Oiseau_libre

Just a quick update on the ULL RN-BSN program: I am now in the Capstone class, the last class. It basically requires you to do a project where you propose a resolution to an issue or problem significant to Nursing practice. For example, you can propose a solution to a problem that you encounter at work. I find the class to follow a format similar to the others, and so far it hasn't been difficult. On another note, I noticed that some people found the quizzes in the Health Assessment class to be difficult. I am wondering if this has been changed...When I took the course a new book had just been adopted, and the quizzes were not tough at all. In fact, I found them to be very easy. Maybe they changed the book for the course and wrote new quizzes to go with the book that are easier? I don't know, but I finished this class last December and didn't hear any complaints at all from other students about the quizzes. Hopefully they won't be too bad! Hope this helps. Good luck with everything! Let me know if you have any more questions.

Hi Paigertexas! I think you will like ULL. It is well-organized, and I found the assignments to be clear and not impossible to do. Whenever I had any questions, my instructors or teaching assistants were quick to respond. Yes, you will need to use APA format for everything, including discussions. It may be difficult at first, but you will get better at APA with time. I found the small handbook APA: The Easy Way (second edition by Houghton & Houghton) to be a big help for a quick reference guide on APA. You may want to purchase it. The discussion forums consist of an initial post of no more than 300 words with two references from Nursing journals that are cited in APA format. Then you relpy to another student's post in no more than 200 word with one reference from a Nursing journal and citations in APA. I actually enjoyed the discussion forums and didn't have any trouble with them. You just do your initial post and then look around at other students' posts to find something that interests you, and then you post a comment about it. You can comment on any student's post. I never had any difficulty finding something to post, so I wouldn't worry about it. It will be clearer once you do it the first time, and the instructor and teaching assistants give you instructions and help if needed. As far as the capstone is concerned, I heard that you develop a project about a policy at your facility that you feel needs to be changed, but you don't have to implement it. I think that would be impossible to do in seven weeks anyway! I will know more when I start the capstone in about a week. I haven't gotten any info on it yet since it's been Christmas and New Year's break. I hope this information helps you. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

I ended up going with ULL and will be graduating after I finish my capstone class in February 2015 (I am currently on a six-week break for the Christmas and New Year holidays). I started the program in March 2014 and took one to two classes each seven-week session. Time has really gone by quickly, and I can't believe I only have one class left! I didn't have any prerequisite courses to complete, just Nursing courses, so I don't have any info on the prerequisite courses. I didn't, however, find the Nursing coursework overly difficult...You asked in particular about the Health Assessment class, and it was fine...no problem. That being said, you need to keep up-to-date with your assignments and turn them in on time. You usually have discussion forums, quizzes, and papers or projects to complete. In the Health Assessment class you need to do a Youtube video of a health assessment. You will do a lot of research online at the library and write a lot in the APA format. I have found the instructors to be very nice, attentive, and helpful, and I am really glad to have chosen ULL for my RN-BSN. The classes were interesting, and the program was well organized. I also found the price to be cheaper than many other options out there. In general, I would recommend this program to you without hesitation! I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi Tammitrubble, I will be taking Health Assessment next "semester." Can you tell me why you found it to be your most difficult class? Also, are you currently doing your capstone project? How is it?

I too looked into UTA, but I would have been required to take a Texas Government class (Political Science), so I decided to go to ULL and got into the program with no co-requisites required. ULL's co-requisites fit my situation much better, so I decided to go with them. They are also about $60 cheaper per credit hour (the rate for in-state and out-of-state is the same). As far as the literature classes are concerned, you need a British Literature class for the RN-BSN at ULL. I would check their online catalog description of this class and try to take one that resembles it as closely as possible, but they may take a different type of lit class as a substitute if you ask. It never hurts to ask! Good luck!

I wonder if they'd let you combine a couple of courses to make one communication course? Usually courses are worth 3 credits, so that 2 credit course put you at a disadvantage. Do you have another class you could ask them to combine with the 2-credit comm class? Like Speech or something of the sort?

Update on my ULL experience: I received a very clear, well-organized plan of study yesterday along with my formal acceptance letter into the RN-BSN program. All my co-requisites are covered, so I only have to complete the nine Nursing courses for the BSN. This will take about 12 months total. The courses are seven weeks in duration with a break in between each session (about 8 days break on average except for a five week break around Christmas and the New Year). During three of the seven-week sessions I am slated to take only one course, and during the other three seven-week sessions I will be taking two courses. ULL has really been helpful during this whole process: I was assigned an enrollment counselor who gives me regular updates on my status. I also challenged the need for a couple of co-requisites by email, and my advisor responded and gave me credit for them the next day. I was also able to chat with an online assistant when I had a couple of questions about signing up for classes. Every time I have a question I have been able to get help and an immediate reply, which is so different from so many schools where your emails and calls go unanswered (or you have to wait and wait for an answer)! Thus far, I have been very pleased with my experience at ULL. We'll see how the actual courses go...

https://allnurses.com/nursing-online-distance/university-louisiana-lafayette-695600-page10.html#post7748074 I just pasted a link to a conversation above that might interest you. In this thread a student who just finished at ULL gives her take on the program. She seems to be pleased with it in general. Like you, my pre-reqs are more in line with ULL. I don't think I should have any pre-reqs to do before directly starting the Nursing courses, so I am waiting to have my transcripts evaluated to see what happens. Signing up for the program at ULL was also very easy. I didn't have to apply to the University first, which a lot of other schools make you do. It only took a few minutes and cost $25. I'll let you know once I hear more from ULL about my pre-reqs. I may just have a look at UTA, too...just to compare.

That makes sense. Thanks for the information. I am still waiting for my transcripts to be evaluated and will see what they give me for my "plan of study." I would actually be perfectly fine with finishing in a year and am not in that big a hurry. I just don't want it to drag on and on when it's only for a BSN.

I haven't looked at UTA. Maybe I should, but I have been very pleased so far with the attention I've gotten from ULL. I have an enrollment counselor who has called me quite a few times to update me on my status, which has been very nice. I have his number and can call him any time I have a question. I am still waiting to see how my transcripts are evaluated, and how much credit they give me for previous course work, so hopefully that will go well. Is there anything specific that you like about UTA?

I am a recent grad of TTC's ADN program and just passed the NCLEX-RN. I have just started my job search, but I know a lot of my classmates have already landed jobs here in the Charleston area, some even before passing the NCLEX. The hospitals where they work require them to sign up for a BSN program within two years of hire. Frankly, I don't agree with the comment the TTC "is not telling" its students that the program is very rigorous and that BSNs are usually preferred for jobs. I myself didn't feel mislead and was even counseled by several of my instructors to continue my education after finishing the program. One thing I can say for Trident Tech is that ALL the classmates I know have passed the NCLEX since we graduated less than two months ago. The vast majority passed with only 75 questions. I know TTC's ADN program is not easy by any stretch, but if you make it through the program, you will be well prepared for your nursing career. Another huge plus for me: no student loan debt to pay back! Good luck to all of you and stay positive!

Dear Shuggypie, Thanks for the info. The rep did tell me that you could complete the program in 12 months, but when I did the math myself, I don't see how you could do this without taking more than one course for some of the seven-week sessions. There are nine nursing courses, and they are seven weeks in duration. That makes 63 weeks right there, and then you have a week in between each session, so add eight weeks to that to make 71 weeks (and there are only 52 weeks in a year). It sounds like the program would last about one year and three months if you took only one course each seven weeks. Do you think you could double up on coursework all the way through the program? Would that be possible in your estimation? Do you think it's "do-able"? Thank you for your feedback!

I talked with a representative at ULL today, and he said the nursing program takes 12 months to complete if you take one course at a time. The courses are 7 weeks long. He did also mention that you can take more than one course at a time, so I believe this could speed things up a bit if you want to finish in less than 12 months.

Dear Shuggypie, I have been reading your posts about LLU and was wondering if you could update me on how the program went for you. Last I read, you had completed one semester. It sounded like you were quite pleased with everything up to that point. Would you have any other feedback to add? Thanks again!

Hello Everyone, I just graduated from an ADN program and passed the NCLEX-RN last week. Today I signed up for ULL's RN-BSN program and am interested on other people's opinions on the program. I believe I have all my pre-requisites completed--is the school reasonable about accepting coursework from other institutions? I would love to hear from people who have experience with this program. How did you like it? Any feedback would be welcome. Thank you!