Pre-nursing student moving from Seattle to Phoenix

kdrm · May 16, 2014

Hi stephatron289

I was right on the verge of applying to programs in Salt Lake City...and then my husband's department closed and they offered us a transfer to Phoenix. I had to learn about all the options here and figure out which worked best for me. I'll try to help you as much as I can, but for now, start with Maricopa nursing and click on the link to Concurrent Enrollment Programs (CEP). There's a waiting list for the traditional ADN, but for the Concurrent Enrollment Program, they partner with Arizona State Univ, Northern Arizona Univ, and Univ of Phoenix. You can work on your RN to BSN at the same time you're getting your ADN, and it is GPA and Hesi based - no wait list. I also looked at the university offerings and some of the private programs here. Where are you in your prereqs?

stephatron289 · May 16, 2014

I only have microbiology and a couple of math classes left. My fear is that, up here, they only look at the GPA for the required courses and don't take into account the courses you've taken before that may or may not be applicable to the nursing program. What is the Hesi? Is it like the TEAS?

I have my CNA license for Washington State (expired though) and I'm certified throught the AAMA for medical assisting (which is why my CNA is expired!). Do schools take that into account?

MrsBond · May 16, 2014

Hi stephatron289 -

I am currently a nursing student at Grand Canyon University, which is a private school in the Phoenix area that offers their nursing program at several different locations in the metro Phoenix area. Their nursing program is generally well-regarded (as are the Maricopa CEP programs and the Arizona State nursing program, from what I have heard), and while they may be more expensive than the Maricopa CEP program or Arizona State, they offer generous GPA-based scholarships that can bring your tuition costs down significantly. You also can take all of your pre-reqs for GCU (and ASU) at any of the community colleges in town, which as kdrm mentioned, can really help with costs.

I would highly recommend you consider getting your BSN if you are planning on working at a hospital in the Phoenix area as the hospital systems here are really gravitating toward BSN-prepared new grads.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about GCU. Good luck to you in your endeavors!

P.S. You can always visit the AZ Board of Nursing website to find a list of currently approved nursing programs in AZ, as well as up-to-date data on NCLEX pass rates for those programs. This information helped me quite a bit when I was deciding where to apply for nursing school.

yukka99 · May 16, 2014

GCU is an OK school and will earn you a BSN which is a big advantage. It does cost more because it's private and is a religious school. Scottsdale Healthcare has a partnership with them and helps with tuition for their employees. I did not attend GCU because of religious prereqs but know many nurses that did and they were all happy with the program

kdrm · May 17, 2014

I only have microbiology and a couple of math classes left. My fear is that, up here, they only look at the GPA for the required courses and don't take into account the courses you've taken before that may or may not be applicable to the nursing program. What is the Hesi? Is it like the TEAS?
I have my CNA license for Washington State (expired though) and I'm certified throught the AAMA for medical assisting (which is why my CNA is expired!). Do schools take that into account?

As far as I know, no school here requires a CNA license or gives any extra points in the application process for it. The system I transferred from required the license and gave extra points for actual work experience as a CNA, so I am familiar with that in other states.

The Hesi A2 is an nursing school admission exam like the TEAS or the NET. ASU uses TEAS, but the community college system (here in Maricopa Co) uses Hesi. They do not currently require all the sections, only the enlish (reading comprehension, vocabulary grammer) and math. They do not use the biology, chemistry, or anatomy and physiology sections. There are also two non graded sections: learning style and personality style (which reveal sometimes suprising, or interesting at least, results). There are extensive threads here on both the TEAS and Hesi. Happy reading!

As far as grades, the community college system here is non-competitive to get on the wait list. The CEP (which you can apply for if you're on the wait list and have completed additional requirements) is technically competitive using grades and hesi scores with an extra point given for a prior degree. I say "technically" because at both information sessions I attended, they emphasized that so far, they have been able to place everyone who has applied who meets the minimum requirements. GPA is based only on certain pre-reqs. They don't use cumulative GPA - thank goodness;)!

Do you have pathophysiology yet?

kdrm · May 17, 2014

So in addition to the Maricopa County Community Colleges, there are several other options here that really vary in requirements and cost. Nursing accreditation links: CCNE & ACEN (formerly NLNAC)

Arizona State University's main campus is in Tempe, but the nursing department is on the downtown Phoenix campus. To apply, you have to have 13 of 17 critical course requirements completed. They do not use a cumulative GPA, but require a minimum 3.25 select GPA (calculated from 13 of the 17 critical course reqs, but MUST incluce ENG 101, ENG 102 and 3 of the 4 science courses). Certain science courses have to be taken within 7 years of program start. It is a highly competitive program and surprisingly costly for a state school, I thought. On top of ASU tuition, there is a $1750 surcharge every semester for the nursing dept. The nursing program has CCNE accreditation.

Grand Canyon University is a large private Christian University with a highly respected nursing program. Their campus is beautiful, like "you will almost forget you're in the desert beautiful!" The nursing program has CCNE accreditation.

Chamberlain College of Nursing has a long history as a nursing school that was bought out by Devry. They are spendy, upwards of $80K, but their BSN and MSN are accredited by CCNE. (They don't show up on the CCNE site for AZ programs because their parent school is in IL.)

Brookline College is a private, for profit school. Spendy like Chamberlain. Their nursing department earned ACEN accreditation last year.

Carrington College offers an ADN and is accredited by ACEN. I thought they also had an affilition with Devry, but I couldn't confirm that now. Spendy.

Maricopa County Community College District has ten campuses and the nursing program is offered on eight. The nursing program has ACEN accreditation. The CEP allows you to complete your RN to BSN with a partner university within a semester or two of finishing your ADN.

There are of course Everest type offerings like Pima Medical Institute and Brown Mackie. There may even be an Everest here. Before I start getting angry replies from graduates or attendees of those programs, let me say that plenty of people are very happy with their education and have found jobs with ease, but if higher education/degrees are your goal, those credits may not transfer.

MrsBond · May 17, 2014

Hi stephatron289:

I just wanted to clarify re: the GCU religion comment. They do indeed consider themselves a Christian university and you will find that well represented in their mission statement, etc. With that said, they welcome students from any or no religious background, and while we are required to take a 3 credit religion elective course as requirement of graduation, there is no emphasis on religion in any of our nursing coursework, outside of the inclusion of religion/spirituality as part of your nursing assessment. The religion/spirituality component of nursing assessment is something you will learn about in any nursing program.

In any event, I think posters here have given you a lot of information/resources to get you started, and you can find even more specific information in some of the other forum threads. Best of luck to you!

MrsBond