Temeika

Hi, I was trying to get in for next week but I applied too late, so it looks like I'll be doing the lpn-RN program this fall. I know a couple of nursing that has went thru the program or is about to graduate this year.

Yes I was rejected from RN programs in Ga countless times, over 8 years, so at 29, I applied to long program, got In 1st try. RN core course carry more wait than lpn, so that helped me get into lpn program. I never regret doing lpn first, I'm in pursuit of my RN now. Lpn position do offer a lot of hands in experience if you work at hospital, nursing homes, home care, hospice I'm very versatile with tons of skills from being an lpn in several different areas of healthcare(corrections, dialysis, home care, hospice, nursing home, plasma donation centers, flu clinics, neuro doctor office, worked with medical fragile kids in vents and trach).

Indiana state university or excelsior are both lpn-rn home programs. Clinicals hours are required during program.

I've taken both, pax was easier to me.

I know of an LPN who did the LPN-ADN program in 6 months. She used study guides from MyStudyGroup101 LLC They are pretty reasonable, but to print them, they are 100s of pages long, so you will need a good printer with alot of ink.

Hi, how is the program with Herzing going. I'm considering applying for spring. I'm dreading the 3+ commute from GA

Hi, did you ever take on the position?

I find that there is a shortage in terms of turnover rate. True we need more nurses, but due to a lot of nurse burnout r/t heavy workloads or long work hours, nurses are always changing jobs and seeking what fits better into their life. ive worked in several areas of nursing and I find that retainment is a big issue with a lot of companies. Ive seen nurses get run off from their positions because of constant dealings with staff members with bad attitudes, nurses that don't want to adequately train nurses that are new to the company, lack of support in the field or on the floor, lack of team work, micro and/or mis-management, changing shift hours or work expectations, callouts with out adequate back up to fill in, poor communications between nurses, management and other staff member, lack of accountability, folk always passing the buck to keep from having to do certain task or the firing of nurses for various reasons, some warranted and some not warranted. I go on to say that there are also a shortage of good nurses, nurses that care and don't mind lending a helping hand in order to offer good patient/resident care. I've seen countless nurses in nursing homes that do not feel its in their job descriptions to assist CNAs when they can, or provide CNAs with supplies they need to assist residents with ADLs. there have been nurses coming to work under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Management having their picks as to who they let get away with what. I can go on with what Ive seen in my 6 years of nursing.

Sad but I believe this kind of behavior (racist) exist in more places than we can imagine. Some are better at hiding it than other. Ill be glad when all races will view all races as equal. I'm an african american female of lighter complexion and on countless occassions, I've been called white girl by blacks in most cases its taken as a tease, but I hate to be referred as a color based on my skin color. Then I sometime answer, "even, if I was considered a white girl, what is so wrong about that". America as well as other countries can be so superficial, as to always looking and judging what they see on outside.

Option 1, you get to making money faster than other options and anything u may want as a nurse for advance degrees you will in most cases always have option to do online. Most of what you learn as a nurse will be from on the job training. Having a license is what most employer look for. So go the fastest and cheapest route to start off. You will enjoy the money as a RN.

Get your LPN, and work your way up, it will be better to get RN, but as an LPN you get to practice alot of hands on clinical skills which will make you a more versatile RN, I was a CNA then MA, and now I'm an LPN and working to get into a LPN-RN bridge program at Darton college fall 2015. Ive found as a former CNA, the more helpful nurses use to be CNAs so they truely understand the hard work and low pay that involved and are more likely to lend a helping hand when its not being taken advantage of. Who wants to wait a full 2 years to get to the money, yea, RN make more, but at this point in life as an LPN, Ive made the most ever in my life thus far as an LPN. Ive been a LPN going on 4 years years, and my end of year wages in GA ranges from $24,000(took a pay cut to get experience) to $50,000 a year, home care was the best money maker for me. Plus as a lPN i was able to work around some smart and great RNs to help better me as a nurse. Off on a TANGENT FOR A MOMENT: I found working with an RN who was not helpful, did not have much common sense was a killer being new nurse at the time and developing professionally, Luckily I knew it was hurting me in growing professionally and I quit that job and found a better job with more smarter RN, not to mention this Lacking of an RN would suggest to the other techs to skip LPN and get RN instead, she may have benefited more from being a LPN first. Long story short, I never thought i would ever "waste" my time going to school for LPN, after waiting over 8 years to find and RN school who constantly rejected me, I got in LPN on my first try, plus it made getting into RN school now more easier with all the bridge program, who are not so focused on the highest grades and GPAs. Before going to get my LPN, I possessed my CNA, cert, registered MA, a B.S. degree in community health education and a MBA in healthcare mgmt. only gaining experience as a CNA, while all the other fields turned me down due to lack of experience needed for those jobs, After getting my LPN license Jan. 2011, I landed my first nursing job 04/2011, after getting a year experience in as a nurse, finding a job as a LPN became less difficult. So if you need to get to the money sooner, plus gain great clinical skills, go with the LPN route. I advise all the CNAs I work with do at least more up to LPN if nothing else,you really cant go wrong if you are looking for better pay, plus having a passion for nursing is a must on all levels. Lastly, it is a good idea to see which is in high demand in your area, hospitals in my areas are phasing out LPNs but there are plenty of doctor office, nursing homes and home care company that are still using LPNs.

As a LPN in GA, Ive worked in a nursing home where I didnt everything a RN did on floor, except, LPNs are not allowed to call time of death for a residents, in home care, RN are supervisors, case managers, etc. When it comes to PICC lines, I can change the dressing, and remove blood for labs, RNs are the only ones that can remove PICC lines within the organization I work for, I did dialysis nursing as an LPN, state BON requires a RN has to be on floor at all times, they are floor supervisor,RN were able to make med changes based on recent lab results, as a LPN, we administered meds, work with catheters(dressing changes, hook up and disconnecting catheter patients from the machine, collecting labs, dressing change for catheters. I am aiming to work on my LPN-BSN thru Indiana state university, so I can get paid more for doing some of the same work RNs do and more.

Yes, thats what Ive experience from working in a private office for dialysis. The company I work for is actually trying to ween away from PCT and get all LPNs so the catheter patients dont have to wait for a nurse. But I dont see the turnover rate being good for that company if they think they can pay PCT pay to LPN and expect all that they do.

Congratulations to you!! How much time would you say you put into studying for each Challenge exam?

Omg, I took adult health and OB exams this morning. I failed both, OB was not so bad I failed it by literally 1 question, not adult health, it was a tough one, but I fell ill this past week and didnt get to finish preparing for adult hlth, but truely I think with a little more time and use of my old ATI, LPN NCLEX study guide and Lipponcotts study guides that I was using, I couldve passed both, it was not too much different from classroom testing, and it did just all appear to be like a final exam, so I'm hoping they dont make me purchase the study guides from college network. So I'm going to just push my entry date up to spring semester so I can have more time to study with out so much pressure, I think next go round will have better results. Anyone else made any attempts at these exams since we are only like 5 weeks away from June 1st deadline for fall 2012 consideration into the program.

Wish me luck, I and taking Adult health and Mother/Child challenge exam Friday, 04/20/2012 and after I passed those 2 I will lastly work on Peds(which I have heard was the hardest). But I will see for myself.

I agree, once I was admitted, I didnt find it difficult to talk to someone, they actually called me once to let me know I was missing a couple of things and I got an email asking if I was going to finishing my challenge exams, and if i miss deadlines, they have successfully transferred my info into the following semester until I get all requirements met which all I have left to do is test out of 3 challenge exams, fax my cpr card and purchase malpractice insurance.

I went back to the 2 year school I got my LPN diploma and they proctored me for $35 for one exam and told me they may be able to work out a deal on the last 3 so I dont have to pay $35 for each exam. I guess I surprised the proctor, I took my mental hlth exam in 35 minutes although I had 3 hours and I passed.

I agree, Ive maxed out in federal loans here in GA at $65000+, and Sallie mae has always kicked in to loan money when I had no other options.

Just one, I think I'm going to take adult hlth and Maternal/OB together by the end of the month.

Hey nitalpn how is it going? I'm aim to take OB and Adult health challenge exam in Mar. and hopefully Peds in April. What part are you currently working on? But yes we may need to study together, I'm actually aiming to buy a home in the gwinnett area by the end of the year.

I was 29 and pregnant with my first child while going through LPN program. Had him at 30. I was more concerned with being married before having kids but it didnt happen that way. Spacing of kids was never my concern, although I still got a couple more year to decide if I want more. But your decision is really a personal one. You have a husband already, I do not and that is what I'm waiting on before having more kids plus I want to get my RN license before my child is preschool age so I can potentially enroll him in a private school. i was unemployed and finishing up the nursing program when my child was born and I was fortunate enough to reside with my parents who took great care of my child while i attended school and they are taking great care of while I work. But if I was in your shoes with my desires, I would be back in school. I actually am in pursuit of my BSN online.

Its completely circumstantial. I was a BSN prenursing student once upon a time. My grades were fair, and after 8 years of unsuccessful attempts to get accepted into a RN program, ADN and BSN, I applied one time to an LPN program and was accepted. I worked 2 years prior to this as a CNA, I dont regret any of it because as an LPN, my pay doubled what I was making as a CNA, secondly, I was ready to move out on my own and with my debt(I couldnt take working at a CNA rate of pay for 2 more years when in age I was knocking on 30 and possessed a B.S. degree which was not in high demand) I could not make it on my own comfortably off of CNA pay here in GA. As an LPN, I'm living more comfortably, enjoying my job alot more and in pursuit of my BSN with Indiana State University LPN-BSN program, which are not hassling me so about a GPA(which I found, higher GPAs do not always qualify you to be a good nurse), you need to possess compassion for the field as well as have the necessary knowledge to make sound decisions. My LPN nursing classes GPA was alot higher than the GPA i had in my general ed. courses and Ive been told by several patients/coworkers, I'm a good nurse, although I have less than a 1 year experience as a LPN, but for me, it paid to be a CNA first. Being a CNA made me realize, I didnt want to be that for long due to my qualifications, plus it allowed me get a feel of nursing in which I came to realize, I really did enjoy caring for other and it was a true passion I possessed and still do. I also feel if you can handle being a CNA you can handle nursing. As a CNA, I gained alot of experience and knowledge I was able to apply to my job and schooling as a LPN. You are pretty much limited to nursing homes (which really over works you but pays fairly decent). I'm currently working in corrections at a local jail. At a nursing home setting, the RN and LPN did pretty much the same job, difference was, RN could call time of death whereas LPN had to get an RN to do so but RNs made more. And its true here in Athens,GA as well, Hospitals are not accepting LPNs much. Something about achieving a magnet status(some kind of nationwide recognition), hospitals have to hire more degree containing employees(ADN,BSN, Physicians, etc), outside of the techs, and as you know, LPNs obtain diploma. Here i havent heard of pay being much of a difference for ADN vs. BSN, and they are desired equally in most settings. I had a classmate get hired at a hospital in the Atlanta, GA area, and Ive found more of those hospital in the Atlanta area to still hire LPNs with experience of course in most cases, here in Athens,GA we have 2 major hospitals, both seeked that magnet status, so getting on as a LPN is slim to none although in rare instance will a LPN get hire, the ones currently working were employed before this status was seeked. So I am in pursuit of my BSN so that I am not so limited to doctor offices (who seem to pay the least but comes with other perks), nursing homes(usually pay more but make you work for the money), or in my new case at a jail (turnover rate high for various reasons). Ive worked at all of the above areas so far, in addition to the seasonal flu clinic offered to LPN and RNs each flu season where I made the most as a lpn, but getting hours are first come first served and its only 3-4 months out the year no benefits.(with Mollen Clinic) Pay as a CNA varied from $8-$9 an hour starting out in nursing homes and home care settings Pay as a LPN varired from $13.50-$20 an hour, Up North and Out West, Ive heard pay is alot higher for CNAs and nurses. Im pursuing a BSN over a ADN because I want to become a RN and be done with it until I decide if I want to do Nurse Practitioner and later teach nursing later on in life. If you can afford to wait two years or more before becoming a nurse, I say go for your ADN or BSN, depending on your goals and the area you are living in. But I'm not knocking the LPN route. You know they call LPNs the pill pushers and RNs the paper nurses for a reason around here. Now this is just for me

Smashley10, keep me posted on how nursing care of adults CSM goes. I'm trying to study for it with the help of college network. So what are you using to study for that exam? Ive passed the mental health CSM which I heard was the easiest and I barely passed.

2brn09, ISU have a site where you can look in certain areas where they have established contracts with clinical sites by former students. I found a mental health clinic here in Athens that has a contract.