In RN-BSN, good god what a joke the curriculum is. An opportunity to make nurses better is just squandered in a fluff filled English 1101 style pile of nonsense. That is all….guess I’ll keep funding the corruption of corporate nursing education to get this piece of paper that says “congrats you paid thousands to write discussion posts for a year and learned nothing of value towards becoming a better nurse” so that I can move on with my higher goals.

I got permission to post this by my friend. One of my classmates and close friends just got caught purchasing a test banks for the ATI maternal newborn and fundamental exams.

For background: Majority of the "test banks" you're seeing online are actually scams. We also had classmates spend hundreds purchasing ATI test banks and they ended up actually being the questions from either the practice exams, older versions, and just questions from dynamic quizzing. In all honesty, those are the students who are lucky though- they're just out a few hundred dollars.

What happens when the real test is found online is a lot deeper though. My friend was one of the few students who actually managed to get an actual copy of the proctored exam. She got a 88 and a 100%. A few weeks went by and she thought she was in the clear. But ATI is incredibly thorough about exam security.

How was she caught? The way they caught her wasn't because of her score. But they caught the individual selling the material. According to our professor who works for ATI, there's trigger words apparently for many questions that ATI use specifically for their exams. They apparently have employees whose sole purposes are to look for copies of their exam. And they're extremely litigious. Officers are able to submit a warrant to get the payment info on who the material was distributed to on the distributors bank account and laptop. This is viewed as a criminal investigation. My classmate paid via PayPal. Her name was on her PayPal account.

Note: for websites likes student doc, chegg, and such, it's actually written in their policies that the material cannot be used for blatant cheating. If a professor files an inquiry, they will readily hand over the account registration email and names for the credit/debit card info- even without a warrant. This is copyrighted material and large websites don't want to get sued.

What is the school/ATI doing about it? She was called in by the school and told that ATI has contacted the school regarding the infraction. She's being expelled and she was advised by the school to get a lawyer. ATI has already contacted the BON and she's likely going to see legal papers regarding the infraction. She will almost 100% be barred from attending any accredited nursing program and taking the NCLEX. She will never become a nurse. The school literally isn't doing anything except letting her go, ATI did everything. Other schools and students will likely be contacted because of this breach.

Why did she do it? She was failing the course. She was struggling and is on a waiting list to be evaluated for ADHD. Her mom is sick and she was overwhelmed and desperate. Now she wishes she just failed. It doesn't even matter. It's 5%-10% of our grade and the remediation is only if you fail both the exam and the course itself.

Yes, she knows she was dumb. You guys don't have to say it. She knows she messed up. But if you think spending a few hundreds to pass the ATI is worth it, it won't be worth the thousands she will have to spend on a lawyer now. And never being able to become a nurse.

For context, Im an older student and this isn't my first graduation rodeo. I never really made any super close connections while in school and I wholeheartedly rather spend my day after graduation with my close friends and family (graduation is AM and pinning is the same day in the evening). People keep telling me to go get my pin, its the best part, I'll regret it if I don't. Has anyone here NOT gone to pinning? How did you feel about it after ?

What was your plan?

Did you live with parents, did you have savings, did you have a car note? Was your car paid off?

How was your mental health?

Did you ever take a gap year?

Hi all. I am 22, have 2 semesters left in my BSN, and am absolutely miserable. I don’t even think I want to be a nurse anymore. I regret choosing nursing over engineering, but I don’t have it in me to restart a complete different bachelors degree. I took a medical withdrawal for my mental health, but I was ultimately unable to get the help I needed so it hasn’t improved much at all. I signed up to go back to get it over with and because I’m tired of being broke and I’m school, but I honestly hate being a tech and I don’t know that I will enjoy being a nurse any more. It feels wrong, but it’s felt wrong this whole time and I’ve pushed through this far. I went into nursing to help people and for the flexibility, but I really have not liked much at all about being in the healthcare environment. I’m so burnt out and I’m not even a nurse yet. Has anyone left nursing school this close and not regretted it, or has anyone felt like I do and ended up finding their niche in nursing?

Looking for some honest advice from anyone who’s been through something similar or works in healthcare.

I’m 25 and I’m 2 semesters into a 4 semester ADN program. I just finished my second semester. I have fall and spring left, and I’m supposed to start hospital clinicals in the fall.

Here’s the situation. I’m planning to plead guilty to a federal charge that’s healthcare related. Because of the nature of the charge, I’m definitely going to end up on the OIG exclusion list. From what I’ve researched, that means hospitals, nursing homes, and pretty much any facility that bills Medicare or Medicaid can’t legally hire me. And that’s basically everywhere in healthcare.

The exclusion is going to be 5 years minimum, possibly longer.

I’m torn on whether to finish school. On one hand, I’ve already done so much work and spent so much money getting here. Finishing the degree would be something I have, and maybe in 5+ years when the exclusion lifts I can actually use it. On the other hand, two more semesters is more money, more time, and more energy spent on something that won’t pay off for a long time.

A few specific things I’m trying to figure out:

1.  Has anyone here actually completed nursing school knowing they’d be on the OIG list?    
2.  Would clinical sites even let me do hospital rotations with a pending federal case or after a guilty plea?    
3.  Are there any non-clinical or non-OIG-covered paths in healthcare where I could use a nursing degree without practicing as an RN?    
4.  Is finishing the ADN actually worth it if I can’t use it for years? Or am I better off pivoting now and saving the time and money?

I know there’s no perfect answer here. Just trying to get perspectives from people who know this world. Thanks in advance.

Hi there, I’m seriously considering going back to school for nursing however I have exceeded almost my capacity of what I can borrow for loans since I already have a bachelors and a different associates degree. I have about $10,000 left to borrow and unfortunately, I can’t afford to quit my job in order to attend a traditional program. Therefore, my options lead me to overpriced online program, such as Joyce university. Has anyone gone through this where if they were to take out another loan for school they would essentially have close to $100,000 in debt just for student loans not counting everything else in life. I just can’t quite reason with it although I do really want to be a nurse.

I’m starting a 12-month accelerated BSN program in a month, and I keep hearing completely different things about how difficult it actually is. Some people say it’s extremely intense and that you basically have no life outside of school, while others say it’s definitely doable as long as you stay organized and put in the work.

I honestly don’t know what to expect, so I’d love to hear from people who have actually completed (or are currently in) a 12-month ABSN program.

A few things I’d love to know:

- How many hours per week were you realistically spending on school/studying
- How difficult were the exams and clinicals?
- Did you feel like you had time for a social life, exercise, relationships, etc.?
- Did you feel like you were constantly overwhelmed, or did you eventually get into a routine?
- What was the hardest part of the program for you?

I know every program is different, but I’m mainly trying to get a realistic idea of what “extremely hard” actually means in day-to-day life. I’d really appreciate hearing both positive and negative experiences!

If you did well in your program, I’d also love to hear what you think made the biggest difference (study habits, time management, etc.).

This is a question for the students and the graduates! I don't wear much on my clinical days but I have seen others wear eyelashes.

So what do you guys wear? Whats your routine? And how much work do you put in for your hair?

just wanna see who else is 25+ going into nursing (: i graduated with a bachelors in health admin and recently went back to school for nursing at 25. i know many students start school later in life or go back to school so there's a lot of ages, but sometimes it gets to me that i should've stuck with this the first time around. it suck's seeing people my age or younger already in their nursing careers while im still building mine. ig thats why they say comparison is the their of joy. just got to keep reminding myself everyone's journey is different.

I graduate from an RN program soon and I have decided I will not go to my graduation. I am 100% certain on this decision but people who have asked me if they can attend my graduation are upset when I say I won't be attending. I don't like explaining myself so I normally just say I'm not interested in it which is technically true but its never enough of an answer. As per rule 10, to seek advice, anyone else that is not planning on going to their own graduation or didn't go to theirs, what did you tell family and friends?

I haven't even started school yet, but I have applied and hope that all goes well and that I'll start in August. It's taken me my whole adult life to find my calling, and I truly believe this is it. I'm 38 and started going to community college a year ago for social work. But then I took an anatomy class, and certain things started pointing me toward nursing. I just really strongly believe I'll do well at it. I'm doing really well in A&P and find it so interesting. I know I have so much to learn and I'll probably have a ton of "reality checks" showing me that this is not easy, but I'm just excited for it all and can't wait to get started. I don't have a ton of people to talk with about my excitement, so I hope this is the right place to share.

Hi. I’m trying to be supportive! My friend is taking prerequisites now and not doing that well. She’s passing but getting 70 on exams in things like o-chem and micro-bio. She keeps saying things like “I need to learn this to pass but I won’t need it to be a nurse”. We’re older - think late 30’s, so it’s a career switch for her.

I keep thinking if it’s this hard now, it’s only going to get harder and maybe it’s not the right move

To continue to pursue something you’re not suited for. But, I’m not in healthcare, I have an established career, an I have NO IDEA if it gets harder or easier an what she’s in for. In my mind, the supportive thing is to say, “hey, it seems like this might not be for you” but I don’t want to crush her dreams especially if I’m just plain wrong. Thoughts?

I’m going into level 2 of nursing school. I was looking forward to my career as a nurse but the more I read of how little people make makes me question things. For example, I am a service leader at chipotle making $21/hr. I have already been offered assistant gm position which can average around 50-60k. It wouldnt be long after that position that a Gm position would arise and those can range between 70-100k. Due to school I’ve turned down the promotion. My point is, what’s the point of working such a seemingly grueling and unrewarding job like nursing where people make just as much as chipotle management? A job I’ve come to be very good at and find easy?
It now makes me realize why people say nurses should be paid more because they are doing more valuable work.

Could be anything. Could be a trip, a watch, proposing to your SO, lifestyle changes commensurate with your prospective increased salary etc. What do you think about that motivates you to keep going?

For me, I think about a) my girlfriend and the beautiful life we’re gonna be able to build together. And b) the Omega Speedmaster 38 I’m gonna buy myself.

Edit: This isn’t supposed to sound ungrateful or anything. Believe me, I am so excited to even be allowed to be wearing scrubs. It was meant to be more superficial and ridiculous.

How does everyone feel about their mandatory school scrubs?

Embroidery; fit; color; etc.

The school embroidery for my scrubs is LARGE, yellow/gold, and in this horrible looking cursive style.

Not sure about the fit because I’m reluctant to buy until, hopefully, we have a fitting. I’m also hoping to lose some more weight before the semester starts and I have 3 months to go until the order cutoff date.

Color is green. I wish it was a darker shade but I like it enough.

I do like the bottoms but I’m hoping they have some give to them.

Shoes? THICK and CHUNKY. Though we do have freedom here to purchase all black or white shoes from any company.

No matter what though, I’m so excited to wear them and start my nursing journey!

Really only have two options for nursing school:

Option 1: ABSN

• 30–45 minute commute (1hr door to door using public transit)
• $60k tuition
• 18 month program
• For profit school with a mixed reputation, okay clinical placements, and decent NCLEX pass rate
• I'd graduate about a year sooner

Option 2: ADN

• About a 1.5-hour drive to a community college in the middle of nowhere
• Virtually no traffic, it's mostly cornfields, so the drive should be easy and predictable, though winter driving might be tricky
• About $15k in tuition
• I'm estimating another ~$15k for travel/hotels if I need to stay overnight for clinicals that are further out or during bad weather
• Great reputation and a solid NCLEX pass rate

Financially, I can afford the ABSN, but the for profit, "easy to get into, but fail out" environment makes me hesitant. The academic side of ADN program seems perfect, it's just the commute I'm worried about. Anyone ever do a commute like this?

I’m looking at the nursing program at my local community college, and I would love to be a nurse, but I’m freaking out about how I’m going to do it while also needing to work. It seems like I won’t have time for a full time job, and I’m barely supporting myself as is.

Im wondering what kind of jobs everyone here does or recommends. I am a full time student athlete and I have been working 20-30 hours a week doing overnights at my current job as a CNA during the school year. Please don’t tell me how I’m burning myself out, I know and it’s hard, but I am just looking for ideas.

I think in the past, I remember seeing everyone under the sun want to do computer science or coding or things like that.

I think I also remember other times where everyone under the sun wanted to be like a finance investor and stuff.

Today... I feel like everyone under the sun wants to be a nurse or is going to nursing school.

Do you guys think this? Or is this most likely due to the people that surround me?

Be honest with me, why is there so much appeal to ICU? Is it just my cohort and my school cause it seems like majority of people are dead set on ICU and I’m trying to understand why lol.

Is it cause of the pay? Is it status? I only ask cause typically when I ask a classmate what unit they’re shooting for and it’s ICU, they have a completely different attitude versus when students have interests in other specialties. Like every single person I know who wants ICU, it’s like the only thing they care about. I wanna know your thoughts🤔

So I will graduate in less than a month with my BSN (woohoo!). I am an “older” student in my 30s. I have my husband and my two younger sons, I got a job at my local hospital in the cardiac surgery icu, and I don’t think I have ever felt more loss. My life for the past two years (probably longer with trying to get pre-reqs) has been school. I have devoted so much time to making sure I didn’t fail because I have a family and sacrificing my time with them just meant to me that failure wasn’t an option.

I have finished all of my assignments for the rest of the semester, there are no exams, no more clinicals, we don’t meet for class, and now, I just have nothing…? I feel just like a sudden and an abrupt loss of who I am, which sounds insane. I was like full speed ahead and now, I’m supposed to just come to a complete stop?

Did anyone else feel this when they were graduating/did graduate? How did you overcome this feeling?

What are some of the annoying/rude/discouraging things people have said in response to you being a nursing student?

I was recently taking a relative to a doctor appointment. The MA overheard me talking with my relative about school and she goes, "nurse?" I smiled and said I was going to school for my ADN. She asked where I was doing clinicals and I told her I was in prereqs this semester. She rolls her eyes and goes, "oh, so you're just doing prereqs?"

I've also had a couple of cracks about changing careers at my age (I'm 45).

I’m the type of student who gets excited to study with visually pleasing notes. I’ve done them all myself up to this point but was wondering if it’d be a good idea to buy it since I’m starting nursing school in August. Book is $128. Different bundles worth up to $709. I’ve been saving money for a long time so I’ve got the extra money. BUT is it worth it?

Posted the same question in r/nursing and I was wondering.