What in the heck are private LPN programs?

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Recently I have a positon in which LPN's are on staff. In the 1970's, my Dean, Dr. Luther Christman, was instrumental in discouraging LPN programs. I realize that times have changed. I have changed my own old attitudes,which has been difficult. My generation and ANA were promoting the bill to define two levels of nursing practice. BSN, and ADN. This was in the early 1980's. Medical center's boasted a BSN staff. Primary nursing was the gold standard.So this is the bias of my earlier years in clinical practice.

But recently I have become aware of these private LPN programs. One such program has unusual entrance requirements. A high school diploma/GED, a clean criminal record, and $26,000-$30,000 guanantee a spot. I am aghast at the quality of care that I have witnessed. My colleagues, including seasoned LPN's from reputable programs, were flabbergasted to hear about such programs. This discovery was prompted by investigation of the educational preparation of 3 new LPN's. They have all since been terminated for patient negligence, life threatening medication errors, or substandard clinical practice.

Posting this thread will be met with outrage, and criticism I am certain. But why were the LPN's I have spoken about totally defensive concerning thier LPN program?

I am wary of a program that is not certified by NLN. I am wary of a program that does not include,or require an English class. I am wary of a program with such pathetic entrance requirements. I am adamant that these programs are not EDUCATION. I am not sure what they are.

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Um, there are also plenty of private schools that offer ADN programs for ridiculously expensive prices with little to no admissions standards. I hope you are as equally outraged about them as you are the private LPN programs.

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" I am adamant that these programs are not EDUCATION. I am not sure what they are."

Like a lot of the for-profit vocational education racket, they are exploitation. They are the natural extension of the idea that your only duty in operating a business is to make a profit and let the buyer beware. The reason that they are able to continue to operate is that:

1. Some states have weak licensure standards

2. The federal government subsidizes them through Pell grants and student loans. Some in Congress have tried hard to tighten standards for schools using those grants and loans, but others - those who think private business never does anything wrong and government's only function is to give money to business - have blocked those efforts.

These schools - like many other for-profit vocational ed programs - prey on the weakness of desperate and hopeful people, take their money and the taxpayers' money, give them a second rate education that doesn't really prepare them for work and then move on to the next sucker.

I'm a believer that LVN/LPN nurses have an important role to play in health care. But they need to be properly educated and can't be used interchangeabley with RNs as too many facilities try to do.

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Specializes in LTC.

There's private schools for EVERYTHING- did you know know this? If they have accreditation, I suppose you can't fuss about them.

I suppose I'd be defensive of anything I paid 30 grand for, especially if someone came at me about it with an attitude.

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Specializes in ER.

I'm kind of appalled at a lot of what I see in "education" lately. Way too many schools that will accept (and pass) people who can pay the tuition but have learned absolutely nothing and now have the title Nurse. Scary. So many threads here with the title "passed NCLEX on the fifteenth try!!!" What is your school teaching that you couldn't pass NCLEX on the first or second attempt? :chair:

Nurses are going to have to set some standards on what is acceptable preparation for our profession.

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Recently I have a positon in which LPN's are on staff. In the 1970's, my Dean, Dr. Luther Christman, was instrumental in discouraging LPN programs. I realize that times have changed. I have changed my own old attitudes,which has been difficult. My generation and ANA were promoting the bill to define two levels of nursing practice. BSN, and ADN. This was in the early 1980's. Medical center's boasted a BSN staff. Primary nursing was the gold standard.So this is the bias of my earlier years in clinical practice.

But recently I have become aware of these private LPN programs. One such program has unusual entrance requirements. A high school diploma/GED, a clean criminal record, and $26,000-$30,000 guanantee a spot. I am aghast at the quality of care that I have witnessed. My colleagues, including seasoned LPN's from reputable programs, were flabbergasted to hear about such programs. This discovery was prompted by investigation of the educational preparation of 3 new LPN's. They have all since been terminated for patient negligence, life threatening medication errors, or substandard clinical practice.

Posting this thread will be met with outrage, and criticism I am certain. But why were the LPN's I have spoken about totally defensive concerning thier LPN program?

I am wary of a program that is not certified by NLN. I am wary of a program that does not include,or require an English class. I am wary of a program with such pathetic entrance requirements. I am adamant that these programs are not EDUCATION. I am not sure what they are.

Yuck.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

Personally I have issues with private schools, for profit schools in general, not just LPN programs (yes, some have ADN programs too). For example, their "admissions office" staff is paid based on commission. That means they are not admissions officers...they are salespeople. Salespeople on commission have a tendacy to say just about anything to make the sale. Private college reps seem to be no different.

A few days ago a saw an ad on TV for a private college (that shall remain nameless). The ad showed an elderly woman wearing a hospital gown, sitting in a w/c. Some doom and gloom voice say something to the effect of "poor Mary is fogotten, what can be done to make sure Mary does not suffer any more." (not a direct quote, but you get the idea. Then a cheerful voiceover comes on to say "with a degree with XXX University you can make a difference for Mary." (at this point I'm running for an emesis basin). BTW, not sure if this "school" has an LPN program. Anyway, just gives you an idea of the standards (or lack there of) for these schools.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
I'm kind of appalled at a lot of what I see in "education" lately. Way too many schools that will accept (and pass) people who can pay the tuition but have learned absolutely nothing and now have the title Nurse. Scary. So many threads here with the title "passed NCLEX on the fifteenth try!!!" What is your school teaching that you couldn't pass NCLEX on the first or second attempt? :chair:

Nurses are going to have to set some standards on what is acceptable preparation for our profession.

There are lots of reasons why people don't pass the NCLEX on try one (or two, etc.), and it is not always the quality of their school. However, when looking for a school I would definitly research the NCLEX pass rate. I know, I know lies, damn lies, and statitics. Still though, if the pass rate is expceptionally low, there has to be some sort of problem with the school.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I am wary of a program that is not certified by NLN.

There are very few NLN-accredited LPN/LVN programs these days.

The state of California has more than 200 LPN/LVN programs, and not one is accredited by the NLNAC. Texas only has 3 LPN/LVN programs accredited by the NLNAC. My point is that NLN accreditation for LPN/LVN programs is dwindling with each passing year, and the trend will probably not reverse anytime soon.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

Because the media is still yelling from the rooftops that there are nursing jobs or jobs in healthcare are growing... so desperate people with the help of outlandish student loans are taking the fasttrack into a career that they think will pay the bills. Of course LPNs are still out there... however, even LTCs are downsizing their LPN staff in lieu of RNs with ADNs, because the hospitals are mostly taking those with BSNs. But with a $40,000 student loan is one heck of a payment and LPNs don't make that kind of cash!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
There are lots of reasons why people don't pass the NCLEX on try one (or two, etc.), and it is not always the quality of their school. However, when looking for a school I would definitly research the NCLEX pass rate. I know, I know lies, damn lies, and statitics. Still though, if the pass rate is expceptionally low, there has to be some sort of problem with the school.

When I took "The boards" If you failed twice....those sections you failed needed to be reviewed/repeated in a formal class setting before you could take them again. I have concerns about a test that can be taken and retaken until you have seen every mathematical possibility and finally pass and the quality of nurse that produces.

I think that there are many schools both RN and LPN, whether ADN/ASN, BSN, ABSN, RN/MSN, and online schooling options are churning out frightening examples of swith little or NO clinical knowledge and experience. I find it alarming that many new grads I see are lacking basic skills for the bedside yet do nothing but talk about how to get an advanced degree. I agree OP and I think you need to look at and be concerned with the quality of nursing education out there in general and the standards that they are being taught.....for I find it, in general, lacking. I remain skeptical how one can become a nurse, Nurse Practioner...on line....:confused:

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i am in charlotte, nc. we have a "kaplan college" location here which offers various health care careers, one of which is dental assisting. they charge 15,000 for this program.

well, as it turns out, dentists want 'certified dental assistants', aka da2 here in nc. kaplan college's program is not accredited for da2 education, they cannot become certified directly after graduation.

they are da1, which can earn da2 certification after they have worked with a dentist for x amount of hours, which is quite a bit, actually, as well as ceus.. they can contact the certifying board and show their hours. now, this can be done without going to any college.

these for profit colleges are targeting students in desperate situations.

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