DaniJeffries1

Hey there! I have been an LPN for about a year and a half now, worked in pediatric home health care and am currently living in Seoul, Republic of Korea for the next 2 years. There are 0 jobs here for LPN's. On base army personal get all jobs first, and any remaining go to Korean nationals because of an agreement between Korea and the US, and if there is no one qualified then jobs trickle down to spouses. Its hard to stay busy. I found a temp job as an English teacher at a Korean school later this summer, but that is about it. I have looked into the red cross for volunteer, but you have to go through extensive training, and then you get a "set schedule" to work on base of course. 9 hour days 4 times a week. I would like to volunteer, but I don't like the hours, and the fact that its not on "your time". I think I would resent the job. Also its very hard to transition to working because they don't want to lose their free work. There are no volunteer opportunities off base which makes since. Not speaking Korean would be a huge problem when trying to communicate with patients or co-workers. I wanted to start classes online, I looked into excelsior (they have a testing center in Seoul) but the learning style is not for me. Im very hands on, and would like the personal experience in OB, Med surg, and ER that we weren't given in clincals as an LPN. We are going to try to be stationed in texas next so I can take a bridge program there but until then I want to take gen ed classes. So is there an college that has online classes that you would suggest for LPN to RN? I want to get some classes out of the way. Im seriously going crazy here with NO work, I miss my career, my job, and Im stuck not being able to get experience or work towards my goal!

I applied at probably 100+ jobs in 2 weeks, via e-mail and walking in and handing in my resume. I would also ask to talk to the DON or the person doing hiring. it took 6 weeks to get my job, I lived in AZ. After one interview at a SNF the DON told me good luck, that she had friends that had been nursing for years and couldn't get a job in this economy and she has a stack of resumes like a mountain, yada yada yada. Dont let it get you down. You WILL find a job, just got to keep at it and remember sometimes its a "waiting game"

Hang in there! You CAN do it! I remember the fear of clinicals, and taking patients into my own hands, its scary and hard, but like everything else it becomes routine. DONT quit now! you have made it far, and it is a good career that opens the door for many other opportunities... I remember how it was working full time and school, but soon it will be over and well worth it. Dont do it for your family or your son, do it for you! I have faith that you can finish and pull through this tough time, remember lots of us have felt like you do, and it can be daunting. You will be in my thoughts!

thanks for the support! It is much appreciated!! I went through all the admissions for excelsior and was all pumped, but I honestly think I need to be someplace everyday, I get so distracted! and it was expensive, and so far I havent gotten mental health or OB experience, and I really want to go through clinicals in those! how are you liking EC?

So I was all ready to start my LPN to RN bridge through excelsior, even went through admissions, but the more I looked into the program the less I liked what I was seeing. Im not saying its a bad program AT ALL, its just not right for me. I feel more comfortable with that hands on clinical experience, and actually putting in class time. I am moving to Korea for 2+ years in 18 days and I really liked this program because I would be able to continue from there, but Its just not working out. so for now I think Im going to work on some general education credits, online, and see where the next two years takes me! Im going to try and get a job on post, which would be a great LPN opportunity. Just feeling a little disheartened! Im moving to be with my husband who is in the military, but its hard putting my career on hold =/

So I have been posting on here quite a bit the last few days, with questions about credits, and excelsior, and as I said in another thread I am not going to go through Excelsior, I decided that I just need to have the class time, where I can ask questions, its just a better fit for me. So here is my current situation, I have my LPN and 1 year of job experience, I am in one month moving to Korea to be with my husband for 2 years. While I am there I am going to get a job on base (if possible) working at the hospital, the hospital holds so many positions just for LPN's to ensure a fair job opportunity. I have been thinking of taking general ed classes while I am there, obviously the ones without the labs, to get them out of the way. After Korea we will be moving to Oahu, and be staying there hopefully the rest of his duty. I would like to go to through an LPN to RN program, but I have seen there are some trouble with them. My husband is from the Big Island and still currently a resident. That is where he joined from and where we will be settling down after the military, since my family and his both live there. The thing is I am not currently a resident since I have spend the last few years on the mainland. I will however be going back to the Big Island for my wedding in May, and was thinking it would be a good Idea to get to the DMV and register, so I establish residency over the next two years while I am in Korea. I would Like to go to school in Oahu since that is where he will have to finish up, but then we will move back to the Big Island. I was just wondering about the quality of the programs there, and if establishing residency now would be a good idea. Also I was wondering if anyone had information on University of Phoenix LPN to BSN program in particular. Mahalo for any information in advance!

Sounds like you are doing all you can to become a nurse! Keep your head up and just keep trying! I went to a technical school, concorde college, and I went through a 13 month accelerated program, first 3 months were class time and after that it rotated one week 2 days of class and 3 of clinicals and the next was 3 days of class and 4 days of clinicals. I didnt have to take any pre reqs, just two different entrance exams and place in the top 36 spots. My license is transferable to any state also. Apollo has a similar program available but is 17 months. I got a great education, our class had 100 % pass rate on the NCLEX (just our class not the school) and I passed my NCLEX first try with minimum amount of quesitons. Here is a list of my classes PN-101 vocational concepts MATH 110 PN 102 foundations AP 110 A&P PHARM 1 PN 103 clinicals MED SURG 1 NUT 122 PN 123 Mental health PN 125 Clinicals PN 124 integumentary PN 131 Cardio PN 132 respiratory PN 134 Genito urinary Human Growth and development PN 135 musculoskeletal PN 136 Clinicals PN 141 Neuro PN 140 Gastro PN 142 endocrine PN143 Immune & onc PN 145 Clinicals Leadership maternal & child community health PN 154- NCLEX review - this included our exit exam, you had two tries, and if you failed the second you had to start again next semester. PN 152 clincial practice This was all split up into 5 semesters. I think the program was awesome. Cost $22,000 But was able to get loans for most of it, and all payments were deffered until 6 months post grad, with only $66 a month. Good luck!

If there is a wait list I would definitely start on your LPN. I finished my LPN in a 13 month accelerated program, and now Im starting to work on the RN portion, no regrets, since I have a friend who applied to an RN program a year before I started and still hasn't been accepted! I work in AZ and the job market for LPN's here was also said to be not very good, but I found a job in 5 weeks, and started at 20/hr which is just fine for me! I felt like with the LPN program I learned a lot, I have a mom who has her BSN and we still bounce questions off each other all the time. another benefit of the program is that if it takes you another 2 years to get your RN, by the time you do, you have 2 years experience as a nurse, which is a huge help. Good luck!

are you looking for an online school or a traditional school?

I dont plan on taking my science classes until I am back in the states, since they do not have a school available for the labs in Korea! Im going to take things like math and writing, and other classes i need available online

I think I am going to have to wait on all of the A&P classes and the the Biology classes, Im going to be over in Korea, so there will be no place available to take the labs =/ BUT I can get the others out of the way since there are a lot I still need! I am very limited on my options for school while I am there and as much as I want to get the RN thing done and over with, I just want to make sure I am a success at it! Thank you so much for your info!

So recently I have been re-thinking going through the excelsior program. Its nothing against the school, its just I really do not like the idea of not having a teacher, I like to have someone to explain to me, I focus much better in a class room setting, and Im afraid that through excelsior I wont get the help I need. My other concern is the price.... I will be living in Korea for several years and to fly back to the states to take the CPNE is just WAY to expensive. so I have been thinking of back up plans. Im currently and LPN and 23 years old, so Im OK with waiting a few years if needed since my husband(who is in the military) want to wait a few years for kids anyway. SO my NEW plan A is getting a full time job as an LPN at the hospital at the base and starting a family, and taking pre reqs on an online community college, and then when we are back in the states going to more of a traditional style school... MY QUESTION: does anyone know an online school that you can take GEN ED classes through that are transferable? Or does it depend on the school? And what type of GEN ED classes in specific should I take? any information would be helpful! Thank you!

when I talked to the admmissions person they told me I wouldn't be paying anything to test on base saving around 200$ a test. I will ask them again tomorrow when I call!

Thanks for all the great info! It was great to know I can get started on the gen ed classes because I have look 30 credits I need... YIKES! Were you not aloud to test on base for free? The information I received from the school was as long as base is set up for computer based testing then I will be able to test on base for free! If not I have to find a pearson vue. Unfortunately my hubby is an officer so I wont qualify for that grant... =( which would be super helpful! Thanks for all the info it was so helpful!!! let me know about your experience with testing on base!

Im getting ready to start also! I got my unofficial eval on thursday, and Am going to be doing the program from Korea! But I have like 60 credits to take! I will be doing school full time and be in Korea with my husband (in the army) , and we will be there for two years, so I have a good chunk of time to study! Good luck!