The stories I've heard from people going there have suddenly become quite appalling!
I've always respected CU as a school with very high standards in their nursing program, although the institution seemed a little too proud of itself as reflected by a non-caring attitude towards its students when it came to clinical preferences.
However, the latest information I've heard is rather astounding. They shortened their accelerated program length while doubling or tripling the enrollment. CU was then unable to find clinical placements for the well over 100 new students. What did they do? They bumped their traditional BSN students from their classes and placements, delaying them a semester, forced students to cancel internships they'd arranged with hospitals, and students lost most of their financial aid due to them dropping to part-time status.
Now I've heard that their accelerated and traditional classes that are to graduate in May np longer have clinical placements at two of the three academic hospitals: University Hospital and VA. I also was told that CU has zero or near zero ICU/ED/NICU placements for senior practicum (SIP). Apparently, there is even such a shortage of med-surg placements that they are sending senior practicum students to outpatient clinics! Students have been told, "tough."
I feel sorry for all those nursing students. Why did they get into one of the top two competitive programs in the state if the program is going to treat them like that and give them sub-par clinical experiences? These are the antics I'd expect to hear from University of Phoenix and ITT-Tech, not CU Denver which like to bill itself as a top-10 nursing school at the national level. What gives?
