oOoDRAGOONoOo

Scrubs are the shiznit! Some nice dark navy scrubs on with some nice white kicks, not to mention there so comfortable to wear

Wow that is so weird.... I thought LVN's would be qualified to do all that such as phlebotomy. So we technically know how to draw blood but we are not really certified to do so?? Any recommendations on certifications a LVN should get? Since we have the knowledge is it just the point of applying and paying a fee for the certificate? or is there more to it.

I thought all LVN's were the same and educated in the same areas. What is this I hear about LVN's specializing in home-care and I don't know the other terms? Someone told me I should specialize in a certain area.... So is LVN like a broad term? such as taking a computer course but specializing in computer graphics or programming etc. I was thinking if you enter a LVN program you will learn about all the aspects, what does it mean to specialize in certain areas and why must we do that? I also seen job listings looking for LVN nurses who have a education in "what not". Are there different kind of LVN's??

Very odd... I'm going on Craigslist and Monster.com and even newspapers and I see LVN jobs available, even a few entry positions. Am I missing something here?

What state did you move to? Are LVN's in demand in North Carolina perhaps? Is it just hard to find a job in Los Angeles for new grad nurses? What if I get experience at let's say a convalescent home, with experience should I be fine finding a LVN job from then on? Thx

lol $300 a month is also what I'll be paying until I graduate. Foreign and out of state school students pay a hefty price for tuition, I hope you get things sorted out it's a shame how outrageous tuition prices prevent us from gaining knowledge.

It really sounds like I have to buckle down and get a roller bag. I guess I'll try a back pack for now and see just how necessary it is, thx.

So why are people still saying there is a shortage in the Health Care field and that LVN and RN jobs will always be in demand? I got into the Health Care field because I thought it was recession proof and in demand, has it already got to the point where this is untrue? Now I'm scared of graduating, owing a huge amount of money and having no job. Did I make a mistake in trying to become a LVN?

You have to carry 5-6 books at one time??? Is it absolutely necessary?

I've been reading a lot of posts and now I'm scared, lots of people have been saying they can't get any jobs in Northern and Southern California and all across the country. New grad RN's and LVN's alike are jobless. I'm wondering is this the case in Los Angeles area too? Are any LVN's having trouble finding a job? Convalescent homes are still hiring right? I'm just worried after I graduate because I'll have a huge loan to pay back, fast.

I need to buy a book bag and was wondering, do you guys carry a lot of books and binders at one time?? Should I buy a back pack or a roller bag? What do you guys carry in your bags?

I start Sept. 21 @Glendale Career, sooooo excited I got in before spots filled up!! Now I'm wondering how I can prepare myself before class starts?

Yes money for school was my biggest hurdle which is why I had to spend 2 weeks shopping for low tuition schools. You should have got a finance estimate and seen how much exactly you would get and how much you would owe. Private schools apparently get less funding, in the beginning I thought my financial aid would cover all costs... I was so wrong. My tuition is $26,500, 2 academic years, so my Pell grant will knock off about $8,000 of that and my school wants $5,000 upfront in monthly installments so my Federal Stafford Loan will cover the rest. So I'll owe around 13k after graduation which u got time to pay off. It's a lot of money and you have to calculate everything before you sign anything. Sallie Mae Loan still works, I think the loan and interest rate is based on your credit, most likely it'll be under 10% rate I think.

Oh BTW, For those interested in the ROP Programs(Community/Adult schools offer this program almost for free or for a very low tuition), I suggest you ace your entrance exams because the field is insane. I called and asked how many students they take on and they said about 15 and 12 reserves. I asked how many applicants, they said about 500. Very competitive. I near aced my recent entrance exams...maybe I should have applied but still their program was starting too late for me. Here's a few examples of ROP Schools: Los Angeles Trade Tech. College 400 W Washington Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90015 (213) 763-7170 -This school actually has just recently got ridden of their LVN Program Los Angeles Unified School District - LA County 1237 North Mission Road Los Angeles, CA 90033 (213) 241-3158 Los Angeles Unified School District - Locke Community Adult School 325 E 111th St Los Angeles, CA 90061 Baldwin Park Adult School 4640 N. Maine Avenue Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (626) 939 4456 :wink2:

Ya I got pretty much everything squared away, I just have to see the Director this Tues. and hand in a 2 page essay lol. You start Sept. 25??? I start Sept. 21 for the LVN program, which program are you in?

Tried to fix diagram again, didn't come out right... I give up, sorry.

Hi I spent a lot of time looking for low tuition schools around the North Hollywood, L.A., Glendale, Van Nuys areas. I had recently tried Concord and their tuition was so high it presented a big problem financially. I thought I would compose a recent quote on many tuitions I personally received in (August 2009), to help you guys and save you the trouble of what I did, which was basically call almost every single accredited college on the Nursing Board(http://www.bvnpt.ca.gov/education/schools/vn_schools.shtml) in my area. If you do decide to do what I did, all the school's NCLEX passing rates might help you make your decision easier (http://www.bvnpt.ca.gov/education/vn_stats.shtml). [[iMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK]]: -Are there any prerequisites to enter the LVN program? (Some schools require CNA...) -When do classes start? -How long is your program? -Do you offer full-time and part-time classes? -Are there any waiting lists? -What is the schedule? Is it flexible? -How many entrance exams? Are there any entrance exam fees?(Some places charge..) -Do you guys offer Job Placement? -How much is your LVN program's tuition? -Does your school accept Pell Grants, Federal Stafford Loans, Sallie Mae? Does your school offer any other loans or grants? -Is there a down payment? -(IMPORTANT) Is your school split into 2 academic years?(2 tri-mesters)(This is important because lets say your Pell grant is $4 and the school tuition is $10 you owe $6. Now let's say they split the tuition into 2 academic years... so 1st year your tuition is $5, your Pell grant is $4, you owe $1. 2nd year your tuition is the rest $5... you get pell grant for a 2nd year!!! AHA!!! and it is $4(most likely it will be half of that for 2nd yr) you owe $1. So you went from owing $6(1 academic yr) to owing now $2(2 academic yrs). Point is, 2 academic years means you can use your Pell Grant twice I've noticed a lot of schools are going up incrementally in tuition by about $4000 every year, so don't wait!! Get in there before it's too expensive! [[EXPENSIVE SCHOOLS]]:(August 2009 quotes) Concorde Career College - North Hollywood 12412 Victory Blvd North Hollywood, CA 91606 (818) 766-8151 -($30,000) -Accepts: Pell Grant/Federal Stafford Loan/Individual Sallie Mae -Schedule: Mon-Fri. 8am-3pm -2 Academic years -2 entrance exams not difficult but bring a watch because cell phone's aren't permitted and they don't tell you how much time you have left, they just come in and ding your done. -Admission reps come off as sales people trying to make a sale.. -Tuition is inclusive for books, uniforms etc. and they will pay for your NCLEX test and have prep classes -This particular location, I've read their LVN program had been shutdown for cheating before...nice to have on your resume... American Career College - LA 4021 Rosewood Ave Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 668-7555 -($34,000) -Accepts: Pell/Fed -2 entrance exams Everest, West Coast, Kaplan, commercial ones etc. These are in the 30k and over price range. [[LOW TUITION SCHOOLS]]:(August 2009 quotes) *Anderson Medical Career College 10752 Burbank Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91601 (818) 762-7095 -($24,000) -Accepts: Pell/Fed California Career College, Canoga Park 7003 Owensmouth Avenue Canoga Park, CA 91303 (818) 710-1310 -($19,500) -Accepts: Pell/Fed -Starts: Sept. 16 -18months Part-time only Career Development Institute 1830 S. Robertson Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035 (310) 559-0225 -($25,000) -Accepts: Pell/Fed College of Nursing and Technology 18700 Sherman Way, Suite 203 Reseda, CA 91335 (818) 343-1022 -($19,000) -Accepts: Sallie Mae -Starts: Oct. 20 -Part-time Valley School of Allied Health 18107 Sherman Way, Suite 101 Reseda, CA 91335 (818)206-5254 -($17,500) -Accepts: Sallie Mae only Marian College - Van Nuys 5900 North Sepulveda Blvd. Van Nuys, CA 91411 (818) 782-6163 -($22,000) -Accepts: Pell/Fed -1 Academic year... -Schedule: Mon-Thu 8am-2pm Clinicals 7am-3pm Full-time(14months) Part-time also available(18months) -$2000 Down Payment -Start: Nov. 23 -Hard building to find, don't go by cross street, write the address down and park next door near Verizon or pay the toll. -1 entrance exam & essay... Preferred College of Nursing - Van Nuys 6551 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 200 Van Nuys, CA 91491 (818) 902 - 3708 Office -($20,500) -Accepts: They just got approved for Pell Grant and Federal Loan and I guess it won't be official untill Jan-Feb. 2010 but they did say they "should" be able to reimburse your funds when it goes official. -Starts: Oct. 2nd wk -12 months -1 Academic year -Schedule: Mon-Fri 8am-3pm -Small, ghetto looking and ugly white uniforms but a generally caring staff. Annenberg School of Nursing 7150 Tampa Avenue Reseda, CA 91335 Phone (818) 774-3327 -($19,000) -Accepts: NOTHING....BUTTT... You won't need it, they have a Tuition Forgiveness program that subtracts $10,000 if you agree to work for them after graduation for 2yrs($23hr. job xD ) PLUS they have a interest-free Jewish Loan for $7,000! The rest of the $2,000 you can pay in monthly installments! -Application Fee: $100 -Entrance Exam Fee: $35 -Was my first choice but sadly classes are FULLLLL!! > Glendale Career College 1015 Grandview Ave Glendale, CA 91201 (818) 243-1131 Ext 264 -(This is the college I chose ^o^) -($26,500) -Accepts: Fed/Pell/Sallie -Schedule: Mon-Thu 9am-3pm -2 Entrance Exams -2 Academic Years -14 months -Starts: Sept. 21 (Only a few spots leftttt can you make it in time?) -Got a great vibe here, like the atmosphere and 'homey' feel. -Very nice staff (Remember don't just look at the initial tuition, you have to factor in whether they accept Pell Grants or Federal Loans and calculate those in to get the final tuition, a lot of private schools won't offer neither. The schools listed here might have college branches in your area, check the Nursing Board.) (When you go see the Financial Dept. there gonna throw a lot of terms and numbers at you that will make your head swim, so I'm gonna break it down for you so your not confused.) [[My Tuition Estimate for Glendale Career College]]: .........................................................................(TUITION).................................................................. ..........................................................................$26,420................................................................... ...............................(12months)...............................................................(Remaining 2months)............... ...........................(1st Academic Yr.)..........................................................(2nd Academic Yr.)................. ................................$13,160 (Like half of the $26,420)........................................$13,260........................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ..(MAX PELL GRANT) = - $5,550...............(Really $2,875, since there not gonna ---> - $5,550........................ ...........................____________.............award you $5,550 for 2months, darn.).....__________..................... ............................=....$7,610............................................................................$7,710.....=...(LOAN)..... .........................................................................................................................................$15,320.... ..(Student Contri.)...= - $2,037........................................................................- $2,813.....= - $4,850... ..(The school wants.....________.......................................................................__________.................... ..$4,850 in monthly.............................................................................................................................. ..payments no-interest)........................................................................................................................ ...................................................................................................................................(TOTAL LOAN).. ..(Federal Stafford...= $5,573.............................................................................$4,897.......$10,470...... ...........Loan)...................................................................................................................................... So this remaining balance will be covered by Fed. Staff. It could have covered more like the $4,850 the school wants.... but apparently Grants and Loans can't cover the total cost of tuition.... right.... Fed. Staff. has 2 types of loans called "Subsidized" and "Unsubsidized" both interest rates will be about 6.8% it's just that one of them the interest doesn't start accruing until 6 months after graduation....but the other one will start gathering interest after your first 4 months of school. Both can be paid back 6 months after graduation or during if you can manage it. Hope this helped a lot for my fellow noobies! I know I would have lubed if someone had wrote this for me.... Was a lot of writing and research but in the end we need to help eachother. SHARING IS CARING!! GL in finding your school and God Bless. (P.S. Sorry I've tried but I don't know how to get the estimate diagram to come out correctly.)

OMG that sounds incredibly hard... I'm currently looking for a LVN school, judging by the Mon-Fri schedules I knew it would be a lot of work, but dammm.

I'm assuming Mon-Fri and 8-2pm plus CNA work 3-11pm/3day a week, wow that is crazy. Even with the 3 catch up days, from my exp. you never want to fall behind with school work ever. That is a real shame they don't take Pell Grant..... Do they accept Federal Stafford Loan? Because if it's [30,000] tuition, minus Annenburg forgiveness and loan [-10,000][-7000] that leaves me with $13,000 left to pay. Even if I was to get fed. loan I would only knock off maybe 5k. Sigh, how can I pay off 13k more... There are many colleges on Wilshire, do you know the cross streets or name? When did you get that 17k quote? I've seen American Career College and many others go up in tuition incrementally every year by about $4,000. Oh is preferred college the name of the school? LOL

Thx for your help Q2B, sorry I asked so many questions I don't want to seem like I don't google stuff myself. I've been using state board site as my starting point and ROP and Annenburg I just found out about and researched a general idea now. I have to really thank you for the Annenberg information, this school is the closest thing I've been looking for, for a very long time. I do most of my research online rather than calling since I have few prepaid minutes LOL. How was your Annenberg orientation? I see they have a entrance exam fee? Hopefully there isn't 2 entrance exams... There site says LVN tuition is pretty much the same, 30k, but the -10k discount agreement is interesting. Can you also use a pell grant to deduct? What was the schedule of classes like? 20hr job after graduation sounds pretty good to me even tho it's a 2yr contract. Thx again for the guidance

Are those schools in the LA or North Hollywood area? Although I'd be willing to drive, past 20 miles is a bit out of range. This ROP program is interesting, I wonder if it was the same military type program when I went to highschool, I think it was called ROP too. So let me get this straight, me a adult can enter this ROP program almost free of charge and they will supply me the same LVN education as these 30k trade schools in the same amount of time? Does this ROP program offer clinicals as well and offer you full time job placement or just entry level job placement? How are waiting lists handled? Sounds almost too good to be true, why haven't more students chose this path?

What is a ROP program?

Hello all, I live in the Los Angeles area and was wondering if anyone knew of a 1yr LVN program with a tuition that is considerably lower than 30k. I tried Concord and after grants and loans I still owed about 22k and I really can't get into more debt that I am in now. So far my searches and calls have yielded same results. I heard community colleges have lower tuition but might possibly have a waiting list? Does anyone know of any good low tuition schools with short waiting lists? Semesters are starting soon and I have to make a decision soon, thank you for your help. God bless.