Larabelle

Good Question!!! LVN 12 months of fulltime study (Hardest leg of the journey!!) ADN 18 months BSN I am just finishing up, started in April 2006 and will be finishing up this November DEFINITELY WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got my LPN thru a local program. I worked as a LPN for 8 years and decided to go back for my RN. However the RN programs in my area were very selective related to admissions and had 2 year waiting lists. I heard about Excelsior thru a LPN peer and decided to investigate it. I continued working fulltime and enrolled in Excelsior. I never dropped below 40 hours a week of working and finished my RN thru Excelsior. I AM SOOO GLAD THAT EXCELSIOR WAS OUT THERE!! I loved the program. I finished the program in 1992 and I have never had a problem finding a job (in or out of a hospital). I did not study for the NCLEX and passed it on the first try. All of that LPN experience really paid off for the NCLEX. I also did not study for the CPNE and passed it on my first attempt. I just used common sense and did fine.

EC graduates are accepted at all Veterans administration hospitals in all 50 states.

What specific questions do you have? I highly recommend TESC. I am currently in TESC. I have completed all of the nursing courses and all I have left is to take Microbiology and I will have my BSN from TESC. I enrolled in April 2006. I took two classess per quarter. General advice which I would give to anyone who is thinking of enrolling TESC. It is not easy!!! It is very time consuming. You will not believe the number of weekends which I spent from mornning to dusk on my computer working on papers. I earned a "A" in every class but I worked at it. I did not have to do any clinical time. My tip for success is to never, never, never get behind in a class. Place due dates for papers on a calendar and begin work on your papers EARLY!!

Economical=University of Missouri Columbia online NP

Thank-you for alerting me to this problem. I am also one of the ones considering a online NP program (gerontological)...possibly at University of Missouri Columbia. I do not plan to start until Fall 2008 but I think I will begin looking for clinical sites now. I work for the VA so I will begin my search there...and branch out from there.

I love nursing in Texas. We have a union AFGE at my place of employment. The union is VERY STRONG!!! Hard core rules on breaks, wages, lunches, promotions,.etc.

I am also a EC grad in Texas. I used EC study guides and checked out the books from the local library through interlibrary loan. I loved the self pace. :)

Registered Nurse, Case Manager Day shift 7:30am-4pm. No weekends or holidays. $70,000

AFGE and my advice would be to join the union as soon as you gain employment at the VA. YOU WILL NEED THEM!!!! I have had to use them several times during disputes with management. I am a RN and they really benefit the RN's at myVA facility.

VETPRO is a computerized database in which you enter the same informaton which is on your resume, including references. Study the study guide for the medication exam and you should have no problems. It was a cinch for me and I did not study.

I answered the ad in the paper by sending in my resume. I got a call two weeks later for an interview. I was interviewed by a panel of ten people. I was notified by the nurse recruiter two weeks later that I got the job. I started two weeks later.

I am currently working at a hospital which is unionized. This is my first time working for a facility which has a union. In comparing working for facilities without unions and one which has a union is I will never work for another facility which does not have a union.

You are either nuts....or very courageous. I am not sure which. But good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How crazy!!! You need to contact a lawyer and the union ASAP. I had #30 morphine which came up missing on me and I did not go throuhg the drama which you are describing. In my case the police were notified, there was an investigation and it was found that one of the nurses was abusing it. But the whole thing was cleared up within a couple of days and I was never threatened with losing my job.