sherri12

I just graduated from Chamberlain Feb 24th with my FNP. I really liked the class format and the online learning. I passed my ANCC boards 3 weeks later. The entire last course is focused on passing not only the final exam for the class, which is based on Amelie Hollier's book, but the board exam. You have to pass the final exam with at least a 70% or you have to take it again at a cost. If you fail it a second time, you have to retake the course. I had no problem passing the ANCC board exam. Although I did only score a 71% on the course final exam. I probably would have done better, but I have a family and I worked 40+ hours a week while taking courses. I changed my work schedule to do second shift so I could study all day after my daughter and husband left for the day. I am also ex-military, so I got quite a bit of a discount at Chamberlain. Good luck! It's doable!

I just finished advanced patho and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I ended up with a 96% in the class. I actually enjoyed the class, even though it was a LOT of work. I am in my first week of pharm and find it similar.

I've been called a "nurse beautician"...because I was also a hairstylist for 20 years and am regularly curling and rolling patient's hair!

Hi NV-RN, I had a hard time with Epidemiology. I had a 4.0 GPA until I took that class! lol. But, they are doable together. I work full time (40+hours) and there is a lot of writing papers in both classes. Depends on how much time you have I guess. I wouldn't find the classes "difficult"...just very time consuming. I am not finding advanced path too difficult. I have an A in that class. There is a quiz every week but it is not counted towards your grade. You can take the quiz as many times as you like to help you study for the mid term and the final exam. It is a challenging class, but if you keep up with the posts and reading everyone else's posts, you will do fine. I am enjoying it. Good luck!

I am currently in the FNP program at Chamberlain and I love it. I chose Chamberlain because I wanted 100% online and the cost was much cheaper than the local college choices. ( I live in NH). Chamberlain does assist you in finding a preceptor. I am in that process now, to start at my first site in May. They had me make a list of all the clinics or sites that may take students and send it to them. They then do the calling for the student. They do not want the student doing cold calling. I looked through the phone book and made a list. I landed my first site right away. I still have a few more to find, but I have until next June to find them. I think the classes at Chamberlain are challenging, but doable. I work full time and I take one class at a time. I started in Sept of 13 and should graduate in March of 16. I am currently in the advanced patho and find it challenging but I am in week 6 and have a 98.8 for a grade! They want to see that you are participating and that your posts are thorough and that you understand the subject. I am really enjoying it and may continue on for my DNP...good luck to anyone attending!

In NH, you can sit for the LPN boards if you have finished 600 hours of nursing school, including clinical. You must have finished Fundementals of nursing, Med-Surge, and Parent-child health also. I will graduate in May of 2013 with my BSN, but I am eligible to sit for the LPN boards in January of 2013 if I choose too.

Actually, MunoRN... I haven't even graduated yet. I will graduate with my BSN in May of 2013 from a University in New England. So, no, the good ol' days are not gone, you just have to look around.

I go to a University in New England and I've never heard of a cost that high. For those who want to go to a private school and pay $90K... I wonder if their education was worth the extra $65k. Dartmouth-Hitchcock hospital (near Dartmouth College), along with 4 other hospitals in that area, are no longer hiring ADN's. And I'm sure this trend will continue.

I went back to school at 42. I also have a family, house, kids, and bills. I am in my last year of a BSN program and have worked 35-40 hours the entire time and still am able to make the Dean's list every semeseter. Paying down bills before hand? Impossible. There is no way to pay off your house before nursing school. I am able to do it by not procrastinating and being organized. This is really all there is to it. I get my work done even before the single students who don't work. There are deadlines to getting work in and I always make sure I know what they are. Many times when assignments are given, I will have them done that night, or by the next day even if I have a week or more to get them done. I follow the syllabus very carefully so I don't forget anything and nothing is late. You can have points taken off for late work and even 1/2 point can bring your grade down in the end. If you can come up with a system of being organized to get your reading done and get work in on time you can do it and do it well. I find many of the older students ( like us) do it well. Good luck!

$40-60K for a BSN??? I paid $24,000 for my entire 4 year BSN education at a University. My car cost more than that.

At my 4 year Universtiy we get charged around $250. a semester for ATI. So far it's not helping me, but we'll see. I'm in the second half of my junior year.

I always get really tired the last two weeks of the semester. I just study what I can and do it and I've been fine so far. Good luck with next semester. We only get one week off and we begin second semester!

I agree with illsince83. gpa is important. And for somebody else who had asked, the grading scale (for the nursing courses only) at my University is tougher. A 96-100 is an A. A 90 to 95 is an A-. I have always been an A student throughout my pre-req's. I just finished my first semester of nursing courses and I'm now an A- student. I want to keep my gpa higher because I am going to grad school immediately after I graduate with my BSN and in that case it is important. It's a different scenerio for everybody.

I'm in my second semester of a BSN program. If we had a C in any nursing class, we would be OUT. We can't get below a 79 (B-). We also have to take a med calculation test the second week of every semester and pass it with a 95%, or we are OUT. We get three chances to pass it. I failed it twice the first semester....with a 93%. So this talk about C's being ok all depends on where you are attending.

I got a B- in both A&P 1 and 2 and I'm an A student in the nursing courses. In my opinion, A&P are much harder than the nursing courses are. I'm in a BSN program and also working 30 hours a week, with a family! You can do it.

Before I began my actual nursing program, I used to come on these threads to see how it was like for everyone else. I've realized that everybody takes it differently. We have 38 in my BSN program. Most of them are doing ok. Many of the young ones have a harder time keeping up with the work, but have plenty of time to do other things. It's a mix of prioritizing, and like I said earlier, being organized. I don't feel like I've given up my life. I just get my assignments done early. I usually begin on them the day they are assigned instead of waiting a week to begin. I have no doubt that you can do it, even with a family.

You can do the full time schedule. Just be organized. I am in a full time BSN program, starting my 2nd semester soon. I also work at least 40 hours a week and have a family. (4 year old daughter). I am having no problem keeping up with the work. In fact, I have my assignments done before the younger students with no families or responsibities. I was also worried in the beginning that I wouldn't keep up. I have a 3.6 gpa and I'm ok with it going down. I'm not going to stress about my gpa as long as I'm passing the classes. In the end, who is going to care what your gpa is as long as you pass the nclex. Some of the students are fixated on that gpa and it's not doing them any good. You can do it! Good luck!

It doesn't take $60,000 to get a BSN. I will have finished my BSN from start to finish in 3 1/2 years at a cost of about $26,000.

I am in my last year of a BSN program and they required genetics and not cell bio. Hope that helps. I did find genetics interesting.

I took statistics online at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH. I was dreading it also, but I didnt find it too bad. I ended up with a B. I felt the prof did everything he could to help us learn it. He expected us to learn how to use the software to do stats instead of learning all the formulas. There were no formulas to learn. Good luck with it.

My question may seem silly, but don't RN's get experience working as an RN while they are in the MSN or DNP program? I asked my nurse practioner about her schooling and she said she worked per diem as an RN while pursuing her MSN but otherwise went straight through.

"In the back of mind I always thought I wasn't smart enough or competent enough. I would think of 1000 ways I would probably fail. I had so much doubt even to my last exam. I now have so much more confidence in myself. God gave me the strength I never thought I had. Wow. Can't believe its' over....:redbeathe " Congratulations! I'm in my third year of a BSN and I feel the same way. I can't wait till it's finished.

I started out in the USCG on the search and rescue team out of high school in 1986. In 1995 I graduated Cosmetology school. I had a successful career as a hairstylist for 16 years and loved it! I owned a successful salon and day spa for 6 years but that got tiring. I sold the business and went to work for a very upscale day spa for 5 years as the lead hairstylist for weddings. I had a baby in 2007 and my time spent with the nurses in the OB unit brought back my thoughts of finally going to nursing school. I had always wanted too, but never really had the means of going until now. I am in my third year of a BSN program and I do hair at home as well as drive a school bus to help me get through school. I'm lucky I have a supportive husband. I will graduate at 45 and I love every minute of school.

Hi... I've been reading your posts. I'm in the Northeast and in my third year of my BSN program. I am also volunteering at a hospital to kind of get my foot in the door. I think it definately helps. If a job opening comes up once you graduate and you apply for it along with someone they don't know, of course they will hire you... if they liked you. :)

I spent 1 1/2 years at a community college finishing pre-req's, then applied to thier ASN program and got in the first time. I also applied at a 4 year college to thier BSN program and got in the first time. I accepted the BSN offer.