Concorde Aurora LPN training

I am going to be attending the next session for the RN program in May. Other than the instructor changes how would you rate the program overall (inlcuding clinicals, course layout, other students, etc). Also, if you don't mind me asking, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but how many students would you say that you know didn't find jobs after graduating from this program?

Thank you so much! I want to mentally prepare myself to expect the worst but hope for the best for this program.

The training itself is good, and I feel that we have very competitive clinical training. I even had small rotations in an ICU and an ER (very uncommon for ADN students.) If you are willing to never know where you are going to be the next day or if you will get a call at 5am telling you to be at your clinical site in an hour then you will be just fine. The other RN students were great, some of the other programs were.....a little disrespectful. There were fights and people selling clothes out of the trunks of their cars or blaring music which was pretty foreign to me.

I know many of my classmates found jobs but only a couple ended up in a decent hospital spot. Most of them are working long term care or corrections because they had to pay the bills. Jobs will come back so that is not something you should worry to much about. Hell we even had a girl hired right into a NICU! It is a good idea to work as a CNA in a hospital while in school if you happen to have a license. Just know the first year of work may be in a less than ideal situation. Also, if you are offered a job during school TAKE IT. I passed one up thinking I would be working in a hospital and now I really regret it.

Hope that helps!

The Fretfulstudent

Thank you so much for all the information! I really appreciate it.

I am attending the LPN program at Concorde. I'm disgusted and DO NOT recommend this place. I'm doing well as far as grades, but some teachers are ridiculous, very incompetent and do not know how to teach. I am so angry that I am going to look into changing schools.

Ummm You couldnt have said it any better!! I am about to start Session 2, and the quote above is 100% True. Gossip, Cheating, Obnoxious behavior.
If you have a high tolerance do it though!

I am supposed to start the LPN program at Concorde in August. I can't wait to be able to get a spot at the CC in my area. I have noticed some comments about the program there recently. I would greatly appreciate any input from anyone who is currently or has attended thios program recently. I was going to do the RN; but they wanted 12,000 that was not covered by financial aid up front and that is not feasible for me. I am very excited to be starting my classes; but, it is being overshadowed by the conflicting things I hear. Also, where are clinicals usually done? I live in northern colorado so it will be about a 60 mile drive one way. Thanks.

Clinicals are sometimes in Denver or Thorton, they don't try to get you closer to your home, just wherever they pick. Seriously, think about Com. College. I'm not sure how it is there, but Concorde is run like it's brand new and they haven't figured things out yet, although it's been around for about 20 years. I don't know what you'll think, but a lot of my classmates complain constantly,it's not just me. When you come to Concorde to visit, why don't you talk to some of the students that stand outside during their breaks? I don't know why nobody does that!
Also, if they tell you that classes for the LPN program are 8am to 3pm, that's wrong. For us it's til 3:30 and til 12:30 on Fridays for the first session. Not a big deal, but when you have kids and make arrangements, it's pretty inconvenient. It's not ALL bad, don't get me wrong, I just thought that for the amount of tuition we pay, it would be 10 times better.

A few more questions. Are clinical sites changed frequently? Do you feel like you are getting a good enough education to pass the NCLEX? When do clinicals start? Thanks for your patience.

Hello, tlt0616,

Since you're willing to drive, have you looked at Emily Griffith Opportunity School? They are a public trade school in downtown Denver and have an LPN program that's 10 months long. I hear very good things about the program and the teachers; plus, there's not much of a waitlist, and sometimes not one at all. Their website is www.egos-school.com.

I'm concerned about you paying the exorbitant tuition and driving 60 miles for the kind of sub-par education, huge amount of stress & drama, etc that you'll most likely encounter at Concorde. If you'd like to know more about my experience, please feel free to PM or email me.

An add-on about the education... when I was at Concorde, a classmate of mine had retaken the dosage calculation final 3 times. Yes, the test was retaken 3 times after the initial test was failed. I know that might not seem like a big deal, but, it was breaking Concorde's own rules. Not to mention, a nursing student needs to be competent at calculating drug dosages for the safety of the patients. It is in the writing that a nursing student, if he/she fails the dosage calculation final (and the score has to be very high to pass) may only retake the dosage calc final once. If it is failed again, the student is supposed to have to start over at the beginning of the first session. At least, that's how it was when I was there just a year ago. Any current Concorde students, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide and hope that you find a nursing program that is right for you. Take care!