aquariusbridget

Thank you for all your advice everyone.

I am a nursing student and will graduate this December with an ASN. I have no previous healthcare experience. I have been caring for my father, who has Alzheimer's, for the last 5 years, in my home. He has had a few strokes, has seizures, has chronic kidney failure, bowel and bladder incontinent, and is bed bound due to loss of muscle tone. I bathe, dress, shave, give meds, change briefs, transfer from bed to chair and back, take to dr. appts., do incontent laundry, etc. I was wondering if I can add my caregiving experience to my resume, and if you think it would help in obtaining my first nursing job?

Thanks! I'm not sure how many they accepted. I think maybe 60. Not sure. I just took my state test to get my CNA license 2 weeks ago and I passed. Now I am trying to find the best nursing home in the area to work at. There is one in the area that is offering a $1000 sign on bonus, but everyone is telling me to be very careful because there must be a reason that they are that desperate to pay someone a bonus to get them to stay. Do you have your CNA or LPN? Also, I heard that at Ivy Tech if you already have your CNA license you don't have to take Fundamentals of Nursing Lab. That would be one less class to take. I guess we'll find out at orientation.

I just got my letter yesterday. I have been accepted to the Valpo campus RN program for Spring 08. I am so excited! It is a good thing I got the letter yesterday - I don't think I could have waited much longer - I was starting to worry that I wasn't going to get in. I am so happy now.

Congatulations everyone! :balloons: I am hoping to get a letter any day now for the Valparaiso Ivy Tech RN program. I called the campus last week and they said that they were hoping to send the letters out this week but that they have until the 30th to get the letters out. I hope I get mine today. Good luck to all of you. Bridget

The reason that I chose to enroll in Ivy Tech's nursing program, is that not only are they approved by the Indiana State Board of Nursing, but they are accredited by the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). I have called a few area universities regarding transfer of credit by an institution that was not nationally accredited. All of them said that in order for credit to transfer it must be from a nationally accredited institution. Nearly all of Ivy Tech credits transfer to other colleges and universities. Another reason for choosing Ivy Tech, is that because they are nationally accredited, they are eligible for federal and state financial aid. Indiana Dabney does not qualify for government financial aid. Ivy Tech also has a new partnership agreement with Valparaiso University that allows Ivy Tech graduates to earn their BSN at a reduced tuition rate to address the shortage of nurses and nurse educators in the area. Follow link to article: http://www.valpo.edu/news/index.php?action=display&newsid=2972&sy=2006 Also, Ivy Tech has many colleges throughout the state of Indiana. I know for a fact that local hospitals hire their grads. And yes I do have previous healthcare experience as a CNA.

Oh, and for the 1 credit class, I took Online Learning Technologies online. It was easy. Mostly the class covered stuff that I already knew. I think that it is really stupid that they require that IVY 1 credit class. I think it is just another way to get us to take more classes so they make more money off of us.

Thanks! I used the study guide that they sell in the campus bookstore. I also studied harder on my weak areas (fractions, ratio/proportion, metric conversions). This was my 2nd try at the TEAS. The first time I only got a 79.4%. Each topic has minimum cutoff scores: Math 60%, Reading 80%, Science 60%, and English 70%. The 1st time I ran out of time in the math section and didn't get to complete 5 of the questions and they got counted as wrong so I only got 55.6% for math and the cutoff was 60%. So I had to retake the TEAS. This time, I got 90.0% for my Adjusted Individual Score (Reading 100%, Math 84.4%, Science 80%, and English 96.4%). When my score popped up on the screen after I was done, I was shocked that I did so well this time. But I went back and studied extra hard on the parts that I did not do so well on the first time and I think that helped a lot. So don't worry if you don't pass the 1st time you can always re-take it (up to 3 times in a 2 year period - at least a month apart). Hope that info helps.

I just took the TEAS today and scored 90.0%. I have 3 A's and 1 B in my pre-reqs. I am hoping to get into the ASN program at Ivy Tech - Valparaiso for the Spring 2008. Do you guys think that the B that I got in Psychology will hurt my chances of getting in? I want to get into the nursing program there at Ivy Tech so bad because they are cheap and close to my home. PNC is my back up plan if I can pass chemistry.

I went to an open house for Indiana Dabney University on Saturday and wasn't very impressed. It was very small and the only equipment I seen was 4 cheap looking hospital beds, 3 dummies, and 4 computers in their "computer lab". For the cost ($30,000.00) I would think they would have better equipment and their clinicals are all far away - Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago and another hospital in Hoffman Estates - Nothing local. Also they don't accept federal or state funded financial aid which is a bad thing. I don't know - It just didn't seem on the up and up. I think I will stick with the Ivy Tech plan.

Hi All, I am thinking about going to Indiana Dabney University (formerly Indiana Graduate School of Management), and I am having a hard time finding information about the school from people that went there. I know their nursing program is new (just started in 2006). I found out they are approved by the Indiana State Board of Nursing for their ASN program but they are not nationally accredited. So I will be able to get my RN license after grad but I am worried that my credits won't transfer when I go to get my BSN later. But they are the only nursing school in NW Indiana that has evening nursing classes (Mon-Thurs 6-10PM and Saturday Clinicals) which is perfect for my schedule. (I can't afford daycare, so this way I can stay home with my 2 yr old in the daytime). Any information you have about this school would be a big help. Thanks, Bridget