Txstarr972

I did it by flashcards. Made tons of them, and kept them in my purse. Anytime I had even a second I would grab them and study.

You CAN DO IT! You sound just like me at the end of my program! I gained 30 lbs in the course of my program!!! There were nights I would get home and cry because I felt like I couldn't do it anymore! I have been an LVN for 8 months, and I have to say sticking it out and graduating is the best thing I have done, for myself and my family! I have a great job and make a wonderful living for my kids and I. (I've lost all the weight I gained too!!) Once you get working it will fall off fast! Good luck!

I'm not sure if it's mandatory, but I know they give you the 1st set of books and also give out your 1st reading assignment so you can be ready for class on day 1.

The LVN program is $26,000. I'm not sure how much the bridge is. The financial aid staff has always been helpful. They get you any available grants/loans and work out a payment plan for whatever those 2 things do not cover, and you can spread it out into monthly payments.

Once you get your LVN, you can do what is called a bridge and get your RN next. The neighborhood isn't too bad, and there is always a security guard in the parking lot when we leave at night.

I am in a night/weekend program. I work full time Mon-Fri. It's hard, I no longer have much time to just go out and have fun, and I do not see my family much. It's only temporary, I was in a 17 month program and I graduate in January. Almost there! Good luck to you~

I am starting my 3rd quarter next week of the LVN program, and I wanted to share my experiences so far. Classroom/skills lab instructors - Awesome for the most part. They will do all they can to help. They do not set you up to fail, in fact if you do your part and study, they will do their part to see to it that you are successful. THEY WILL NOT SPOON FEED YOU. I think most of the negative reviews have been people who thought they were buying a nursing degree, not earning one. Listen at lecture, take notes, go home and STUDY. Then come to them with educated questions. It works every time! Clinicals - My only complaints are that we get zero hospital experience. Only nursing homes. And when they have nowhere to put you they stick you in virtuals which is the biggest waste of time ever. Overall - great school, great instructors. They need new/better clinical sites, and the administration needs to rethink the whole "virtual" idea. Good luck to future students! If being a nurse is something you really want, AND are willing to put in the time and study, I think you have made a great choice!

This. Know your potassium robbing/sparing diuretics and definately your dig levels!!!

We got test questions about Florence Nightingale in our very 1st Fundamentals test! I got them wrong because I totally blew off that part of the chapter!:hdvwl:

I personally have not seen the issues you speak of. I get A's with the occasional B in academics, get along wonderful with all the instructors, and I don't feel I get any special treatment in skills lab or anywhere else. As far as this whole cheating thing, if they are doing that, how are they going to pass NCLEX if they cheat their way through classes? Cheating makes dangerous nurses, but as far as I know you cant cheat the NCLEX, so they will never be nurses anyway. Just sayin.

Make sure you study. Every day. I thought A&P was hard, but now that I am in Pharmacology, I think it's the hardest.

You need to prioritize with your ABC's (airway, breathing, circulation) first and foremost, and then Maslow's.

I like Nike Shox and Dansko.

LOVE LOVE LOVE my Koi scrubs! That is all I buy anymore. The pants seem to run about the same as Urbane and Landau, but the tops run small. I wear a small in top and bottom, but with Koi I have to get a medium top, still small pants though.

Koi makes a thicker white scrub pant, and they are very cute! A little pricey, but worth it for me. My uniform pants were Landau, almost transparent!