Has anyone had any experience with The College Network?
I signed up with The College Network to do my LPN-RN bridge program thru Excelsior. Only now I find out that GA BON isn't recognizing Excelsior anymore. (I signed up prior to this information becoming public knowledge) They also offer the LPN-BSN thru Indiana State. They even guarantee your acceptance there. I can change to this program if the Ga BON doesn't change their mind about Excelsior.
Does anyone know anything about this LPN-BSN program?
Well, a BSN *is* an RN so there isn't a difference in technical skills. There isn't a milestone point between RN and BSN. I know that probably sounds like mush so maybe tonight I can reword it differently. Kinda early right now. lol! I'm not sure which of the nursing classes ADNs have to take but when you are going LPN to BSN there isn't like "ok here is the ADN level" and "ok here is the BSN level".
In BSN programs (like many bachelor degrees) you take your pre-reqs then you take your nursing classes. The clinical skills you gain are obtained when you are working with your preceptor. Your preceptor has to be a BSN with a minimum of 3 years experience. At my current clinical site its the nurse educator for the floor. For my ICU rotation at Hopkins my preceptor is the nurse manager for the unit.
I'll try to get back on tonight to answer you better if need be. Gotta run. Ya know, its been a LONG time since the days of looking at the clock at 5:20 am and thinking "Oh no its getting sooo late". This feels so nutty. Haha!
Thank you so much for helping me clarify this...This is a huge help.
Perhaps the jump from lvn-bsn seems bigger to me than it really is..I've recieved alot of mixed information from various sources about the actual breakdown of the lvn-bsn program..My instructor at my lvn school has told me time and time again that there is a vast amout of difference between an LVN and an RN (that part i understand)...I apologize if I sound like im missing the point which im sure i am.. I just want to know what takes place in regards to the training at network college within the LVN-RN-BSN transition ..i understand that one must be an RN inorder to become an BSN, so with that said, does the preceptor help the LVN by guiding them when it comes to doing and learning procedures that an LVN needs to know as an RN? Does the preceptor help in the transition from the LPN's scope of practice to the RN's scope of practice?... I sound so redundant..IM SOOO TIRED..IM SORRY I COULDN'T ARTICULATE MY QUESTIONS BETTER..
Yes that's exactly what the preceptor does. RNs do a lot that LPNs don't do (or at least that's not in their scope of practice or training). Learning assessment and patient teaching (among other things) with a preceptor is incredibly valuable. RNs have a lot more responsibility for the patient so understanding the pathophysiology of the disease and putting that together with what you find in the patient is something best learned side by side with an experienced nurse. Some things can't be learned in a textbook which is part of the reason doctors spend years in internship and residency learning by doing. There isn't a difference in technical skills between an RN and an RN,BSN but there is a world of difference between an LPN and an RN and yes your preceptor helps you learn that. Quite frankly, I've found my med-surg instructor at school this semester to be basically worthless to us. She's just not present. Doesn't reply to questions on the board, hasn't updated assignments to the new version of the book, etc. She's really aggin' me. First time I've had that disappointment with my school but I suppose anywhere you go you will get one that is a bit absentee. Thank goodness my preceptor knows what she is doing and has been very helpful. My professor *still* hasn't called her with instructions for the semester and we're halfway through. If I had to rely on HER to teach and the preceptor to only testout, well, I'd be screwed. Sorry, didn't mean for this to turn into a gripe session. Haha!
Specializes in Spinal Cord Injury Rehab, Med/Surg. SNF.
Oddly enough I just cancelled my membership with TCN. Then I recieved an email about the testing fees. Seems like you pay the fees up front and then they are supposed to reimburse you. I am really glad I cancelled now cause that would have put a strain to pay a monthly payment, the test fees and wait for a check.
Specializes in Spinal Cord Injury Rehab, Med/Surg. SNF.
Being an LPN/LVN in 3 different states I can tell you that it really depends on what state you are in. In CA there is a major difference in scope of practice for RN and LVN. In VA none at all. The only thing I could not do in VA was officially do an admission assessment. Here in MI again significant difference. the only thing that does not change is the level of education. I can do something but maybe an RN can explain it better. They learn so much more than us and in more detail. LPN get the basics. Not to say we are not valuable because we are but it is what it is. I respect RN for their education and they respect me for my clinical skills. We try to learn from each other.
Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Sub-Acute Rehab.
I'm in the ISU program. Just FYI, they cannot guarantee your acceptance to the program. That's totally on you. If TCN claims that then they are lying.
Also, please make sure to read the paperwork front and back because once you sign it, you are bound to it. They don't tell you everything so make sure that you read it all. And please don't believe that they guarantee you anything; especially not acceptance into the program. Don't be fast-talked. I know quite a few people that found that they didn't like the program, wanted to return the modules but could not escape paying for them anyway.
Specializes in ER and family advanced nursing practice.
Please do a Google search for the College Network, and use other search words as "rip off" and "scam". They are not necessary to pass. They are expensive and they do not offer you anything you can't do on your own.
There is an interesting article from 2005 that the Indiana State Licensing Board put out concerning publishing companies of which TCN is one (ironically, it is based in Indianapolis). It can be found at http://www.in.gov/pla/files/Nursing_FocusV1Ed2.pdf
and look on page 21. Make sure you ask TCN these questions. I recently attended one of their events and asked some of these questions and while they seemed up front, the rep danced a little on some of the questions and seemed reluctant to answer them in front of the other people. After that, I checked with this forum for other's opinions and decided that it was better for me to go directly to EC (or ISU in your case) instead of working through a middleman. Especially sticky is the issue of terminating your contract which, as I understand it, TCN will not let you do if you decide to stop taking classes.
It's a tad different since ISU does have an affiliation with TCN and EC does not. You can still do ISU without TCN because its not *required* but they can legitimately say they are affliated with ISU.
It's a tad different since ISU does have an affiliation with TCN and EC does not. You can still do ISU without TCN because its not *required* but they can legitimately say they are affliated with ISU.
Yep thats why they encourage students to go through TCN. I spoke with ISU today and she said if I failed NUR 208 (I think that was the class) I actually had to buy a study guide from TCN and provide a reicept!! Didnt matter if I wasnt going through them. I think they are starting to endorse TCN more and more. Which I want NOTHING to do with TCN, I think they just rip people off.
Yep thats why they encourage students to go through TCN. I spoke with ISU today and she said if I failed NUR 208 (I think that was the class) I actually had to buy a study guide from TCN and provide a reicept!! Didnt matter if I wasnt going through them. I think they are starting to endorse TCN more and more. Which I want NOTHING to do with TCN, I think they just rip people off.
Stalk eBay and allnurses for the module. When I took the challenge exams there were several questions straight out of the study guide on it.
If you are reading this then you probably already know I live in GA, which means I am being effected by the State Board of Nursing no longer accepting Excelsior RN/ASN degree. I have paid the TCN $2000 so far, and still owe $2000 more. Since my program is no longer applicable, I want my money back... not some of the money.... all of it. TCN's respose to this entire mess is that because Sonny Purdue says "he wants to help distance learning nurses", TCN feels there is still hope that GA will change its mind... so I have been given the option of either continuing to wait for the next 10 yrs or so until they have a "final" decision for them to give all of my money back, or I can get half of my money back (by that I mean I have to pay them $2k, and they don't charge me the second $2k). Keep in mind... I HAVE NOT TAKEN ONE TEST WITHIN THIS TIME FRAME!!!!! I don't know what to do to get out of this, I am discouraged, and feel cheated. More than anything, I need that $2K to pay for school locally in GA if I can't finish my RN on line.
If anyone has any suggestion, at all, for how to proceed from here, please let me know. I feel backed into a corner, and my husband and myself are so upset.
lailaniboriqua
13 Posts
Thank you so much for helping me clarify this...This is a huge help.
Perhaps the jump from lvn-bsn seems bigger to me than it really is..I've recieved alot of mixed information from various sources about the actual breakdown of the lvn-bsn program..My instructor at my lvn school has told me time and time again that there is a vast amout of difference between an LVN and an RN (that part i understand)...I apologize if I sound like im missing the point which im sure i am..
I just want to know what takes place in regards to the training at network college within the LVN-RN-BSN transition ..i understand that one must be an RN inorder to become an BSN, so with that said, does the preceptor help the LVN by guiding them when it comes to doing and learning procedures that an LVN needs to know as an RN? Does the preceptor help in the transition from the LPN's scope of practice to the RN's scope of practice?... I sound so redundant..IM SOOO TIRED..IM SORRY I COULDN'T ARTICULATE MY QUESTIONS BETTER..