cgardner2010

I have been an LVN for 5 years and to be honest, I feel it was a waste of my time and money. Finding a job as an LVN is like pulling teeth....the only options you have are SNF, Home Health or if you are lucky, working in a clinic at one of the major hospitals (Kaiser, Sutter, ect). You are better off going for your RN. There are so many LVN's coming out of school that the job market is saturated with them. As an RN, you have more opportunities because of the new grad programs along with the desperate need for RN's. I have friends that have just received their RN license & found jobs right away. I have friends that are LVN's STILL looking for work 1 year later.... HTH!

After pass Fundamentals of Nursing you will be able to challenge the CNA exam

As far as the prereq classes go, I was told by the admissions rep at CSU East Bay, they really want you to have a B or higher in A&P, Micro & Chem for their LVN - BSN program. In regards to GPA you want to shoot for a 3.5 or higher because you make your chances of getting in greater than just meeting the required 3.0...HTH!

University of Phenox offers a LVN to BSN program at thier Modesto campus....one night a week feom 6pm to 10pm. Pacific Union College in Fairfield offers a program as well in the evening....as far as online programs go, the CA BON does not allow them which is why Indiana State stopped excepting CA students....HTH

Jackie, I am trying to do the UOP program at the Modesto Campus hopefully for 2014. I responded to the invite for the Program Preview & waiting to hear back from someone. Are you trying to get into the program this year as well? It would be nice to have someone to study with...email me if you would like [email protected]

I am now really confused because I spoke with the director of the nursing dept for distance education today who specifically stated that are accepting applications from California students once you have completed the required general education prereq classes! There are 3 phases to the program: Phase 1 is completing your prereq's; Micro, Chem, English, A&P, College Algebra, Intro to Computers Phase 2 is applying to the university as a degree seeking student, testing out of the four lower division nursing courses, taking the TEAS V exam. Phase 3 is acceptance into the nursing program & starting the nursing portion of the program along with completing any add'l lower division general ed classes you might need. The entire program is 3-5 years in length depending on how many classes you need to take to apply to the school. The first phase of the program can take up to 2 years to complete. So, with that being said, I do not see how you could be told that they are not taking any CA students when I am currently taking my phase one classes now for a Fall 2015 entry.

Don1984, As I stated in an earlier post, ISU began accepting new students from CA into their program beginning July 2013! I know this because I started the program (Phase 1) here in CA in August! They are using the VA hospital & the CA Dept of Corrections for clinical along with working on more clinical sites in Northern & Southern CA

Leny061, Cal State East Bay has a Concord campus that has an LVN to BSN program...they are the only school that I know of that is left that offer that program since Holy Names stopped offering their program. Another suggestion is to do the Online LVN to BSN program with Indiana State University...this is the option I am going with since I am working and need a flexible schedule...I am taking the prereq classes (Micro, Chem, English, Algebra, ect) through CLEP, Excelsior Credit by Exam & DSST...feel free to email me if you want more info: [email protected]

ISU has reopened their program to California residents as of July 2013

They have been talking about an LVN to RN program since I was a student there from 2011-2012...the last I heard they had not set a date of when they were starting the program & told to keep checking back.

I am a 2012 LVN grad from the Concord campus...your textbooks, uniforms, HESI review are included in your tuition. Since I went to the Concord campus, I do not know about the instructors, but I can say that going to Gurnick prepared me to enter the workforce as an LVN. I am very thankful for my education I received there & highly recommend the school. As far as exams go, as long as you study for them you will be fine...if you do the work, you will pass the exams. Your financial aid will not cover the full cost of the program & will have to make monthly payments to the school. I worked full time during the day & attended school at night...survived on 4-5 hours of sleep each night, but well worth it when I graduated with a 3.85 GPA. You will laugh, cry, melt down want to just throw in the towel, but the friendships I created in school will last a lifetime...I still am in contact with all my instructors who have continuely provided guidance, advice, references, etc... Feel free to email me with any additional questions you might have [email protected] Enjoy your journey, Christine

I am with the college network working on the rest of my prereq's for ISU's Online LVN to BSN program...I DID NOT purchase the study guides because they are all online anyway and can be printed out chapter by chapter or the entire course...the only thing I am paying for is the testing fees to test out the classes I am taking...I tried the JC route and just found that with my work schedule & family life trying to get to class was such an issue and then when I was there, trying to stay awake to listen to some boring lecture. Now, I am able to study when I WANT, I have no deadlines for some stupid homework assignment, a test I need to study for, ect. I am simply VERY happy with my decision to go this route... In additon, I read all the reviews about TCN and took it upon myself to research the company...as I stated I am very happy with my experience with TCN to the point that I have referred three people already to them who are also very happy...three more people to go and I get my entire TCN portion paid IN FULL by them... When I signed up with them, I told my rep that I was not able to afford the down payment ($400) at that time. Instead of telling me to call back when I was able, he simply asked me what I could afford and then we ended up just enrolling in the general ed courses that I need to finish with $50 down and a monthly payment of $100. When I am ready to take the four nursing courses that need to be passed before applying to ISU, we will then add that cost in and my monthly payment will increase to $150. I also declined on the NCLEX study package which saved me $525 and also TCN is making my first monthly payment for me...I also declined the study modules which cost $35 plus tax and shipping and just print what I need from home (everything is online) so that saved me $1000 (including tax and shipping for each module) I think the problem with some of the people that are bashing TCN is the rep that signed them...my rep was so honest and really had my best interest at heart. If you sign up with a person who cares more about the commission they are going to get, of course they are going to rob you blind...if you would like to inquire about the program, my rep would be more than happy to assist you and if you tell him I referred you, he will give you a discount on your program cost in addition to the discounts he can offer you without the referral. All, in all this is your journey and if TCN is an option for you, then YOU owe it to yourself to get the facts NOT rely on what is posted on a forum by some people who have had a bad experience. In addition, I have a dozen or so friends that just completed the program from the TCN stage to the ISU stage and passed the NCLEX with flying colors, gainfully employed along with very happy with thier experience. That is what I listened to before signing up with them... Best of luck to you.

First off, I KNOW that TCN is not a school...duh! Secondly, the only part of the program I am doing through TCN is the Phase One & Phase two (which ISU REQUIRES you to go through if you have ANY of the general ed classes to finish and to test out of the four nursing courses) Third, this is MY journey! NOT YOURS!!! In my LVN program we only had clinicals TWO days a week and I took it upon myself to take advantage of every single opportunity to learn something new every time...I was not in school to just graduate, I wanted to learn and because of that, I am far more advanced than the rest of my classmates were. California is one of the stricts states to get a nursing license (LVN or RN) and requires that you complete so many hours of clinical rotations...I have a dozen or so friends that just graduated from ISU's program last year and passed the NCLEX with flying colors along with being gainfully employed! I did my research with the BON in CA BEFORE I signed on the dotted line and would NEVER sign up for something that I would not be able to license for after completing the program... Finally, I have had not one single thing bad to say about TCN...I read all the reviews and decided that it was MY decision to go this route or not...no one from TCN forced me to sign those papers...the last time I checked, I am the one paying the bill NOT YOU so this is MY education and not yours! I am VERY happy with my decision and stand behind it 100%! In the end, I am going to have my BSN at the end of this journey...where are you going to be? Still an LVN working in a LTC?

I am doing the online ISU LVN to BSN program with The College Network.

ISU is nationally and regionally accredited. If you go on ISU's site you can see the accredidation there. Look under the "Distance Education" link or "DegreeLink" ISU was paired with Sonoma State for a number of years because of the fact that ISU need to pair with a CA institution for the clinical rotation part of the program. When Sonoma State pulled out of the deal with ISU, the students enrolled in the program here in CA were unable to continue with their program as well as ISU was not accepting any new CA students. The BON in CA stated that in order to continue the program here they would have to either pair with another CA university OR obtain their own contracts for clinical sites. In July 2013, ISU had secured clinical sites for certain zip codes (you have to live at least 50 miles from the farthest site) in CA with the VA Hospitals & Clinics, along with the CA Dept. of Corrections. If you look at the requirements for a RN license in CA on the BON website it states that you MUST complete your clinical rotations in a hospital or clinic in CA with a licensed RN (preceptor). ISU has met this requirement. I called the BON to check on this and that is what I was told after being on hold for 45 minutes... I did the research and would never mislead a future RN to a school that is going to end up in a dead end...all you have to do is look on the website and see the requirements for licensure in CA...easy as pie...then go to ISU's website and look up their accredidation...when you want something bad enough, you move hell or high water to find the info... HTH!

I am a LVN here in CA and after being told from University of Phoenix that if you completed English 1A, Psych, Sociology, ect 5 years ago or longer you HAVE to retake those courses! Are you kidding me??? So, then I applied to Holy Names and was not accepted due to the fact that they raised the GPA requirement from 2.0 to 2.75 AFTER I had submitted my application btw that I did not qualify for their program... Frustrated because of the impacted state of ADN & BSN programs, I finally decided to enroll in Indiana State's Online LVN to BSN program that just started back accepting students from certain zip codes for admittance due to the fact that the BON stated that the only way they could continue to allow CA students into their program (after Sonoma State bailed) was to acquire their own contracts for clinical rotations...so, they currently are contracted with the VA hospitals & clinics, CA Dept. of Corrections and working on getting into John Muir, Stanford, Highland Hospital, Children's Hospital, ect. (all located in Northern CA) along with top Southern CA hospitals. So, I signed up with the College Network to begin finishing my prereq's for the BSN along with the four nursing courses that you have to test out of and looking to apply to ISU for the BSN portion of the program next year. I do not understand though all the hype about The College Network because I am very happy with them and really impressed with the level of service provided to me in order to be successful in passing all these courses. The program (Phase 1 & Phase 2) is costing me about $10k. I put a $50 down payment and TCN is making my first monthly payment for me ($150) so I do not have a payment due until the end of October. The study guides to test out of the classes for the prereq's and the four nursing courses are all online and can be printed out chapter by chapter or the entire course (250-300 pages) can be printed out. They also have online lectures that provide a quiz at the end of each chapter once you view the lecture and also give you two practice tests to take to gauge your readiness to complete the exam. Phase 3 (the ISU portion of the program) costs $19k and can be paid via Federal Financial Aid (FASFA) and student loans... You have a total of 5 years to complete the program but can be done in 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 years depending on how many general ed classes you still need. All in all, being that I work as an LVN currently full time, I love the flexibility of being able to not feel pressured by a traditional classroom and homework ect. You set your study schedule, goals, ect and the Academic Support Team assists you in every step of the process including helping you set a study schedule, help with concepts you are not clear on and more. As for UOP, I agree totally with andrewshultz "DO NOT ENROLL IN UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX" they are a rip off and lost their accreditation or close to losing it.

ISU has just started accepting applications for CA in certain zip codes. In regards to taking the NCLEX here in CA from another out of state school, they will not allow it because CA has is one of the strictest states to get a nursing license in. On a happy note though, we are able to get endorsed in any state because of this...lol...whooo hooo... Your best bet is to go to school here through TCN/ISU and take your boards here as well. CA is one of most impacted states for getting into a nursing program even if you have your LVN so since I am not getting any younger, I took this option instead and do not regret my decision one bit...let me know if you would more info on the program. Christine

Depending on what prereq classes you still need to take along with the actual program you can be done in 3 1/2 years. The first phase is the general ed stuff, phase two is the 4 nursing courses you need to test out of and then phase three is the actual nursing portion. I just signed up with The College Network and really surprised at the load of information they provide you to assist in successfully passing the course. Because I did not need but 5 or 6 general ed classes, my cost for the first two phases came out to roughly $10,000 which includes the testing fees for each module (course) you need along with the lectures that can be printed out, ect. I put a $50 down payment and The College Network is making my first monthly payment for me ($209.00). In addition, I have an Academic Advisor with TCN who walks you through the entire website, sets up a study plan, assists with setting a goal date for completing the program along with each course you need to take. Each course is suppose to only take you 4 to 6 weeks to finish and so I have set my test date for the course I currently am taking for Sept. 18th. Christine

I just started the CMS courses with the College Network to enter into ISU's LVN to BSN program...I live in CA and they finally started accepting us within certain zip codes. They apparently were able to get their contracts for clinical rotations with the VA and CA Dept. of Corrections. In regards to studying for the 4 CMS Nursing Courses I suggest you utilize the College Network because if you fail the exam ISU is going to refer you to them anyway. I really do not know what all the hype is about regarding TCN because they really give you everything you need to be successful in passing all the courses leading into applying for ISU. I would love someone to study with (I am in Life Span Psych hell right now...lol) and only have this course plus Mico, Chem, and Patho to finish before I am able to test out of the 4 nursing courses. Shoot me a PM with you info if you are interested in study together either by email, Skype, Face Time or phone and I will do the same when I get your info. Christine

I have a friend that is in the last phase of the program and has no complaints about it. She said that she has found that taking the classes she needed through the College Network in lieu of going to a junior college, was so much easier. After she showed me the material that you get for each class you are testing out of, I also decided to do the same. I contacted the rep for my area today (I live in Oakland, CA) and looking to get started by the end of August because the College Network has a deal going on right now that if you put down your required deposit (this is based on the prereq classes you still need to take), they will waive your first monthly payment. Based on the info I got, the down payment is $400 and the monthly payments are $300 a month. This is for the entire program including ALL the prereq classes along with the entire nursing program through ISU. If you have credits to transfer over, then of course the cost is going to decrease...HTH

Relax, breathe and just veg out the day before...when you wake up, review your notes or just pray. God would not of brought you this far to let you fail now, so trust in Him to guide you through the exam and you will be okay. Proverbs 3:5-6

What exactly are you having problems with? Content of the question or are you just not sure how to answer the questions? The HESI is simular to the NCLEX exam and the best indicator on your success of passing the NCLEX the first time. In order to pass the HESI, you MUST be at the level where you are asking yourself "Why" is this happening to the pt. Examples: Question: A pt returns from a liver biopsy, you would place them in what position? Answer: Right side. Rationale: applies pressure to the liver so the and prevents hemorrage... Question: A client receiving a blood transfusion begins tocomplain of chills. What is the FIRSTaction the nurse should take? Answer: Stop the infusion Rationale: Pt is having an adverse reaction to the transfusion which could be r/t the wrong blood type being infused. You would D/C the infusion and call the doctor. I would suggest going to Hesistudy.com and complete those questions that are very similar to what you could get on the actual HESI. Other than that, just breathe and expose yourself to as many HESI or NCLEX related questions as possible. Take notes on the rationales, make note cards, do whatever you need to make sure you KNOW the information! Best of luck to you and hope this helps.

I did Kaplan's program as well and felt the same way you did...I consistantly was scoring in the 50's and really getting discouraged, but just kept going through the test bank. When I finished (3 weeks before my test date), I went back and created 25 question tests on all my wrong answers (all 365 of them). Every day I did 50 to 100 test on these questions until every catagory was complete. That took me about 2 weeks to finish. I also wrote down information from the rationales on stuff I knew that I was not going to remember and spent the last week going over all my notes (I filled up 2 notebooks of rationales)... On September 6, 2012 I cried the whole way to the testing center because I just did not know if I was ready. I went through the the entire test bank on the NCLEX (I melted down after 100 questions and literally was crying until the computer shutdown at 205 questions). When I got home I tried to re-register for another exam thinking that I had failed and would not let me (this is a good sign). For the next 2 weeks until I got my results, I attempted to register for an exam and kept getting the same error message telling me that I had already completed an exam. When I got my results and saw that I had passed I was elated! Kaplan's program does work, but now I know that thier questions are so much harder than the actual NCLEX. My point is that you should not get discouraged, because you are consistantly exposing yourself to questions in the "passing level" range of the NCLEX. Stay focused and continue to do your questions and you should be fine when you take the exam...HTH and best of luck to you. '

I took the HESI exit exam for my LVN class and passed the first time with a score of 950. We only needed to get a 850 to graduate. What I did to study for the test was get the HESI NCLEX-PN book and read that book cover to cover along with doing all the practice tests. I really like this book because it will give you "HESI Hints" throughout the chapters. Also utilizing Saunder's is also a good option as well. The HESI exam is very simular to the NCLEX exam so if you prepare yourself for it, you will pass. My advice to you is to be at the level where you ask yourself "why is this happening to the pt" from there you will be able to determine what the answer is asking for...an intervention, are they asking you to assess, etc. The types of questions you want are above the minimal line...question such as asking you to select all that apply... I would be more than happy to assist anyone who is struggling in studying for the exam if you would like...send me a PM and I will get back to you ASAP

I am applying for the Summer program as well and was wondering how long it takes to get the interview. I looked at my application page, and everything is posted but under the Interview is states "pending". I graduated in May of last year from LVN school, passed the NCLEX on the first try (thank you Jesus) in Sept. I just started working as a LVN this month for an agency that accepts new grads (Hands That Care Home Health) but have over 15 years of medical experience working as a Medical Assistant. I just pray I get into this program...I so desperately want to get my RN because there are so many more opportunities for new grad RN jobs out there. Trying to find a new grad LVN job is like pulling teeth..