rntobe7733

GOOD questions:) The grading system is A:93%-100%, B:85%-93%, C:77%-85%, and below 77% is failing. The exams are written by the instructors, but they work very hard to design the questions to be a lot like the NCLEX where you have to apply the knowledge that you've gained. It depends on the class whether the final is comprehensive. I took 4 classes last semester, and all but 1 were comprehensive. The instructors make things very challenging, but not impossible. You get to pick a few choices of schedules, and then your advisor works to get you the one you want based on a random number that you are assigned for priority. Some instructors are more difficult than others, although the one that I struggled with is changing things up a bit, and I don't think is teaching the class any longer. Clinicals are pass/fail. I can't think of anyone that has failed clinicals. HOWEVER, you have to come prepared and do what your instructor expects, and definitely be on time. If you don't it would certainly be possible to fail! The tests can be relatively easy or relatively difficult depending on who you talk to. I always thought that the tests were really tough, but then I got my grade back and was usually very happy. However, there are some that study their heart out, and just don't get the hang of them. The tests do cover what is talked about in class, but the instructors like to occasionally throw in questions out of the reading to see if you've been keeping up. It can definitely be frustrating, but the key is to pay really close attention during class, and just absorb everything you can. It also helps me to have my book out during class to kind of follow along a bit. If their are big gaps in what is being covered between the class and the book, I just ask a question to get a feel for whether or not I really need to spend a lot of time on it. I would say that Patho can really be a lot of fun and is really not too difficult if you've got a strong background coming in, and you enjoy understanding the disease process. I would certainly say that Health Assessment is the most difficult. Do all of the readings, and ask lots of questions....pay close attention in lab:) Pharm can be difficult, but can be easy too depending on who you ask. Concepts really just depends on who your instructor is, for lecture and for lab. The trick is to just give clinicals your all, and be REALLY prepared going into it. Other than that, I can't think of anything else to tell you about it. REALLY tough, but REALLY awesome:)! If you're unsure about whether you really want to do nursing, you will probably despise every day. If you get really excited about every aspect of nursing and have a natural sense of wanting to always learn more about the profession, you will just LOVE every second of it:)!! Best of luck, and let me know if you think of any other questions:)

I really love St. Francis. It is incredibly challenging, but very good. While they are not hiring a ton of new nurses at either, St Francis seems to be bringing on a few more than Methodist, so I'm certainly thankful that I'm just across the road and that they have a forgivable loan program! In terms of certifications, I think that Methodist just got a certification that they were missing, so the credibility of both programs is kind of a wash. Being a catholic institution, I think that it is pretty neat that they incorporate some simple prayers before exams and such. I am not catholic, but I am a christian who feels that we certainly need the Lord on our side to help us through that challenges of nursing school:) It certainly puts me at ease, but can be a positive or negative depending on your beliefs/background. When I applied, I know that Methodist had a slightly lower, (maybe 2 tenths of a point) average GPA. To me this indicated that SF had more the "cream of the crop", but things certainly could have changed. I love the instructors, and the clinical opportunities are amazing! In Methodist's favor, their simulation labs are REALLY cool! SF has some really neat labs as well, but I remember being a little more impressed by some of the videotaping equipment over at Methodist. I don't currently correspond with anyone over at Methodist, so I wish that I could help you out a bit more. I will definitely make a plug for Saint Francis though!! Awesome instructors, great clinicals, just a wonderful program!! I felt that their program was really well put together when I talked with graduates before I applied, and still feel that way after attending. I wish you lots of luck in your decision, and if you have any specific questions about Saint Francis, I'd be glad to try and help you get them answered:)

The other posters hit the nail on the head when it comes to scheduling time to study. I think that the key is communication with your hubby regarding when you're really going to need backup. My best advice is to keep a planner with all of your tests and assignments, and that way you can tell the others on your "support team" that you've got a lot going on on specific days, and that you'll definitely need some help with the children on those days. Little bits of time are like pennies that seem meaningless, but if you put them all together you can buy something awesome (like a sundae off of the McDonald $ menu:) Use these bits of time to organize yourself, or even get started on assignments that "aren't due for awhile." Use extended breaks between classes, or if you get finished with a test early and have 20 minutes or so, use them to get actual work done. This also helps to take away the stress of the grouping and saying "what did you put for question 8?, Aww man, I thought it was C!" As a parent, you really do have to make the most of those little chunks of time. Sometimes my 1 and 3 year old will be playing together beautifully. I just keep my ears open, (and the eyes in the back of my head!) and let them do their thing:) I don't know if I'm the only one who does this, but I LOVE to take my books to the bathtub with me:) I don't feel at all guilty setting some time aside for bathing:) This makes for long baths, but when I'm nice and relaxed in a hot bath, I get clean, AND I get some decent reading done. A little crazy, but I actually enjoy it! Best of luck in your endeavors:)!

I don't live in Peoria, but agree with the above poster in terms of what I've heard from other students:)

In terms of the financial aid, I didn't have the nice little perks or "free money" Pell, grants, etc. that I did the first time around. Though I didn't realize this until more recently, even though the government allows for your standard subsidized and unsubsized Stafford loans, the schools essentially are administrators of those loans, and some choose not to allow for those loans. When I looked into our accelerated program, essentially it was 20K, and they did not allow for these loans at all. Also, when I took my pre-reqs at a local community college, since I already had another Bachelor's, and I hadn't been accepted into a nursing curriculum (since you have to apply with most of your pre-reqs completed), they said that since I was in a degree seeking program, and since I was not going for a higher degree that they couldn't help me. However, the school that I am attending now (a 2 year BSN program) allows for both the subdidized and unsubsidized Stafford. We own a home and have the credit to take out a general loan, but the interest rates are much higher and some banks will not allow you to use particular loans for educational expenses because it is now "what they were designed for". It kind of confuses me because in my mind, who cares what the loan is for, as long as you are making your payments on time. In short, I guess what I've learned is that the best thing to do is talk to the financial aid departments at any of the schools that you are considering and explain your situation before you make a decision on a school, and always make sure to fill out your FAFSA on time. While I wish that money didn't have to be such a deciding factor in these decisions, I suppose its just part of life:) In terms of the ADN vs. BSN, it of course is an ongoing discussion. Essentially when it comes to floor nursing, I think that the two degrees would be equally qualified. However, I agree with many of the other posters that management, administration, and other roles that involve strong leadership skills typically require a BSN, and I do agree that with a BSN there is additional time to get in those types of courses. My first degree was in secondary education, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to utilize some of those skills and do a great deal of secondary education. While I don't intend to go for any more Bachelor's degrees:), I truly believe that any prior education can be weaved into nursing and make you a great candidate for any position. Nurses really have to know a little about everything, and you may find yourself referring back to any number of classes that you took throughout your education. As I'm reading your post again, I think that maybe your question is that if you do the ADN program, could you really be considered a "BSN" nurse because of your previous degree. I am 99% sure that the answer is no, simply because there are different management types of courses that are included in a BSN program that are specialized to nursing. I had the same question when I went back, and that is one of the main reasons I decided on the BSN over the ADN. The other part to it is that many times both programs take the same amount of time because you can't progress through the program out of sequence, even though you only end up taking 11 or 12 hrs/semester because you've already got many of the pre-reqs completed. I wish you lots of luck in your decision making process. Just wanted to share my thought process as I contemplated the same thing! Have a great summer!

The other thing that it may affect is financial aid. I've found out the hard way that many schools do not offer any loans for someone with a previous bachelor's unless they are going for a master's. The second BSN or return for ADN is sometimes a tough go. I've found that it just depends on the school, so ask around if you are dependent on those Stafford loans....Lord knows that I am:) Best of luck, and congrats on your decision!!

I'm actually over at St. Francis in Peoria. IWU turns into a three year program, regardless of a previous Bachelor's. ISU's 2 year is VERY VERY difficult to get into....I want to say that the average GPA is incredibly close to a 4.0, and includes all of your previous GenEds, not just pre-reqs, but I am not 100% certain. They accept a lot more people into their pre-nursing program, and end up turning away ISU pre-nursing students because they essentially have to interview halfway through their 4 year program to get into the actual nursing curriculum (before Jr. year). This pretty much left the options of the ABSN at ISU, community college Associates, or BSN's at Methodist or St. Francis. I took all of my pre-reqs at a community college. Great option....just my opinion, but it means a boost to my GPA and the courses are a TON cheaper:) Already having a bachelor's, I really did not want to go for the associates. Don't get me wrong, I think that they are well prepared. However, in a market where most places are hiring very few to no new grads, I know that I will be very thankful to have the BSN label to market myself. Additionally, the ADN and the BSN both took 2 years. Easy decision apart from the money aspect. I had acceptances from St Francis, Methodist and ISU's accelerated program. At the time, Methodist did not have one of their certifications, (which they just recently received), so it is now a moot point. I asked about average entrance GPA's, and at the time St Francis was around 3.5, and Methodist about 3.3. Methodist was also a little pickier about which courses that they would take. Essentially, they would not accept one of the Econ courses that St Francis would. This meant an additional semester of waiting before I could start, so it left me with a pretty easy choice once I decided that I could not handle the accelerated program. I really do think that as a second Bachelor's student, I have a much better work ethic. I had pretty mediocre grades the first time around, and it is almost as if I have something to prove in terms of grades. If you really love to work with people and have an innate sense of always wanting to know more you'll really do great. Nursing is incredibly interesting and light bulbs just continually come on throughout the curriculum. I just love to see the pieces fit together!! Methodist has an awesome lab and the instructors seemed really nice when I visited. I didn't realize that they were going to start an accelerated program... that is pretty awesome! I hadn't heard really anything about an accelerated program over at St. Francis, but haven't really been looking either:) Sometimes it just comes down to timing. Depending on the financial situation, and how soon you can get your pre-reqs done, most schools have you applying about a year ahead of time. However, don't discount that you can pretty much apply whenever and there just may be an opening! That is how I lucked out....left my job in May to start pre-reqs, and started school the following January. I just felt like it was meant to be:) I really didn't feel like the pre-req science classes were all that difficult. I ended up with A's in all of them without much effort. It was likely just the excitement that I was finally pursuing my dream! There are so many options out there. It is just a matter of figuring out what is the best fit for you and what you have in mind in the future. I have found that nursing school is getting tougher to get into, simply because the economy is driving a lot of people to consider nursing as a great career choice compared to other areas. I would certainly advise the sooner that better:) Granted, we are starting to see some additional programs popping up. I just hope that the local hospitals start to take new grads again. I called around recently and three of the 4 hospitals in the area currently have no openings for new grads. I was floored, but I still feel like I am making the right decision. Even if I cannot get a job at the hospital to start out with, I know that there will be an opening in LTC other in other areas, I just may have to be patient. Hopefully the economy will start to correct itself and we'll see some of these positions open back up again! There are so many questions, and never enough time to get the answers I suppose:) Best of luck!! Let me know if there is anything else I can help you to look into:) I'm enjoying my summer off and probably spending a bit too much time playing around on the computer...but it is VERY nice!

I was actually accepted into this program, but decided against it for a number of reasons. After some discussion with my husband we decided that 2 young children + 1 year accelerated nursing program= not very fun!!) I did have the opportunity to look at the schedule and it essentially involves class all day, every day, with intense cramming in the evening. I experienced the same frustration that you did in getting information. This may be due to the timing. They make a lot of their admissions decisions in the spring, and it is difficult to get information. It is possible to get financial aid for a 2nd BSN, but unfortunately their are a lot of "perks" that the ABSN program at ISU does not have available for this particular program...namely any type of financial aid or access to their health center. I decided to go with a 2 year BSN program that does actually allow for financial aid and I'm enjoying the experience with all A's this semester. I thought that I had made a poor decision not to race through. However, with as intense as the nursing curriculum is, I was really getting anxious for a break, and do not think I'd have the stamina to do well and retain the material with such a rigorous program. There is a program through Bromenn that allows for 10K forgivable loans with a work commitment. I'm not sure if that is still the case, but it was still an option last fall. I sat in on a meeting, and they essentially suggested that many individuals looked to "rich aunts and uncles for financial support." One other deciding factor involving ISU's program is that many of the initial clinicals take place in LTC facilities. This is not necessarily a negative thing, but I do believe that hospital clinicals provide students with a much broader variety of conditions and situations. I still have a pile of paperwork from ISU's program that I can look through if you have any specific questions about the program. Best of luck in your endeavors, and let me know if I can help at all!

I will be starting my second semester at St. Francis this fall. LOVE IT!!! I had to decide between a 1 year accelerated state University program, as well as another local school. St. Francis was not the cheapest (actually it was the most expensive) of the three. However, in my opinion it is by far the best of the three programs. With a magnet hospital with so many different areas, the clinical experience is priceless. While I imply no disrespect to LTC facilities, I know that many universities use them to train nurses in school. However, with different charting requirements, and typically less complicated conditions, I feel that these would leave many nurses ill-prepared for the amount of equipment and degree of illness that a new nurse may encounter in a hospital setting. Additionally, I've had some great surgeons in my area (outside of Peoria), say that they send their sickest patients to St. Francis simply because of the level of care they receive. They currently have a sign on program involving the potential for $12,000 of forgivable loans with a three yr work commitment at the hospital ($4000/semester (last three semesters). It involves an interview process and not everyone is selected, but they do tend to choose quite a few. I will say that it is certainly a challenging school, (the grading scale is not the 90/80/70, but is actually 93-A, 85-B, and 77-C, and below a 77 is failing). However, as long as you work your tail off, you will do great and learn a ton. Perhaps I'll see you in the fall! Best of luck on your decisions and classes:) Congrats on your acceptance!!