AnnieMae*

So I have a question(s) for everyone... I am currently in LPN school. I have my doubts about the program I am in. My hunch is that we are strong in some areas and very weak and outdated in others. I am an avid self studier. If you went to a decent program, what things are you glad they covered? If you went to a shaky/lacking program what things do you wish they covered in more detail? And to those of you who work with new lpn's, what skills and knowledge areas do they tend to be lacking in? I am still in the midst of reading this thread and taking some notes. Any information you guys have would be helpful and greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. :flowersfo

Here are some suggestions to start with: 1. Anatomy & Physiology the easy way by Barrons start reading this now! 2. Nursing Fundamentals made incredibly easy, I believe the publisher is Lippincot... Way easier to read than our textbook.

Please keep us posted, we are rooting for you! :)

Since you mentioned you were interested in anything medical than I have two random suggestions... Better: A surgeon's notes on performance by Gawande and Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A brain surgeon exposes life on the inside by Firlik Honestly I have only read a couple chapters in each of these, but they both have me hooked.

I know how you feel. I spent many many years in a low paying job that I did not want to be in wondering how on earth I could possibly go to school, keep a roof on my head, food in my stomach, have time for studying and not have a nervous breakdown... And I am single and have no children. I heard a lot of answers during that period. And sometimes that was frustrating because I knew that the people giving me that advice were not and could not factor in all the stuff I was dealing with to give me a viable answer. And many people ached with me as they knew how badly I wanted to be doing something in the medical field... I spent years looking for a way. Years. As you know, there is no silver bullet here, there is no easy answer. And I wish I had one for you. The only thing I can recommend is working a lot and saving up ahead of time. I am finally in school to become an lpn and I have done it in large part by saving up enough to cover expenses. Part of my provision is definitely heavenly provision as I have been offered exceptionally cheap rent during this schooling period. In the end, it may help me to finish school without having to work at all. I will certainly pray for you. You know, I often ponder why in a field that is so short handed and has so many good candidates that want to be nurses that there are so few viable part time schooling options available to do so.

Time for a happy update... :dancgrp: They are going to allow the students to keep taking retakes until they pass!

Time for a happy update... :clpty: They are going to allow the students to keep taking the predictor tests until they pass!

"It should not matter whats behind your name, what matters is the care you provide thats with your scope" That's it! Well spoken. You hit the nail smack on the old head! Years ago, I was a candy striper in high school. You know who I remember the most? A CNA who showed care and concern for patients and in her mentoring of me. No title made her that way. She was excellent independent of her title.

For what it is worth, although I am not a student there, I continue to hear good reports about Riverside in Newport News.

lily0625, Thank you for the information. :)

I have just recently started going to nursing school. I spent a lot of time investigating various programs. I have found that part-time nursing programs are in short supply. However, if there is one in your area, and if it is similar to my area, it would most likely be offered by a hospital. To get started, go to nlnac.org, the accreditation body for nursing schools. They have a list of accredited programs with links to their sites. Good luck. :)

Do they give you help for passing these HESI exams? Or are you on your own? Part of the reason this is so shocking is that no one was warned ahead of time that these were going to be so crucial. Of course by the time my class gets to that point, I assume they will warn students about this requirement.

I am a first year lpn student. I have found out some bad news from the second year students: The second year students had to take some NCLEX predictor tests with ATI and Arnette. The majority of the students did not pass. They are being made to do some remedial work and are being told that if they do not pass the predictor test, they will not be allowed to graduate from the program and therefore will be ineligible to sit for their boards. (Some of the students passed the Arnette test by Arnette standards but not by the school's standards) Can they really do this to students who have passed and completed all other aspects of the program? Do students have any recourse anywhere? Is there some means to fight this? I am so afraid of this happening to me when I get there. It seems to me they should help the students improve but not prevent them from graduating after all hard work, money, blood, sweat and tears. This seems horribly unfair. Does anyone have any advice on the matter??? (PS: I have posted this question twice)

I am a first year lpn student. I have found out some bad news from the second year students: The second year students had to take some NCLEX predictor tests with ATI and Arnette. The majority of the students did not pass. They are being made to do some remedial work and are being told that if they do not pass the predictor test, they will not be allowed to graduate from the program and therefore will be ineligible to sit for their boards. (Some of the students passed the Arnette test by Arnette standards but not by the school's standards) Can they really do this to students who have passed and completed all other aspects of the program? Do students have any recourse anywhere? Is there some means to fight this? I am so afraid of this happening to me when I get there. It seems to me they should help the students improve but not prevent them from graduating after all hard work, money, blood, sweat and tears. Does anyone have any advice on the matter???

Hi there, This is for DarkRainyDays (are you in Seattle?? "... Could you post the name or ISBN or whatnot so I can find them? I'll try anything at this point to help me understand. Especially if there is one for Pharmacology..." ATI books are put out by a company called Assessment Technologies Institute and can be found at ATItesting.com. I haven't ever seen their stuff in a bookstore. I know of them b/c my school uses it as a supplement to our studies. It is a series of books, dvds and online practice tests for each subject area of nursing. They are supposed to increase your ability to understand the subject matter and pass the NCLEX. We haven't really used them much yet in the first half of the program, but the students in the second half are required to use the materials all the time. In fact, they have NCLEX predictor type tests, and the program director has made passing these a requirement of graduation. Anyway, hope that helps :)