week on that plan. Again...for the SHORT TERM ONLY! I wouldn't recommend it for more than 3 weeks, personally.
Dress professionally if you don't have a uniform yet. The unit will understand and won't expect much from you this first time around. Twice per year, every Army unit (Reserve too) have to take the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). Failing this test can have very negative consequences such as discharge from the service, bar to promotion, bar to "favorable action" including receiving Tuition Assitance, etc. Since you JUST joined the unit, they are not going to expect much and probably will not give you an grief over failing the APFT. Be sure you are ready to pass it next time. I have known officers (in the Reserve) who have been kicked out of the Army for failing APFT. It's not guaranteed that you would be kicked out for failing the APFT--just a possibility as the Army does have the right to do that if they choose.
Don't sweat the whole thing too much. Life in the Reserve if pretty easy for officers.
...Before you head out to drill, just stop and say a prayer thanking God that you're not enlisted. Life is much tougher for enlisted.
Getting in at 35 with a BSN might not be a problem. Once you hit 40 yrs old, they do an "over-40 physical" on you and the medical scrutiny gets a little tighter. In any case, you can't be on ANY medications of any kind to join the service. They will check your cholesterol and give you an ECG as well. At least this is what they told me. If you can get in before 40, that would be best. If you have to wait until 40 or older, the medical screen is tighter and your chances get a little slimmer.
http://www.bon.texas.gov/practice/faq-newnursehomehealth.html
BTW, I don't want to sound like a jerk--though I'm sure I will--but at this point, the LAST thing I care about is some foreign nurse having the ability to take the NCLEX and take yet another job away from me. Sorry, kids, America has been the land of milk and honey for everyone for too long. We're running out of resources for ourselves now. My suggestions is stay in your own country and make it work...that's we I have to do over here. Do I sound like a total jerk? Maybe...but I'm okay with that right now. I'm not feelin' the love today.
Now imagine your a new graduate who has moved to a new town (or even state) and don't know ANYBODY but your own spouse! Then look for a nursing job when they all seem to want anywhere from 6 months to 3 years of experience.
I was in the Army as a medic for 8 years. I know all about being a robot. I know about the chain of command, being in place on time, staying on task, staying within your scope of practice, etc. I have experience as a CNA at acute care hospitals and home health. I've served as a CNA in hospice assignments and worked with geriatric patients and the terminally ill.
Now...I'm a "new grad" nurse and no one will talk to me. No emails, no return calls. When I call, it's "sorry we don't hire new grads". Yes, I've tried all of them from prisons to mental health to long term care to acute care to home health to school districts, etc.
When I started, I was told nursing was the next gold rush. "You'll never be without a job!" they said. I haven't had income in months and I'm broke. If I ever do land an interview, I'll have to rob a bank to pay for a haircut and a load of laundry just to go! Sometimes it doesn't even matter if you CAN be a robot and fit the mold...you still can't get noticed.
Well, this thread may have started out as a joke or not but I'll just say this..
Vaginas are just another part of anatomy. You have to look at it that way. It's like an eyeball or a foot or a blood vessel. Just a part of the anatomy. If you look at it like that, you'll find it easier to act like a pro. When you act like a pro, your patient won't find it awkward.
So do your best not to giggle when you see a hooha and act like a pro.
Have you actually met people or know of situations where this has happened?
I'm looking at attending U of P for my LPN to BSN too. I already have an Associate of Applied Science in another discipline from a state university. I'm going to call U of P on Monday and talk to them about transfer credits, etc.
Anyway, I'm very intersted in this topic and I have really learned a lot in this thread so far. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. Thanks for all the helpful info so far!
As far as I know (my instructor told me this), there are no LPN programs accredited by NLN. Only programs offering degrees (i.e. RN programs) are accredited by NLN. At least that's the way I understand it. Since LPN is a "trade school" program that prepares you for licensure after passing the NCLEX-PN, it is accredited by The Council on Occupational Education. The program that I'm graduating LPN from is accredited by that body as well. I have looked around to see if this accreditation is accepted around the country and from what I can see, it is.
At their site, you can find a list of all the schools accredited by them. You will notice that they accredit schools in pretty much every state in the union. You can download a PDF list of all the schools accredited by them as recently as Sept. 2011.
I was worried that my program would not be recognized in other states; however, after a little digging around and looking at the list, I feel better that the program I'm in is reputable and will be accepted. My concern is completing the program in one state then moving and taking the NCLEX-PN in another state. It seems that I shouldn't have much of a problem.
I plan on calling the BON of the state I'm moving to in order to make sure I will be able to do that.