lavatea

Wow...I'm getting jipped. The cost of living in Tyler is not that much less than (parts of) DFW. Oh well, at least they're taking a chance on me, and it's in an area I'm interested in. Going to make the best of it. :)

I know this thread is a little old, but I'm sure others are still searching for the same information. I got offered a job in Tyler (a couple hours outside of Dallas). It will start at $20/hr as a new grad. There is a 15% shift diff. I was wanting to move back to DFW, but it has been really hard to get interviews. I am curious what the shift diffs in the DFW area are like. I knew the base pay in Tyler was lower but am curious, with shift diff, how much lower actual pay will turn out to be.

I currently live in the south Tyler area. While it is pretty quick to get to the hospitals, if you will be visiting friends/family in the DFW area on a frequent basis, I'd go for Lindale. Traffic in Tyler is hellacious so the commute from Lindale could be challenging (based on time of day), but you may already be used to commuting since you lived in DFW. So maybe that wouldn't bother your DH. Personally I like the quiet time a commute affords. Anyway, I'm graduating in 3 weeks and have accepted a job at TMF. I really wanted to move back to DFW (I moved to Tyler for school), but that didn't work out. I'll probably try again in a few years.

As much as I would hate another year of school, I don't think a one year hands on (no stupid lecture time) clinical rotation would be a bad idea. Then we would have that magic one year of experience every hospital wants. Granted, I'd hate to pay for another two semesters of tuition, but at least I could get student loans to feed myself and my family.

I really hope you do, too. And if you do choose to live in Mesquite, I was told the Poteet area is the safest.

I'm from Mesquite, currently in nursing school about 1 1/2 away in Tyler. Mesquite used to be a nice city. My parents and grandparents still live there. I don't plan on moving back. My friend's father is a policeman there, and he moved his family out. He recommends Forney or further out. As for Dallas Regional, it doesn't have a good rep. There was a big whoopdedoo a few years ago where some nurses walked out or something because of unsafe pt:staff ratios. Not sure if things have improved since. I'd like to recommend Mesquite because it has a special place in my heart, but I really think you should consider other areas in DFW.

We just got a message from our dean saying that the BON will no longer allow RN students to petition to sit for the LVN exam. I was wondering if anyone on here had heard this and knew the rationale for the decision.

Yay! We can be buddies. Are you in Concepts and Patho now?

Just an update: I got in for spring '09 with 83.18 points (out of 100). Hope that helps someone.

Where are you applying? University of Texas at Tyler What is your GPA and/or points for your school of choice? GPA overall - 3.64 (UTT Core curriculum plus nursing pre-reqs only) GPA on pre-reqs - 4.0 points for school - 83.18 out of 100 When is your school's deadline? September 15 I got my acceptance letter today! :yeah:Now I just have to pass this semester (Microbiology, Concepts of Nursing, and Pathophysiology). Oh, and buy my PDA...

I went there. I left after the first 3 months and chose not to return. It wasn't a horrible school but in hindsight it was totally overpriced. The teachers are nice enough but they treat everyone like elementary school students and it just gets old. If I had it to do over again, I'd skip trying to do the LVN step altogether. If you are set on going that route, though, I'd check into the LVN program at a local community college. Much cheaper option.

I am currently working on getting into a BSN program and my plan is to become a CNM eventually. I have a question based upon my own birthing experience. I am strep B positive (I think that's what it is called) and my OB gave me an IV for this. Do CNMs follow that as well? I always wanted a birth free of IVs, etc, and although that has yet to happen, I still dream that I will one day deliver naturally. Is this an issue that will always make my dream impossible? Or is this just an example of defensive medicine? BTW- I'm not looking for medical advice on my situation, so please don't misread my post this way. I'm actually just using my own experience as an example of a question I have regarding the basic philosophy of CNMs vs. OBs. I hope I'm making sense.

Any idea what the point cut-off was for fall 07 or spring 08? I just applied for fall 08 and am curious if my points are competitive with what has gotten in recently.

I currently attend Concorde Arlington, and I have a Sallie Mae loan, but I was offered choices. My FA counselor is very helpful and makes sure I understand everything I sign! As for the rest of the school, I have found that the front office focus is more on recruiting students than keeping them. They aren't the friendliest bunch sometimes! The education so far has been comparable with community college (I have most of my BSN prereqs through DCCCD) but the policies are outrageous! The treat you like a child, IMO. I do like that they have classes starting every 3 months with no wait, though.

I'm attending a branch of Concorde right now. Not sure if I would pay the $20,000 given another chance, but my biggest reason was to go here was that they had classes starting every 3 months. I would have had to wait until a fall entry if I went through the (cheaper) community college. The school is run very much like a business and they treat the students like elementary school kids. Not sure if it is this way in every nursing program or not, but coming from a college setting, I just don't see it...

That's the boat I'm pretty much in. I work full time (although not 12 hour shifts in a factory - yikes) and it's just really hard to complete the pre-reqs. Can it be done? Sure. I just don't want to wait.

I do have the pre-reqs for El Centro's LVN program. The main reason why I'm considering Concorde over El Centro for the LVN is that I can start much earlier. El Centro's actually closer to me and much cheaper, but it's hard for me to stomach the thought of having to wait until late August to begin. :uhoh21: I don't have all the pre-reqs for the ADN program at El Centro (I don't think...). I was working on pre-reqs for the BSN program at TWU. I'm short Statistics, Microbiology and Chemistry. That's at least one semester of work left. You can't apply until you're finished with your pre-reqs, so the earliest entry point I could apply for would be Spring 2008. I could be done with my LVN at the same time that I would be starting the BSN at TWU. So, I can keep plugging away at my pre-reqs and not be able to do any kind of nursing until early Summer 2010, or I could do an LVN program, start nursing Summer 2008 and bridge to an RN and be done at the same time. Granted, I will just be an RN not a BSN, but pay looks about the same. I can finish up the BSN later on.

I already have most of my pre-reqs done. For me the choice has come down to finishing the pre-reqs and then waiting (and possibly waiting, waiting, waiting...) to get into a BSN program (or an ADN) or starting right away. Then, once I'm working as an LVN after only one year of training, I can get PAID while I finish up my RN. Right now I'm stuck in a dead-end administrative-type job. Why not move into nursing now and at least enjoy my job while I continue school?? I don't know about other Concordes, but this one still has open spots for their next start date. So I will get in right away.

I saw this on their website, too, and I wonder if maybe they changed the requirements? From reading these posts, it seems as if at some point the Tuition Answer didn't have to be certified, but reading that now, it looks like it does.

I met with a rep from Concorde last night, and I'm really pumped about the possibility of starting my career as an LVN. My goal was to go straight to BSN, but I've looked at, and lengthwise (assuming I were to get into TWU's BSN program on the first try) it will be the same amount of time (I still have at the minimum 1 semester of pre-reqs). I can take the one year LVN program then do a 2 year LVN-RN bridge and hit the RN status in the same amount of time. The only thing I balk at is the price. El Centro has a much cheaper program, but it doesn't start until the fall. I could start at Concorde as early as January!! That's the trade-off I need to weigh. Has anyone here heard of or participated in a LVN-RN bridge at the hospital that they work at? The guy at Concorde said there were several hospitals in the area that will train you to be an RN while you are working as an LVN - and you get paid for the training! Is this true?? Are there ample spots for the programs?

Do any of you have experience with a LVN-RN program taught by a local hospital while you work?

OH, we were talking about 2 different programs. I feel dumb!! I was talking about the LVN program, not the ADN program. Sorry!!

Where did you find that list or support courses? I can't find it!! Based on the new information, here are my corrected stats: 1) 4.0 (with the Eng. CR) 2) 7 (A&P 2 and Dev. Psych) 3) 4.0 I hope I figured that right!

I'm considering this option, but I saw in the DCCCD course catalog that there's also a Spring entry to the LVN program. I am very interested in this, but the El Centro website only lists the Fall entry program. Does anyone know anything about the Spring entry? I'm thinking it's probably too late to apply for it anyway, though, if it does exist. I am visiting with someone from Concorde today to look into their LVN program. I have no idea on the cost, but I'm betting that El Centro's is cheaper. Any insight in one vs. the other? If I were applying for El Centro here are my stats: 1) 4.0 (my English is a CR) 2) 49 (this is all of our other college course work, right?) 3) 3.71 (this will be lower after this semester's grades post )

Yeah, I feel like I am drowning. I started out taking 4 classes this semester, but it has come down to me dropping two (the sciences) and failing the other two (due to getting behind on the work). I am very disappointed with myself and my situation. I was doing well in school up until this semester (my GPA before these two failing grades get posted is a 3.71 - not the best, but not too bad). I am currently working a different job than I was before this semester, and I don't know if it's the job plus the school work or if I'm in burn-out mode or if it's a combination of the two (or if it's other factors). I had almost made up my mind to just take the sciences one class at a time, but since I've messed up my Statistics class now, I'm back to seriously contemplating the LVN route. I like the idea of being in the field plus maybe a more flexible schedule would help me get closer to my eventual goals. My next question is, since I am the main money-maker in our family, what are my options for paying the bills while I'm in school all week? I know I can take a part-time job, but that won't support us. I've heard of loans you can take out on top of your school loans for situations like this where it's hard to hold down a well-paying job because of school. Do any of you have any experience with this?