Calimom

Anyone have any idea how much a Director of Nurses makes at an ALF? I live in TN and have an interview soon but I don't want to mess it up by asking too much! I have great experience but this would be my first DON position. The company is very interested in me! Thank you

About a year ago I enrolled in DSLI after seeing a flyer at my workplace. I contacted ******* who seemed enthusiastic and informational. He told me the program with DSLI was $4000 and the courses were online. He told me most of them were CLEP and some excelsior. I was so excited as I really wanted to complete my RN. I needed 13 classes to complete the degree. I had around 3 conversations with him and he confirmed price, time frame until graduation and pass rates several times. I enrolled..... I signed on to the website a couple of weeks later and this is what happened: Wheres my book for the course? I found out you don't get a book you get like a cheat sheet made by DLSI. Unacceptable! Never told to me upfront. I finished the "course" in a month. Now what? I called the school and they told me to take the exam with excelsior. Whats the big deal? ITS $380!!!! If you don't pass you take it again! Unacceptable! I know I could never afford that - never would've done this. HELP! My bank account has been hacked!! Seriously, I went to go buy something one day and my card got declined. It was the day before payday so I thought I was just low on cash. NOPE! Someone by the name of ****** withdrew almost $200 from my checking account without my permission! Who's ******? Well I had filled out a FAFSA and thought I was taking a school loan thru citi. Wrong again! DSLI spread my application for the "school loan" to anyone and everyone and got me a Tuition assistance loan at some third rate creditor....mind you I have a 700+ credit score. They took my money without so much as a shred of notification. The only reason I knew who to call was because my BANK gave me the information. Unacceptable! It was not the rate he told me and not CITI! ******! I called Mr *** (and he hurts let me tell ya) he is obviously used to conning folks. I asked him why he didn't inform me of the true cost of the course. He said it was less then $100 a month. Get this folks - He then informed me another payment would be coming out two weeks later for another $4000 loan for my courses!! And then another loan was going to be taken out in my name for clinicals for $4000! I cried....alot. But Mr *** you told me it was $4000. I did say that, he replied, for the DSLI portion. I begged. I cried. I yelled and kicked and screamed - please let me out of this!! If someone would've verbally gone over the contract I would've known that. However, its set up in a VERY TRICKY way you wouldn't even notice it was like that. The finale - No Ma'am. you cannot get out of it. You signed a contract that said you had 3 days to change your mind. Its past those three days. Theres nothing we can do. In the end Ive tried to get in touch with anyone in that building. Nobody will return my call except a "counselor" who tells me to keep trying. No buddy what you don't get is that I CANT AFFORD $300+ in payments and then $380 for an exam fee every month. If ****** would've told me the honest truth upfront I NEVER WOULDVE DONE THIS!! Im reporting them to anyone that will listen I feel I was cheated and lied too. This is a scam. Walk away!

First, I am a nurse and I work at a "local" hospital where I pay Hawaii STATE taxes. I paid $1080 to the STATE at Quarantine so my dog could sit there for 120 days. (Most locals will not pay that in state taxes in 4 years) I shop at all the same stores as you and pay STATE taxes. My children attend public schools - since we live on a federal domicile the STATE receives thousands of dollars for each military child. The DOD gives Hawaii STATE money to keep local operating because MILITARY are here! When I stayed at Hilton for 8 days I paid 20% STATE taxes. I registered my car here with Hawaii STATE. So - guess what? Us military folk and the pony we came in on -contribute MORE to your STATE then you do. In fact, if I looked up the statistics of who is contributing the most STATE funds to this island its not "local residents". Oh and since I am a nurse in the community I can tell you there are no jobs for RN's here - PERIOD! Are you a nurse because you should no that? Your argument about my numbers stated in my above blog is invalid. You know why? It is probably WORSE then 75 out of 100 and if you are a nurse here you know that. Sadly, your STATE funded hospitals won't hire your own new grads and would rather hire an experienced nurse from the mainland! No secret right? Do you now the definition of discrimination? In plain English, to "discriminate" means to distinguish, single out, or make a distinction. In everyday life, when faced with more than one option, we discriminate in arriving at almost every decision we make. But in the context of civil rights law, unlawful discrimination refers to unfair or unequal treatment of an individual (or group) based on certain characteristics. So yes - this is defined as discrimination. Do you know why KCC has gotten away with this for long? Hmmm, pretty obvious - we all complain but we don't take action! Military spouses feel as though we have no voice here. It's easier to apply somewhere else or not even pursue our educational goal. Did you read previous posts? There are so many spouses going through this. IT IS NOT RIGHT! You need to do your research on NAACP and ACLU. They do more then cover race issues. No - ACLU is not federally funded (who care's) but they have made significant contributions to the state of Hawaii. Including one case very similar to this. This is not about race - this is about not being able to have the same opportunity as a "local resident" in a Federally funded educational setting. That is discrimination in its finest form. Don't tolerate the "state funded" pitch that they will give you if you call today - they are like every other PUBLIC community college, - funded by STATE and FEDERAL government. I don't care to go back and forth with anyone. I am asking all military and non-local residents to take a stand! We have rights. We obviously are not alone in our situation which makes us bigger in numbers. This issue needs attention and the barriers in Hawaii need to be brought down. I have chosen a career to help others in need. I am by nature an advocate - if you are a true nurse you are too. Stand up!!

as a military wife i have been in oahu for 2 months. i am a lpn here in hawaii and would like to become an rn. i finished all pre reqs for kcc in ca. except the nln exam which i am supposed to take in november. i noticed on the application it says, "local residents preferred" and it immediatly put a bad taste in my mouth. first, isn't this discrimination? the students at this school are funded by the state but also recieve federal financial aid!!! it clearly states that no school recieving these funds can discriminate becuase of race, religion, ect.... second, i was told by the nursing office clerk and the admissions clerk that military does not recieve resident tuition thus they prefer locals becuase they can afford it. wrong! we do. i was encouraged to apply to hpu. third, i was asked for a letter saying i will be here for several years after graduation to serve on the islands. excuse me? out of 100% of the rn graduates here on the island only 25% can find employment (most as lpns not rns). there are no jobs for new grad rns here so you have to go to mainland as 75% of graduates have reported! who cares if i'll be here after graduation or not? they could leave just as quick as i could. fourth, it's not easy to apply and it costs approx. $200 to get prepared for application. i am considering sending this information to aclu and also naacp for review. i am so furious that this behavior is still allowed and tolerated that i am willing to give up my advancment in career to bring a point to this sad and repulsive behavior. they basically looked me in the eyes and said, "get to the back of the bus!" shameful.