"Prestige" Nursing Schools

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · May 11, 2017

How do employers decide who to hire if, hypothetically, there are several candidates vying for a nursing job and they all passed the NCLEX and can do the job? GPA? Personality? Something else given that what school the candidates did their nursing program doesn't matter?

Personally, I look at:

1) Work and volunteer history, specifically either pertaining to health care, customer service, and/or "dirty" jobs. Servers get a bump up from me because it's perhaps the closest thing to an ED that I can envision. (We had a resident who had been a bartender for quite some time before going to med school. I told him, "Same gig, Tom, just stronger hooch.")

2) 2nd language skills... Spanish is first by a wide margin, followed by Russian (it's a regional thing, of course). While native speakers are highly regarded, those who did it the hard way have serious cred for their courage and tenacity.

3) GPA... some people don't care but I do consider it as part of the holistic evaluation.

4) Reason for entering the field. Those who have significant experience interacting with the health care system get a nod because they tend understand more how vital is good communication and attentiveness.

I'm an unabashed "for-the-money" nurse but I routinely get exceptional marks for my "customer service" and "bedside manner." Why? I've spent weeks in hospitals myself as well as spending months with my kid in NICU/PICU and my wife in high-risk maternity and ushering both of my parents through hospice. I'm not "called" to nursing but my personal experience makes me a much better nurse.

5) Personality. As one manager told me while I was interviewing for a job long ago: "We wouldn't be talking if I didn't think that you couldn't do the job. At this point, I just want to see if I like you and want to spend a substantial amount of my time with you."

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · May 11, 2017

I'm envisioning a split screen training video comparing the Hopkins vs. Duke Techniques. And then an evidence-based practice throwdown / octagon cage match to determine the winner.

eerlijke · May 12, 2017

I am in Canada also, and I go to a pretty "no-name" nursing school as far as I'm concerned. I definitely don't go to one of the big schools in Canada. I had an opportunity to go to Queen's university for nursing school, which is a pretty prestigious university in Canada, but I decided not to go there for a variety of reasons. All of the nurses, nursing instructors, admissions councillors, and doctors I talked to said it really didn't matter what school you got to. One of the main reasons I decided to go with the "smaller program" (which actually has more seats lol) is the increase in clinical hours compared to Queens. The program I am in has about a 20% acceptance rate. It is well known on my area as being a difficult program to get into, and known in my province as a good program. I am also looking at doing something after my nursing degree, either and NP program or midwifery. Everyone I talked to about that also said it really didn't matter what school you go to, just your gpa and experience. I think wherever you choose to go, you get out of it what you put into it.

ab2680 · May 12, 2017

I currently work at a prestigious university hospital and the nursing school at said prestigious school has an NCLEX pass rate of about 50%. I went to a state school in the same state with a 99% pass rate. Obviously some of these "prestigious" schools that cost 50k a year are not doing as well as some of the smaller "less prestigious" schools.

guest517 · May 12, 2017

I am noticing an increasing number of posts lately by soon-to-be graduates (or prospective students) casually mentioning that they are attending a 'prestige' school. I'm not sure where this is coming from. (Besides bragging of course)
Just know that nursing school rankings (if that's how you are determining the prestige of your school) matter not a whit to the overwhelming majority of employers. What employers care about is:
Did you pass NCLEX?
Can you do the job?
PERIOD
Dropping $80 - 120K on a 'prestige' school when you can get the exact same degree from your state university for half the price is just plain foolish.

I absolutely agree!!!! You can attend a local accredited community college and graduate with a degree in Nursing debt free. I think because Nursing is in such high demand at the moment, schools are coming out of left field with all sorts of Nursing programs with tuition's through the roof and because a lot of students don't have a full understanding of the terms of financial aid they go for it not understanding whats racking up in loans and how they'll be paying it back forever.

NottaSpringChik, BSN, RN · May 12, 2017

The choice of school is a really personal issue and there are many factors, including cost, location, campus life. I think everyone should be judged on their performance and what they do to continue their personal development. Certainly each school has its deficits and strengths but when we pass NCLEX we are supposed to be able to function safely as an ENTRY LEVEL nurse. That is all, regardless. We have to be given opportunities to develop. I think sometimes the certain school and who you know will get a person opportunities and maybe someone taking another route may have to work a little longer and harder for the same opportunities.

PICUGuy · May 12, 2017

As a Hopkins hospital nurse, I would like to set the record straight: there is no singular technique for wiping. That's amatuer hour. A thorough assessment should take place before even thinking about wiping. Each patient's perennial area is like a flower, uniquely different, and should be treated as such. Additionally, dimethicone wipes are the only choice. You can imagine my embarrassment when, due to lack of proper training at my No Name nursing School, I asked where the baby wipes were on my first day of orientation. Oh, the egg on my face that day! Clearly, Hopkins Hospital will have to think twice before hiring another low breed nurse like myself. ;-)

subee, MSN, CRNA · May 13, 2017

I went to college 14 years (only 7 of them full-time). Worked in a variety of great

jobs. Until now it never occurred to me that floor colleagues would make snide remarks regarding my choice of an Ivy for nursing degree. Petty and demeaning to the colleagues who utter this tripe.

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · May 13, 2017

Until now it never occurred to me that floor colleagues would make snide remarks regarding my choice of an Ivy for nursing degree.

I wouldn't make snide remarks about your choice. Unless, that is, you seemed to view that ivy paper as somehow superior to the one from Podunk U.

If you're a good nurse, you're a good nurse and I couldn't care less from where you earned your shingle.

The only schools that get a special nod from me are the service academies.

caliotter3 · May 13, 2017

I wouldn't make snide remarks about your choice. Unless, that is, you seemed to view that ivy paper as somehow superior to the one from Podunk U.
If you're a good nurse, you're a good nurse and I couldn't care less from where you earned your shingle.
The only schools that get a special nod from me are the service academies.

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences has a medical school and graduate school of nursing that I would also put in the category of the service academies.

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · May 13, 2017

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences has a medical school and graduate school of nursing that I would also put in the category of the service academies.

I don't know enough to say.

The reason that the service academies get a nod from me is that having been through boot camp and the university, I'm super impressed by folks who can pull them off simultaneously.

guest042302019, BSN, RN · May 13, 2017

Prestige schools is an ego thing. Do they get a better education? Maybe? Who knows?

When did that ever matter when a heart stops? When did a patient ever ask where I went to school?

Uh, never...

I went to a community college for ADN, online school for BSN, and now working on MSN online. I get job offers on linkedin almost every other day...

Why? Because I have diverse clinical and travel nurse experience around the country and I represent myself in a professional manner.