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Check with Red Cross and your local fire departments, hospitals, etc. Many offer them for very low fees. Make sure you specify BLS for healthcare providers, not just standard CPR -- the BLS course includes more comprehensive information. You can also check the American Heart Association website for providers near you.

I don't know that I'd quit because I felt the tests were too easy. You can learn the information presented and retain it, even if they don't test you on the complicated stuff. There's nothing really preventing you from taking your learning further than what they expect you to know to pass their tests. Disorganization of school and clinical would probably need more explanation. It's likely that you have a wide variety of people with different learning styles, and what you may find easy, perhaps many of them find difficult. It doesn't mean that the school stinks, it may just be that you have a better grasp of the basics and so you're not finding yourself as challenged as you expected to be. Maybe?

Have you met with the Financial Aid Department (your school may call it something different) yet on this? They'd be the ones in the best position to help you. Unfortunately, department directors really have no control over the financial aid process at a school.

At my school, they reimburse no sooner than 4 weeks after the class start date -- reason being that a really significant number of students would sign up for classes, apply for financial aid, get their financial aid, and then drop the classes (thereby getting a refund of the original money the paid before the financial aid kicked in) before the "final drop date", thereby pocketing themselves a low-interest loan by getting loan money and getting a school refund without ever actually taking classes. Since the school ends up being out the money for the dropped classes and any grants they gave, they no longer release the financial aid money until after the "final drop class without a failing grade" date. If you're getting a Stafford loan, they don't actually process out from the government-backed lenders until a couple of weeks after the start date (I believe -- at least that's how mine worked, you can look on Salliemae.com for your Stafford loan disbersements to the school). I don't know if the disbersement is triggered from the school though, so that may be why. They actually approve the loan within a few days of applying, but it takes a little longer to get the money.

That's awesome Soy! It sound like we're on a pretty similar path. Are you going to be working through school too? I'm excited about getting started too -- just ordered the vest today. Still need to get the shirt! And all white shoes -- my normal work shoes have a little bit of color on them, so they won't work for school.

I got my acceptance letter for PTEC's St. Pete's October LPN class -- I start on the 23rd. :) Re: Hospitals in Tampa area that hire LPN's -- I know the Baycare group uses them, but it's rare that they're hiring from outside (I think you have a better chance getting a position if you're already an employee, if something comes up). They do have a few postings on their employment board though. A lot of hospitals are using LPNs in a PCT or PST role, which isn't horrible if you're getting your RN right away after LPN. According to PTEC, more people move into LTC or HHC rather than hospital work right after completing the LPN courses. You can always do that while going to school, then move into the hospitals as a GN or RN. Just a thought.

I'm waiting to find out if I've gotten accepted into PTEC's October class (they mailed letters out this past Friday, so hopefully I'll know tomorrow or Tuesday). Their program takes 12-15 months (not sure how they calculate it, but that's what they said, it's 1350 hours), and during that time I'm also taking my pre-reqs for SPC. I have Psych done already, as well as most of the Gen Ed requirements. I'm currently in A&P1 and one of the support classes. I'll take AP2 next semester, and Micro in the summer hopefully, so by the time I finish the LPN program, I'll be ready to apply to SPC's ASN bridge program for a May 2010 start. That's about the quickest I could finish it all up. But it will let me work as an LPN (provided I can find a job as an LPN, the Florida boards here aren't exactly encouraging on that topic, which worries me) while I get my RN. PTEC Clearwater used to have an insane waitlist, but I believe that has been changed to committee selection the same as PTEC St. Petersburg. I never did understand how they managed to have a 2 year wait list for a 15 month program, but they did. PTEC tends to work pretty closely with the local hospitals on different programs too.

Yeah, it's a little frustrating that SPC requires you to have pre-reqs completed essentially two semesters prior to the start of the NS classes, but there are other schools that offer ASN or BSN programs who have different reqs. I haven't really looked into them since I decided go the LPN route, then bridge to ASN. Have you checked into USF?

You're going to need to complete (not just be in the process of taking) the courses actually marked as pre-requisites prior to applying -- I know that includes A&P 1&2 but don't remember what else. The other courses don't have the be completed prior to applying but everything that you can do beforehand helps. From what I hear the program is pretty competitive, and they give weight to the fact that you've completed more of the support courses as well as pre-reqs. High GPA (both cumulative, and core-specific) is extremely helpful. If you have an LPN already, you don't go through the competitive process -- the bridge program works differently.

The testers are employed by Prometric. They have test sites all over FL, usually near the test prep centers or at local vocational schools and community colleges. They do not share information with the prep centers and are not affiliated with them. Prometric is essentially hired by the FL Board of Nursing to conduct the testing necessary for certification.

Wow, no one has posted on this for a while... Anyway, I passed my exams today! Happy dance!

If you're not taking a prep course, I strongly suggest going to the Prometric website and looking up the information for Florida certification. They have a practice written test on their website, and they have the checklist that they use for the exams, so you'll know exactly what is on it. You need to take both the written and the skills (clinical) tests to be certified in FL. As other posters have said, they test on five areas -- handwashing, indirect care, and three care skills out of twenty possible. Patient safety and contamination issues (i.e. handwashing, barrier methods) are stressed. Unfortunately, beyond "pass or fail" the nurse evaluator can't really tell you what you missed or how scores are calculated, so it's difficult to say much beyond that. I just passed my written and skills exams today. :)

Around 200 -- three of the four tests were around 50 questions, and science was 30. But they have several versions of the exam, so there may be slightly more or slightly less.

I just took my TEAS test tonight, and am soooo glad it's done! The school that I'm going to for my LPN (provided they accept me into the program) uses it as one of the factors that they examine (others being the TABE test or prior college degree, whether or not you have CNA licensure, medical work history, etc.) The parts that threw me a bit, mainly because I haven't touched them in..oh, 20 years since high school, were metric conversions, scientific reasoning, and chemistry. And I'm still trying to figure out why a nursing school evaluation test had more questions about geology than human anatomy... In any case, it wasn't that bad, but if it's been a while since you've been in school, get a study guide or visit the library and grab some Cliffs Notes books on subjects that you don't typically use day to day (I found a Cliffs Notes book of Biology that helped me remember what I learned way back in the stone ages).

Hi all, I'm a little confused about something...I've seen a few times now people saying that hospitals aren't hiring LPN's and / or CNA's in the area. However, I took a glance at several of the local hospital websites (local being Tampa Bay / St. Pete / Clearwater / Largo) and with the exception of one, all of them had listings for LPNs and PCTs or CNA's in their jobs section. The only exception I saw was that I didn't see CNA's at All Children's. So I guess I'm confused. I am testing for my CNA license in September, and planning on the year-long program for LPN so that I can get into a hospital (hopefully!) and continue on for my RN. I'd love to be able to just go straight for RN, but it's not an option for me right now -- I'll be doing pre-reqs while going for my LPN. The question is...are there really hospital jobs out there? Am I missing something? LPN's in the Tampa area, I'd love to hear your feedback. :)