ramselr

I did the "bridge" program at Estrella Mountain CC. Was a painless 6 week program in June/July 2008. We got LPN licenses from that, and then were able to join any LPN-RN program in the Maricopa system. Or really at any other school because if you take the LPN NCLEX you're a licensed LPN at that point. If you don't take the LPN NCLEX then you don't get your LPN license but you can still join an LPN-RN program in the Maricopa CC system. Most didn't get their LPN license but it worked great for me as I work as an LPN all last year while going to school. I ended up going to Rio Salado and their online LPN-to-RN program. I liked it. Not the best didactic education as they're a bit disorganized but it was great for scheduling. We also did our clinicals at MMC which was great. They might move the bridge program to another CC next summer - just ask around. Hope this helps.

I just finished a paramedic-to-RN program in AZ. I originally had my paramedic license here in CA wanting to work in Fire, but then changed my mind and found a program in AZ. I got in right away and had no problem getting my RN license in CA. There were 4 LPNs and 4 medics in our advanced placement class and all the medics did well. I worked as an EMT-B while getting my paramedic license but never got to work as a medic, but even my limited training during the medic internship on the ambulance really helped for nursing school. I know some of the medics were at a loss for basic nursing skills when we first started but in the end I think everyone agreed we were in much better shape than most other new-grads. We had the most trouble with thinking about long-term care as opposed to emergency care and 'the nursing process' as opposed to just keeping the patient alive until you arrive at the hospital, but on the other side, I coded a guy on the second day of my paramedic internship before I even started block 3 of nursing school. The medics in general had a better grasp of pathophysiology than the LPNs. And in the end you get a year of paramedic school and then the second year of nursing school, so in my opinion you get the best of both worlds. I think it can work out for you. You can get into paramedic schools easily. However, they take more than one year usually. And do they have medic-to-RN programs here in CA now? If not you'll have to move to a different state for a year. As for the paramedic-to-RN program, I looked into it in January 2008 and started June 2008, so that was easy to get into also.

Does anyone know if any of the jails in the Bay Area use registry nurses extensively? If yes, which registries send out there the most? Thanks.

Does anyone know if they use a lot of registry nurses out at San Quentin, and if yes, which registries send out there the most? Thanks.

bleugirlrn, I'm a new grad RN moving back to the bay area. I finished school in Arizona. I have a year of experience as a paramedic and have been working as a registry LVN the past year in corrections in AZ. I have a full-time job lined up in the Bay but was thinking of pulling registry shifts on the side. Does San Quentin use a lot of registry? If so, which agencies send out there the most? Also, are there any other prisons within an hour of Oakland? Or do you know anything about the jails in the Bay Area? Last, how is it working at San Quentin. I worked three different prisons in AZ and there was a HUGE difference in working conditions between the three. Thanks!

Tinae, I'm just about to finish Rio's program in a month. Don't know about Block 1 & 2 because I started in Block 3 with the Advanced Placement program. For Block 3 in the Fall we had clinicals Saturday and Sunday, 3 weeks at a time for each subject with a weeklong break in between. The other section had clinicals during the week last semester. You can't choose - they just placed us. This semester we had clinicals 3 Fridays in a row for Psych and then Tuesday and Wednesday for Critical Care. So it's really all over the place, and we had to take what we got. It would be really hard to work a 9-5. Also, I would buy the Saunders NCLEX review book now. Great to use to study for the class tests. If you know those review sections inside and out you'll ace the tests. And you can buy an older edition on Half.com for a couple dollars. The last edition is just as good as the newer one. I also bought the older versions of all my books online and save a whole lot of money. Didn't really hurt me. Also, apply for the Rio nursing scholarships every semester. I think they have a lot to give and not many apply. I got one last fall. Good luck. Say hello to Bill and Becky.