gagwoz

Hello budding nursing students! I am a FORMER instructor in both programs with both MSN and MBA degrees. Personally, I'd never attend either. NETI is overly structured and the first class I taught had 56 students in it. If I stood up front they couldn't hear me in the back over the projector mounted on the ceiling. If I stood in the back... The instructors were encouraged to assign homework every night. Very rigid with respect to attendance and tardiness - even between classes. Only 10 minutes between classes. If you come in after the class starts you are marked late and 3 lates = 1 absence from that class. Students are constantly talking so those sitting around them miss information in their notes. There are no make up exams. You just get a zero. I know of a student who had surgery and missed two weeks. She was told she had to drop out and re-start the program. Way too rigid for me... At Stone students are treated like high school students. They are coddled the first semester and then bamm - real life hits the next semester. After they have your money, of course. The physical environment looks like some desks were thrown into an old building. There is no A/C in some of the rooms. Teachers quit in the middle of the semester because management doesn't back them up and isn't consistent with decisions. Favoritism seems to be a factor. There is no consistency with regard to the instructors. Some are very hard and some have no control over their classes at all. Students are "hard core" with aggressive outbursts and even threats to instructors at times. The area in Hamden is not very safe to walk in at night. That was more disorganized than I could have ever imagined. The place is dirty with dim lighting. The school principal has security monitors in his office - which he rarely leaves. However, if you have a problem go to him - he is always making exceptions in favor of the students. Now tell me something, why an LPN program as opposed to an RN program? Think it's easier? Cheaper? Less work? Easier to get a job? Not at all!!!! Just the opposite. There is a ton of paper or busy work in LPN programs that you don't find in RN programs. RN programs have maybe one paper a semester and 3 exams. I'm not sure attendance is even taken since they believe you are adults and it's your money and therefore your decision to attend class or not. You are still responsible for the material covered. You are treated as an adult, a professional from the start. They assume that you will pass the program. Students call instructors by their first names and some instructors even give out their phone numbers to students who are "in crisis." Because of the nursing shortage LPN programs are popping up all over. They just want your money. 25 - 30,000 for an LPN license is crazy when you can get an RN license from a state school for about half of that, along with more and better opportunities once you graduate. That's not to mention increased respect in your work environment, better relationships with physicians (okay, that's debatable and I've always worked in ER's), and WAY more money..... Oh well, it's up to you. I'd encourage you to research RN programs. There are long (up to 2 year) waiting lists for a reason. It's less work once you get in. Apply and while you're waiting take anatomy and physiology courses, biochemistry, psychology, English or a writing course. Two years goes by fast. I'm getting down off my high horse. It's easy for me to preach since my ideal job would be to get paid for going to school. I'm currently in an APRN program and returning to ER nursing after 10+ years of working in medical underwriting for an insurance company. It sure was boring but it paid the bills, allowed me to work from home 2 days a week and they paid for my MBA and MSN programs. Best of luck. If I can lecture you any more please feel free to contact me directly.