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.

Do Not, I repeat Do Not purchase any text books instead try doing what I did. I NEVER PAID ONE PENNY TOWARD BOOKS. I obatined all of my books through interlibrary loan through my public library after all isn't that what we pay taxes for (to support the library). Then I obtained the information as outlined in the free Excelsior exam study guide from these books. Although sometimes I could not obtain the most up to date version I passed every exam with flying colors. Buying the text books is a waste and I am a penny pincher.

Do Not, I repeat Do Not purchase any text books instead try doing what I did. I NEVER PAID ONE PENNY TOWARD BOOKS. I obatined all of my books through interlibrary loan through my public library after all isn't that what we pay taxes for (to support the library). Then I obtained the information as outlined in the free Excelsior exam study guide from these books. Although sometimes I could not obtain the most up to date version I passed every exam with flying colors. Buying the text books is a waste and I am a penny pincher.

I have the same problem. I have four doctors, two LVN's and myself. I do all the phone calls. Each doctor has a case load of 1,500 patients. I have voice mail and it stays full!!! It is just crazy...all the phone calls. We have a phone nurse but she is on vacation for the month.

Getting my RN via EC has also not affected me negatively at all and I graduated from EC in 1992. I have thus far been licensed in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Texas, New York and never had any problems getting licensed. My employers have never had an issue with the fact that I graduated from EC and I have worked in acute care hospitals, nursing homes, insurance companies, federal government.

No you are not too old. I am 46 and just completing my BSN but I started in nursing as an LVN in 1984. Just get started.

Grades do not matter as long as you have the initials "RN" behind your name.

I tested out of the class. It took me twice to test out of it with a "B".

Get everything in writing next time.

I went to LVN in 1984 at a small vocational technical school and paid for it myself but it was only $700. I worked weekends and lived with my parents. I went for my RN at Excelsior University 1990-1991 completed it in a year and a half and worked fulltime as an LVN (charge nurse) at a mental health hospital on the evening shift. I lived on my own. I refused to purchase books but rather obtained them thru interdepartmental loan thru my local library. I am presently completing my BSN thru Thomas Edison college $310 per credit hour. I am working fulltime as a Case Manager and paying for it myself. I live on my own. I purchase used books. I live in a small one bedroom apartment in a safe neighborhood. I have paid off my car which is four years old and I plan to drive it for at least another four to five years before purchasing another one. It is a V-6 and I have maintained it via preventative care etc. I will be graduating this year from Thomas Edison and plan to go on for my Nurse Practitioner and a major consideration will be tuition and fees. I budget and I am extremely thrifty. I rarely eat out. I can and do cook my meals and attempt to eat healthy (no junk food). I sew and make many of my work clothing. I also shop at second hand stores for good quality used clothing. I do not have expensive hobbies. I refuse to take out student loans. I recieve no assistance from my job for school. I do not qualify for student loans as I am single without children and therefore make to much money. A good website for frugal tips is www.stretcher.com.

is anyone enrolled in an online psychiatric nursing program? i will be completing my bsn this year and i am looking toward pursing my psychiatric nurse practitioner. thanks