If you are an LPN nurse you are probably quite happy with your lot in life. However, if you want to improve your chances you should definitely consider converting your qualification to a BSN or Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree so that you will have better job opportunities available to you.
The great thing about these programs is that often they can be done online, thereby reducing interference with your schedule. Indiana State University is one such university that offers online nursing programs.
College Information
One thing that you will notice when you open the university’s home page is that there is not a lot of information about the university itself apart from the few facts that are listed here in this section of the article. There is a lot of information on the events and such that they offer, but there is nothing about the university’s history. Looking elsewhere, you can discover that the University was first started in 1865 and has since then changed names many times. It started as a normal school, became a state college in 1960, and received university status in 1965 and now the university awards associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
According to the university’s website, their mission is the following: “The mission of the Department of Baccalaureate Nursing Completion is to develop competent, caring nursing professionals and productive citizens. This mission is accomplished through distance teaching modalities, experiential learning at the local level, research, and community and public service”.
The contact details for the university are as follows:
Department of
Baccalaureate Nursing Completion
Nursing Building Room 307
812.237.2319
888.293.4842 opt 2
Program Information
These are your options for the LPN to BSN program offered by this university. Choose your courses wisely:
Choose a pair of the following:
- ATTR 210 – Human Anatomy for Allied Health Professions 2 credits
- ATTR 210L – Human Anatomy for Allied Health Professions Laboratory 1 credits
OR
- BIO 231 – Human Anatomy 2 credits
- BIO 231L – Human Anatomy Laboratory 1 credits
Choose a pair of the following:
- PE 220 – Human Physiology for Allied Health Professions 2 credits
- PE 220L – Human Physiology for Allied Health Professions Laboratory 1 credits
OR
- BIO 241 – Human Physiology 2 credits
- BIO 241L – Human Physiology Laboratory 1 credits
Choose one pair of the following:
- CHEM 100 – Chemistry: Reactions and Reason 3 credits
- CHEM 100L – Chemistry: Reactions and Reason Laboratory 1 credits
OR
- Higher level chemistry course and laboratory
Required Nursing Courses for the Major (41 credits):
- NURS 208 – Transition from L.P.N. to B.S.N. 3 credits
- NURS 226 – Nursing in Mental Illness 3 credits
- NURS 304 – Comprehensive Health Assessment for Nursing Practice 4 credits
- NURS 318 – Nursing Care of Families in Stress and Crisis 3 credits
- NURS 322 – Research/Theoretical Basis for Nursing Practice 3 credits
- NURS 324 – Nursing Care of Adults II 5 credits
- NURS 424 – Nursing Care of Adults III 5 credits
- NURS 450 – Population-Focused Community Health Nursing 6 credits
- NURS 470 – Nursing Leadership 3 credits
- NURS 484 – Reflective Nursing Practice 3 credits
- NURS 486 – Professional Nursing Synthesis 3 credits
Choose one of the following:
- EPSY 221 – Developmental Psychology 3 credits
- FCS 103 – Human Development within the Family Context 3 credits
- PSY 266 – Developmental Psychology 3 credits
Choose one of the following:
- EPSY 302 – Introduction to Applied Psychological Statistics 3 credits
- HLTH 340 – Health Bio-statistics 3 credits
- Any college level statistics course
Tuition
There are, of course, a number of fees involved in being a student at Indiana State University. The breakdown of the fees is as follows:
Distance Learners that live in Indiana:
- Fee per credit hour: $366.00
- Distance learning fee: $50 (per course)
Out of State Distance Learners:
- Fee per credit hour: $458.00
- Distance learning fee: $50 (per course)
International Distance Students:
- Fee per credit hour: $458.00
- Distance learning fee: $50 (per course)
Students are also charged laboratory fees, course fees, and/or applied music fees in certain classes for supplies and equipment usage, special instruction/supervision, and clinical education and faculty course fee. In addition, students are required to purchase textbooks for the respective programs. These fees apply to all three types of students mentioned in this overview and are therefore important to keep in mind regardless of your student status.
Note: When it comes to choosing a school to attend try not to base your decision too heavily on the cost. Remember that some of the best schools out there are in fact schools that are affordable and that come at very reasonable prices. In addition a really expensive school will not necessarily be the best school that you could choose. It may in fact have a lower standard of education, but charges more because of its reputation or perhaps even because of the area in which it is located. Tuition is important, but it is not the most important factor for selection.
Loans and Scholarships
There are a large number of scholarships that are available from the university. A few examples of your options are:
- Marilyn Brown Amour
- Elizabeth V. Dempsey
- Robert D. and Hazel M. Dickson
- Friends of Nursing
- General Nursing Scholarship
- Dr. Ivan and Opal Gilbert
- Lois E. Graesch
- Rose Griffy
- Phyllis E. Lesnick Landini
- Bonnie J. Peters
- Martha J. Pipes
- Dr. Leah B. Ramer
- Lee Rees
- Dr. Harriet O. Reeves
- Helen Boswell Robinson
- Betty Schobert
You can also apply for Federal Loans through FAFSA. It is free to apply for these loans and to do so you will have to visit the FAFSA website. In many cases it is a requirement of the school that you apply through FAFSA for any financial aid.
These loans and scholarships are offered specifically by the university to its students. There are a large number to choose from, but for more information it would be better to visit the university website as there is too much information in this regard to record here.
Prospective students may also have access to the following emergency funds:
- Sycamore Emergency Loan
- Nursing Student Emergency Fund
Accreditation
Indiana State University has been approved by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) since 1915. In 2010 the University was reviewed and it received at that time accreditation to continue practicing for anther ten years. Its next review will be in 2020.
Because the university offers a number of different programs it needs to have each program accredited in a separate way. For the college of nursing the following applies:
- The Nursing Program is approved by the Indiana State Board of Nursing
- The Nursing Program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc.
Because you will struggle to find a job as a nurse if you enroll in an online LPN program that is not accredited, you need to be aware of exactly what accreditation each of the schools you are considering claims to have. It is very important that you only attend a program that will actually give you a chance of finding a job.
Online Teaching Methods
As you will realize if you explore the Indiana State University website, this is a university that is dedicated to finding ways to make distance education far better for its students. There are a number of issues that can arise with regard to distance education.
For one thing, distance educators need to find ways to keep track of students. They need to know how to find out what they are doing and more importantly how they are doing. The teachers of Indiana State University are committed to finding ways to engage in interactive communication with their distance learning students in order to give them the most personalized and effective education that is possible.
Because distance educators do not have any of the visual cues from their students to know whether or not they are doing well, they need to instigate more formal methods of assessment throughout the course of the program. So as a student at the Indiana State University you will undergo formative evaluation so that your teachers can assess your progress and thereby improve your college experience significantly. Few other universities are this dedicated to successful online learning.
Having read through the above information you should have a clearer idea in your mind regarding whether or not this is the university for you. If this is the LPN to BSN program that suits you, apply today. If you are for some reason unsure about the program, look into other options. There are plenty of options out there and it is important that you find an online program that suits you perfectly. This is not a decision that you should make lightly, especially if you have your heart set on an online program because these programs can be scams that you should watch out for.
