[Jess_Student Nurse]

Originally Posted by Martinette

I did a three year program (diploma) in Pennsylvania in 1998 before moving abroad.

It was a hospital school of nursing that was affiliated with a local university. Our nursing theory and clinical was done via the school of nursing at the hospital and all other classes were done via the university.

We took A&P 1 and 2, chemistry, nutrition, psychology and sociology, microbiology, english, statistics and much more at the local university at the same time we were doing the diploma at the school of nursing, it was a mandatory part of the program. It was all affiliated together and a very good program. Kicked out of school if you scored lower than a 80% on any course.

Afterwards it was easy to get my BSN at the university my diploma school was affiliated with. The diploma program itself was pretty academic and a tougher few years than the bsn program afterward was.

This is the same for my school as well. They have A&P, Ethics, Human Development and a few other classes done from a University. I have taken all the U classes already so I wont need them and my community college courses will transfer to a U as I already contacted the nursing department at a U and they will accept all my community college courses.

[suzy253]

Re: Diploma = bad.

Definitely not bad. I would say excellent. I graduated in '06 from a three -year diploma program and I now appreciate how much I've been prepared for the real nursing world. Sure, we took all the co-reqs like Anatomy, human physiology, micro, all the psych courses, a totally separate course on drug math, etc. etc. at the associated colleges and universities. In the senior year we had ethics and an extended management course and a three-week NCLEX review course (100% pass rate over last several years).

Highly recommend it! Good luck to you.

[Jess_Student Nurse]

Does it sound normal for a diploma school to start clinicals at 5 weeks? Or is the norm for all 2-3 yr RN programs. I was excited to hear we started clinicals so early - I cant wait for the "hands on".

[elkpark]

Originally Posted by Jess_Student Nurse

Does it sound normal for a diploma school to start clinicals at 5 weeks? Or is the norm for all 2-3 yr RN programs. I was excited to hear we started clinicals so early - I cant wait for the "hands on".

In my program, we started Fundamentals clinicals within a couple weeks of first starting school -- granted, we didn't do much more than "beds 'n baths," refilling ice pitchers, etc., but it got us used to being in the hospital and providing direct care right from the beginning.

Again, not to argue with llg (since there's no argument ) but just to clarify that different diploma programs offer different experiences, my school did not in any way pressure us, or tailor our education, to stay at our "home" hospital. We did have some of our clinicals in other area hospitals (as well as some outpatient agencies) -- and not because our hospital didn't offer those services (it did), just so we would get exposure to the full range of those particular specialties. All of the courses except the actual nursing courses were taught through a local college and were standard, transferable college credits (worked out to ~1-1/2 years of college by the time we graduated). Also, the school and hospital made clear that we were all welcome to work at the hospital after graduation and there would be a job for us if we wanted it, but we were also encouraged to plan on continuing our education beyond just the diploma (the school had a special arrangement, back in the '80s, with the college where we took our non-nursing courses for the diploma grads to be able to complete the college's BSN program in one calendar year) and "aim for the stars" professionally.

[Tweety]

Originally Posted by Jess_Student Nurse

Does it sound normal for a diploma school to start clinicals at 5 weeks? Or is the norm for all 2-3 yr RN programs. I was excited to hear we started clinicals so early - I cant wait for the "hands on".

One thing good about diploma programs is they have the most clinicals of all the degrees. But five weeks is normal for BSN and ADN programs too, they jump right on in, usually doing basic care like baths, catheters, etc. but not med passing or head-to-toe assessments.

[suzy253]

Originally Posted by Jess_Student Nurse

Does it sound normal for a diploma school to start clinicals at 5 weeks? Or is the norm for all 2-3 yr RN programs. I was excited to hear we started clinicals so early - I cant wait for the "hands on".

Yes. In my diploma program we were starting clinical in the 5th or 6th week.

[earle58]

we started our clinicals within 2 weeks.
and my experiences, were much like elkpark's.
if anything, it has been a tremendous advantage for me, graduating from a diploma school.
the only thing i'd change, is my school was very elitist.
it was ingrained in our heads, "you are a Baptist nurse".
and the parent hospital, basically only had the very rich, well known, for patients.
i chose not to work there.
but dang, i received a top notch education, and wouldn't change anything about its quality.

leslie

[Jess_Student Nurse]

Thanks to everyone who posted, I really feel better and cant wait to start school in January!

[shrinkyrn]

Originally Posted by llg

The quality of the education provided by many (most?) diploma programs is excellent and well-respected. However, because the diploma schools are not part of the same "higher education" system in this county, the academic credentials they provide are not always as transferable to other to colleges and universities. You may have to jump through a few more hoops to continue your nursing education beyond the entry-level diploma. In some areas, all of the diploma programs have been phased out to encourage the education of nurses within the country's mainstream system of higher education (colleges and universities).

Also, keep in mind that the very reason that diploma programs exist is to provide the hospital that runs them with a steady stream of new grads for employment in that same hospital system. In some places, that results in a course of study that is geared to the particular practices of that parent institution -- and less focused on general nursing education preparing you for jobs outside that same hospital system. That might not make much difference to you, but it might. For example, if the parent hospital system does not have large pediatrics or maternity services, the amount of education you receive in those subjects might be minimal -- just enough to meet the state board requirements and no more -- because they don't want you becoming interested in those fields and deciding to work for their competitor hospital across town. Or they may teach you how to work well with their equipment and procedures, but not prepare you well to function with the other types of equipment or procedures that you might find elsewhere -- because they don't want you feeling comfortable working elsewhere. In fact, their faculty may be compensated based on how many graduating students take jobs at their own hospital, causing the faculty to be biased in the career recommendations, etc. Those things don't happen everywhere and may not be a factor in your case ... but they are something to watch out for.

Not sure where you got your information. My diploma education prepared me to function in ANY hospital. I've never been sorry that I attended a diploma program. In fact I did not work at the hospital I attended for nursing school after I graduated and neither did most of my class of 30 +++ We went to other facilities to get the experiences we needed to get a superior clinical education!!!!

[suzy253]

Originally Posted by llg

For example, if the parent hospital system does not have large pediatrics or maternity services, the amount of education you receive in those subjects might be minimal -- just enough to meet the state board requirements and no more -- because they don't want you becoming interested in those fields and deciding to work for their competitor hospital across town. Or they may teach you how to work well with their equipment and procedures, but not prepare you well to function with the other types of equipment or procedures that you might find elsewhere -- because they don't want you feeling comfortable working elsewhere.

That is so not true. Four of my fellow grads work in ICU--straight from graduation in a diploma program; 2 work in the ER. Several work in trauma hospital; a well known woman and infant's hospital, etc. etc. And believe me, we are all very much prepared for equipment and procedures. In fact, I have students working with me know from 'degree programs' and it's very very sad and almost frightening how much they don't know this far along in their education.