Help!!! Schools Owner and my new LPN program

Leda · Mar 12, 2007

Given that your programs approval is based on the entire curriculum, including the specific preadmission testing you informed the Department of Professional Regulation would be conducted then you must adhere to this. I would suggest that you nicely point out this fact to your boss and follow it up with written clarification from the Department of Professional Regulation that that the preadmission testing indicated in your approved LPN program must be conducted in order to be in compliance with your program approval.

It may help you to arrange a meeting with someone from the Department of Professional Regulation and your boss, (with you there of course) to review the purpose of preadmission testing (to accept qualified candidates that have the ability to pass both the nursing program and NCLEX).

I can appreciate your situation because the nursing program that I work at is experiencing similar problems with one of the VPs. It seems nonnurse educators are under the impression that the college does not have to adhere to either the board of nursing rules and regulations or the national accreditation criteria if it means paying customers have to be turned away because they don't meet the approved admission criteria.

I would also suggest that in addition to any discussions you have with your boss that you follow it up with written documentation (emails summarizing the discussion, along with getting your boss to put in writing the request to relax the preadmission testing, etc.). This will clearly identify who made the decision concerning changing the admission testing. If you don't get it in writing your boss will deny ever changing the requirements should things go bad (high attrition rate, low NCLEX pass rate, etc.). Protect yourself and your professional reputation.

Best of luck.

barb4575 · Mar 16, 2007

Hello Spyder,

That is precisely the problem, the owner knows that you put so much into writing that proposal and curriculum that he doubts you will walk away. When you do get students, it will be even more difficult to leave them.

Even though my programs were ADN, we also had LPN programs. The college had the word, "technical" in it which bothered me for ADN students. There were three college campuses: one main and two branch campuses.

I can tell you that the behavior the owner is exhibiting is precisely the same as the owners of the college where I was employed. My advice to you is to inform him that you are bound by Minimum Standards in the State of IL to administer that program and he must respect the regulatory power of the board. You are focused on quality and consistency and he is focused on money. You must implement the program as the proposal was stated and approved by the board or you must send a request for changes to the board. For now, you may be able to stay there, but eventually, I suspect that your integrity will force you to leave.

Do not allow this owner to control your program and remind him that he may be your employer, but you are a licensed nurse professional in IL and you will uphold those standards first and foremost. The President of our college never understood this part. She only understood, Money for the Not-for-Profit organization.

I know how difficult this is with all of the excitement and hard work you have done, but I am fearful that you may be working for the same type of individual I was and it only deteriorated with time.

I did not accept this position initially because it was clear to me that the curriculum design was faulty and could not be changed the first two years in any major way...plus, it was obvious that there was no money. Her main campus was open for 11 years and she claimed she held a Masters' in Education. No one has seen that degree to date and she did not operate like someone with that background.

It was a nightmare of an experience, but it was a wealth of experience as well. Have you spoken to the Education Administrator of the state board of nursing?

Good luck,

Barbara