ITT Tech?

Nursing Students School Programs

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Hello everybody,

I am currently a Medical Asisstant but I have always wanted to be a nurse. Just took MA to get my feet wet...I want to go for RN..I was wondering has anyone tried ITT Technical Institute or know anybody who has been there? If so , I wanted to know is it a good program there? Because I know it is a private school so sometimes those get sloppy...I also wanted to know if anyone knows does it make a different when looking for a job if you attended a private college or community college?

Thanks everyone!:nurse:

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

If you have a choice (meaning, you have good grades), go to your local community college or state school. If you have the $, go to a private university. If you have no other options, them check out that school.

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Personally, I wouldn't do it. First, I wouldn't want to pay their tuition. It being a for-profit school the tuition has to be rediculous. Second, I am not clearly positive if it is fully accredited and state board approved. I don't want to spend big $$ on something that will be worthless once I graduate. Third, its not offered in my area.

If you're going to do it, do it the right way instead of taking the easy way out.

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.
Hello everybody,

I am currently a Medical Asisstant but I have always wanted to be a nurse. Just took MA to get my feet wet...I want to go for RN..I was wondering has anyone tried ITT Technical Institute or know anybody who has been there? If so , I wanted to know is it a good program there? Because I know it is a private school so sometimes those get sloppy...I also wanted to know if anyone knows does it make a different when looking for a job if you attended a private college or community college?

Thanks everyone!:nurse:

I know it looks like the quickest/easiest route, but I'd beware.

First of all, in a super competitive new grad job market, I don't think I'd want to have "ITT Tech" on my resume. That is most definitely NOT going to help you at all.

Second of all, you need to look at the loan repayment schedule. If their BSN program is what you're looking at, you're probably looking at around $1200/month in loan payments for at least a decade. That's about a 1/3 of an average new grad's income. When you eventually find a job to give you an income.

If you search the site, there are lots of complaints about the programs. Because they have such open acceptance, it's hard to tell if it's just inept people who never should've been in NS to begin with or if they really were unprepared by a subpar program.

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Thanks everyone for your comments. I will research more. So far I have looked on the California Board of Registered Nursing and found that the campus I want to go to is approved. I will continue to do research but the only reason why I am resulting to this is because it is my dream to be a nurse. It is strong within me and I don't have time to waste on a 2-3 year waiting list. I have two kids, and I am currently a MA but can't find work. But thanks everyone for the comments please keep 'em coming ..good or bad...THANKS:)

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

It may have CA approval, but it isn't HLC or NLN accredited, so don't expect your degree to transfer anywhere except more high-priced for-profits.

You can't find work as an MA but expect to find work with any speed in the most competitive state for RN jobs with an ITT degree? Consider where you will be with $60K more in loans and still no job for 1-2 years.

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I attend Breckinridge School of Nursing @ Itt Tech. I am in Florida and so far I am very pleased with the school. My degree will state that I attended Breckinridge School of Nursing. They are accredited and after I complete the program I will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX. I agree that they are expensive, but I am 44 and do not want to wait the years that it takes to get into the public schools in my area.

Honestly, I have no idea why people get their dander up when you talk about a private school. There are MANY private schools that MANY people attend and get jobs and do very well for themselves. You have to do what feels right for you.

Good luck in your choice and let me know if I can answer any questions about the school.:nurse:

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.
Thanks everyone for your comments. I will research more. So far I have looked on the California Board of Registered Nursing and found that the campus I want to go to is approved. I will continue to do research but the only reason why I am resulting to this is because it is my dream to be a nurse. It is strong within me and I don't have time to waste on a 2-3 year waiting list. I have two kids, and I am currently a MA but can't find work. But thanks everyone for the comments please keep 'em coming ..good or bad...THANKS:)

Approved is not the same as "accredited.".

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All nursing programs are approved by their state's BON, or they wouldn't be operating. However, the proprietary (private-for-profit) tech/voc schools like ITT Tech are often not NLNAC approved (national nursing accreditation), and usually not accredited by the regional academic accreditation organizations that acredit "regular" colleges and universities (general academic accreditation, not nursing-specific). This means that the courses you take at a proprietary school usually can't be transferred into a "regular" college or university later on, if/when you want to further your education, and you basically have to start over "from scratch."

While many people start out in nursing thinking that all they'll ever want to do is basic bedside nursing and, once they finish nursing school, they'll never want to go back to school, many, many nurses find that, once they're licensed and practicing and start to see the wide range of additional career possibilities available to them with a BSN or higher degree, they start to feel differently (just look around this site at all the threads about individuals returning, or planning to return, to school). IMO, there's no justification at all, in this day and age, for paying money for academic credits that you can't transfer later to another school (esp. not for paying a lot more $$$ than necessary for credits you can't transfer!)

Also, most programs for furthering your nursing education and career (BSN completion programs and graduate programs in nursing) require that you be a graduate of an NLNAC or CCNE (the "other" national nursing accreditation organization, but they only accredit BSN and graduate programs, so that's not an issue with ADN programs) accredited program, and there is a growing trend among healthcare employers (including some of the most desirable employers in healthcare, inc. the VA, US military, and many large academic medical centers) to only employ nurses who are graduates of NLNAC or CCNE accredited programs. Choosing to attend an unaccredited nursing program now can close a lot of doors for you, permanently, for many years to come in your nursing career. IMO, it's a really bad idea, totally apart from the generally poor reputation the ITT programs have.

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The Breckinridge School of Nursing is part of ITT Technical Institute, which is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
Approved is not the same as "accredited.".

While accreditation is an important thing, it is not the one and only thing that dictates credit transfer. Believe me when I tell you, a non-accredited (NLNAC) school can transfer credits to other schools. I am proof-positive of this. My AD school was not accredited and I went on for BS and MS without a problem. In addition, I worked for a school that was not accredited, and many of my graduates went on to BSN programs.

Having said that, you would want to strive for an accredited school. The process the school goes through is a grueling one, and with all of the requirements they need to meet to get accredited, basically ensures that the school is doing the right thing. If a school has not achieved accreditation status, you have to ask yourself why. It's kind of like Magnet; if a hospital cannot achieve the status, there is a reason.

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.
The Breckinridge School of Nursing is part of ITT Technical Institute, which is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.

This is not what we're talking about - that particular accreditation isn't particular to nursing programs. Notice the title of the council says nothing about nursing At most, this benefits you by ensuring you might be able to transfer credits to another independent school like WCU.

Which is fine as long as you don't intend on going back to school. There have also been incidents where people have failed out for various reasons and realize they are out tens of thousands of dollars and literally have to start over again because their grades were worthless. And there are people that will not hire people from unaccredited schools. But I'm sure there are jobs out there!

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