Kimily

Well, Im not there yet, and Im taking my time. The test's scare me and Im a good student. I just dont want to have to wait 6 mths to retake it if I fail it. Anyway, Like you I have not heard from anyone here who has taken that Phase2 part. WOuld love to though. I have 2 boys in College too! ( and 2 more coming up behind them...) Its a house full of Students. Kind of fun though, and one of my son's is someone who takes Calculus as an elective, so he helps me with my math ALOT, because he didnt get the math genious from me! Take care !

Brenda, TCN provides these courses that ISU requires. But you have tobuy them from them. Just for them I think its close to $3000. I went for the whole package, works for me that way and it is included in what Im paying. I know some are finding deals on ebay, but...I just felt better about doing it this way. Hopefully everyone will reach the same goal....BSN.

Hi Brenda and Kathryn and way to go Eric!!!!! I have been a LPN for nearly 4 years and I work for Hospice and do PRN at at local nursing home. I love what ISU has to offer and cant wait to get to that part. BUT>>. I just started and have a ways to go. Im taking Sociology now and plan to tackle Algebra next. I hate math so I figured I would just get them out of the way and relax. Thank goodness I have a son that is pretty awesome in Math, so maybe he can help his dear ole mom! I truly hope we keep this going. Its nice communicating with others who are doing the same thing. Good Luck and Keep in touch. Kim in Fla!:welcome:

Sensoria, I dont have to take Speech BUT can understand what you are saying. I am sure I will come across some that make me feel just like you are now. Good Luck to you.

Brenda, I appreciate your response. Good Luck with AH1, let me know how it goes. Are you finding that some of your co-workers think your crazy , when you tell them your going to be enrolled in Indiana State University and get a BSN online? I live in Fl and most of the response I am getting is like AH H Honey, what line did they feed you? Its funny. Anyway..just wandering what kind of response your getting. Take care. Kim;)

Sensoria, I dont have to take Speech BUT can understand what you are saying. I am sure I will come across some that make me feel just like you are now. Good Luck to you.

Hi, I am using the publishing company TCN to get through my prerequisites and then will enrolling in the Indiana State University Online BSN Program. I am very excited about this opportunity and even though I have along way to go, I know I will get there. Best part is...NO CPNE! You do your clinicals locally with preceptors and I love that! ANyway...Just wandering if anyone else is doing this program and how far you are? I need all the support I can get. Im taking Sociology now...How is the CLEP for this? Thanks!

Hi, I am currently working through my first TCN course, Sociology. I hope that I do well on the exam, when its time. I am enrolled in the LPN to BSN through ISU, and I am thrilled with the opportunity that they offer. Alot of people are hard on TCN because it is a Publishing Company, but going through them makes me feel I will be ready to take the exams and their pass guarantee, makes me confident I will get through it. Cant wait til Im a BSN!!!!!!! Congrats to you...Have you taken any more since this post?

IF I was rude I appologize, I dont see that as much as I seen it from the OP to previous posters, but, yet again to each his own. Most of the oposition if from non wearers and most of the defenders are currently and or have been wearers of artificial nails. I guess the moral of these arguments should be dont walk in someone elses shoes, if you dont wear them , dont worry about it, If you do, then you must deal with the consequences that may occur. BUT!! I still feel telling someone that because they choose to wear them, or defend wearing them makes them unworthy of being a good nurse is truely what was rude and wrong. Im moving on to a different subject now, there are much more serious issues to deal with in nursing than wether another nurse wears acrylics.

WOW! 24 months to be a LPN? that is twice as long as it took me . What state are you in? Here in FL, it takes one year and there is NO difference IF Those degrees are great to have if they are for you, but if your goal is to be a nurse, go for your LPN and work up or straight for RN and then go on if you need to. So may options huh?? Good LUck,

Here are a few facts that may or may not help. 1) LPN school is shorter , and dont let that make you think ( or anyone else I might add ) it isnt tough and challenging, but in a year , you are a NURSE. 2.) There are options for earning your degree for RN at home once you are a LPN, which means no more time away from family. This route isnt for everyone, but still an option. 3.) Traditional bridge over programs are shorter and require less pre reqs, another option. 4.) RN degree typically takes 3 years full time, at the end you are a NURSE. if you need or just want to get into nursing because it is what you truely want and the money would help a great deal, then LPN takes far less time. You have to make your decision based on your wants, needs and those of your family. As you have seen, I am very honored and feel very blessed to be a LPN. Each day I work , I am thankfull. Thankfull for finally having the courage to do it, a supportive family, and a good LOrd that saw me through each step and continues to guide me through my love of nursing and new found respect I have for myself. Good Luck to you. No matter what you decide, stay with it. Nursing is so rewarding. NOt always pleasant, but worth it.

Wow! You really, really like being right! haha, Thats okay though, makes for interesting conversation. I do agree that there are some documented misfortunes where fake nails are concerned, my point is this, As a nurse simply forgettting to wash your hands ( with or without nails I might add ) and touching someone on reverse isolation precautions may cause a reprocution, forgetting to wipe the hub of your IV site EACH AND EVERY TIME You insert a med or a flush may cause infection, Med Errors, Going to work sick because you have no more sick days and cant afford not to, and breathing on someone can cause serious issues for some patients. Dont you get it yet? Everyday..in many ways you can cause harm, however unintentional. Nails are simply one issue, not for you or me to decide, and certainly the right of anyone who wants to wear them to deal anyway theywant to with being able to , or not being able to wear them, without someone making them out to be lousy nurses. Even you can make a mistake without artificial nails, I hope if that time comes , Your support system is better than yours appears to be for others. One last point, I personally do not wear nails, my real nails are kept clean and manicured and at sport length. If I worked around NICU babies, they would most likely be shorter out of neccessity, Not everyone does or wants to. TO each his own, I am also very well educated and take my patients care and safety very seriously, I thankyou for assuming I would not though, it made me realize thinking you know everything and thinking your way has to be the right way, causes way to much trouble , and I hope I never ever become that way.

Jeesh Cathie your being a little harsh arent you? Pent up hostility? IF you think that being upset because someone is yet again telling us some aspect of our personal life and choices must be changed to accomodate keeping our jobs,is the making of a bad nurse who doesnt follow the rules, then I say your the one being uncaring. People, yes even nurses have different things that make them feel better about themselves, not everyone feels the same way about the same things and that is every persons right, but to call someone non caring and then ultimately imply they must be somehow far less intellingent than you , or less capable in someway. (referring to the CODE comment.) is just mean and it is wrong. Artificail nails or not, Im a darn good nurse, wether our opinions differ, or I challenge the system where you do not, does not even come close to making me a bad nurse and it doesnt give you the right to imply that someone who does is. Frankly , I find it easier to clean longer nails than short ones, which also get bacteria under them , but ultimately anything someone is doing that might bring your nail edges in contact with a pt.s skin , or body fluids should be wearing gloves anyway. As with all of us, that is my opinion, Sorry if you feel I came down hard on you. I just think that judging someone the way you did , is not what this forum is made for.

Thankyou so much you guys! It really makes me smile to come and look at all of these. I really have found great advice, friends, and support from this website.

Unfortunately the patient ratio is on the rise in almost overy hospital in Fl. THe hospital I work in recently went from 6 at night to 8. 7 max if you work days. It is alot, for some reason they think it makes more sense to cut nurses , increase the pt. load and lower the standards of care for the patient. Oh did I say, makes more sense?? I should have said it makes more money!!! Good Luck with finding what you are looking for. Im afraid it may take some time. Im sure there are a few places left that actually put pt. care first and take care of their nurses. I hope you find one!! I work 12 hour nights and usually do have a 8 pt. load. Its not easy, but it is doable. It takes tremendous organization and patience, and boy do I look forward to those days off! We all keep hoping and praying that one day they will wake up to see that working nurses harder without paying them more means higher turn over and stressed out nurses who either quit or just stop caring..Its a sad thing but the bottom line has become more important to administration than the patient.

Unfortunately the patient ratio is on the rise in almost overy hospital in Fl. THe hospital I work in recently went from 6 at night to 8. 7 max if you work days. It is alot, for some reason they think it makes more sense to cut nurses , increase the pt. load and lower the standards of care for the patient. Oh did I say, makes more sense?? I should have said it makes more money!!! Good Luck with finding what you are looking for. Im afraid it may take some time. Im sure there are a few places left that actually put pt. care first and take care of their nurses. I hope you find one!! I work 12 hour nights and usually do have a 8 pt. load. Its not easy, but it is doable. It takes tremendous organization and patience, and boy do I look forward to those days off! We all keep hoping and praying that one day they will wake up to see that working nurses harder without paying them more means higher turn over and stressed out nurses who either quit or just stop caring..Its a sad thing but the bottom line has become more important to administration than the patient.

Depends on where you work. Some facilities require solid colors ( although the traditional white is usually not one of them ) some units of hospitals require you to wear the same color so you are easily identified. Mostly from what I have seen, you can wear whatever scrubs you would like to. Its very rare but some offices will give you a clothing allowance for scrubs but it isnt much. Havent heard of any hospital that does it though. Which is why I say thank goodness for Uniform City and Ebay!!!

Depends on where you work. Some facilities require solid colors ( although the traditional white is usually not one of them ) some units of hospitals require you to wear the same color so you are easily identified. Mostly from what I have seen, you can wear whatever scrubs you would like to. Its very rare but some offices will give you a clothing allowance for scrubs but it isnt much. Havent heard of any hospital that does it though. Which is why I say thank goodness for Uniform City and Ebay!!!

Kate, There is a book that does give you information about the new way of testing , Im not sure of the name, but know someone who has it. I looked through it but didnt pay it much attention becuase I knew I would be taking mine before the new format went into effect. It tells about the fill in the blanks, multiple answer questions and highest priority ot lowest priority questions. Which I did get on my NCLEX , but was told it was for research reasons if we got a new style question and did not count towards our grades. My friend got her book at Barnes and Noble and found out about it by going to the NCLEX website. You might give that a try, or even call the local bookstores in your area, they may be aware of the new format and what books will be needed since they stock such an array of nursing material. Hope it helps some. Good Luck to you!

Kate, There is a book that does give you information about the new way of testing , Im not sure of the name, but know someone who has it. I looked through it but didnt pay it much attention becuase I knew I would be taking mine before the new format went into effect. It tells about the fill in the blanks, multiple answer questions and highest priority ot lowest priority questions. Which I did get on my NCLEX , but was told it was for research reasons if we got a new style question and did not count towards our grades. My friend got her book at Barnes and Noble and found out about it by going to the NCLEX website. You might give that a try, or even call the local bookstores in your area, they may be aware of the new format and what books will be needed since they stock such an array of nursing material. Hope it helps some. Good Luck to you!

I just had to post to say that I took my NCLEX-PN on Friday Jan.21st at 0900 and PASSED!!!!! I am so excited! I really convinced myself that I had done badly, but evidently I did okay! I had ALOT of psych questions that really threw me , I did not expect that at all. BUT you know what they say, everyones's test is different and there is really no way to know exactly what to study. Anyway, Thanks for letting me post my happiness. Take care to each of you and Good Luck to those of you who are close to your own NCLEX exam! Happy Winter. :Snowman1:

I just had to post to say that I took my NCLEX-PN on Friday Jan.21st at 0900 and PASSED!!!!! I am so excited! I really convinced myself that I had done badly, but evidently I did okay! I had ALOT of psych questions that really threw me , I did not expect that at all. BUT you know what they say, everyones's test is different and there is really no way to know exactly what to study. Anyway, Thanks for letting me post my happiness. Take care to each of you and Good Luck to those of you who are close to your own NCLEX exam! Happy Winter. :Snowman1:

Here in Florida the state BON says that if you fail, you lose your GPN status. THe facility must make you stop practicing as a nurse until you retake the exam, and you have to wait 90 days for that. Most facilities will make you a CNA or PCT and lower your pay to that until you pass. BUT.. I have heard of facilities who do not follow that to the letter. I take my NCLEX on Jan 21st and pray that I wont have to find out personally what exactly my facility would do. Good Luck to you and anyone else out there that is soon to be taking the NCLEX!

Hi, I graduated on December 9th and take my NCLEX Jan 21st. I am very nervous but the few people from our class that have already taken it have all passed. My instructor said the best possible thing you can do is relax and remember you know this stuff! You made it through and confidence goes a long way. I have the Davis NCLEX review book and I do the tests and then score myself, it has all the rationals and I read them all, even the ones I am right on becuase I want to know it was because I was on the right track and not just a lucky guess. The rationals really help me, and alot of times when I have gotten something wrong, the rational makes me say " oh thats right " because with all we had to learn its easy to get things turned around sometimes. Good Luck to you. Study and Relax, when you sit in front of that computer screen to take that test, tell yourself " I know this, and I am going to pass " ( Hopefully I will remember this myself when I go for mine, HaHA!) We are all rooting for you!

I have posted on this subject once before but wanted to respond to a couple of the last few posts. I dont really think that I would like personally for me to go to work and be able to have no patient load, and just float to see who needs help. Where I work the LPN and the RN have the same pt. load , do the same tasks, the same charting. Yes, the RN's have to push some meds ( IF a BARD ) isnt available, or put down the NG tube for us, but they do get paid more to do it, so its fair. WE all work as a team and we are all nurses. I to want to be a RN but wanted to be in the field sooner than 3 years so I chose LPN first, I will bridge over or use EC when that time comes for me, but I am greatfull for my LPN schooling. Here in FL where I live, the LPN schooling has twice as much clinical experience than the RN program. We never performed procedures without a instructor present until we were told we were competent enough to do so, and never gave any meds without one. Our RN's go out with no instrutor and get with a preceptor that may or may not have the time to spend with that student that day, we had many times where they asked us to help. Im not downing it in anyway, its just varifiable fact. RN's do get way more indepth with theory and concepts, that is important, to be a good nurse you have to be able to do hands on and be as knowledgeable as you can be. I look forward to continuing my education to RN, but I believe my LPN skills and the experience I have gotten through utilizing them will definately make me a better one. Thanks