Venting... and questioning my path...

Nursing Students General Students

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I was recently accepted into Highland Community College in Freeport Illinois. I was very excited because prior to applying there I was expecting a 2-3 year wait still to get into the program in my hometown of Monroe, WI. When I told my husband's friend's wife (who recently graduated the nursing program in Monroe) that I was accepted she seemed less than happy for me. Later she told my husband that the school is crappy and that while they have more people pass the program than Monroe does, they have less people pass the NCLEX. (Basically saying it is easy and I won't be ready to be an RN when completed. Perks of this school, though, include a bridge to BSN program... it was also recommended to me by my 2 CNA teachers (who teach in Monroe...) so can it really be that bad of a school? Is there a place I can find statistics out? What would you do in my situation?

I would go anyway....it is all about how YOU do, not the statistics. I would purchase an NCLEX book before you even begin and prep for it from day 1. Good luck!

are there different NCLEX books or just any one would do? Thanks for the tip... I know I spent a lot of time prepping for the TEAS V that everyone was complaining about and had very few questions that I had issues with so that is a great idea!

Are they accredited? I think schools have to have a minimum NCLEX pass rate to maintain accreditation. I may be wrong on that though

There's a lot of snobbery re: the school one attends. In every state there is "the" school and the other schools. I went to the "other" I did just fine after graduation and after the first year no one cared what school I went to. Just focus on yourself as the other poster said. Re: the other question. The board of nursing has the NCLEX pass rates of all the schools. Percentage of pass rate affects if they remain accredited and can accept new students into the program.

I didn't know the answer to that question... no they don't appear to be accrediated. So what does that mean? Their NCLEX pass rate was 88% for the ADN program. Again, they do have the bridge to BSN program through a college in Rockford, Illinois...

Maybe it's sour grapes on her part... could she be jealous? 88% seems like an okay albeit not stellar NCLEX pass rate to me..

I didn't know the answer to that question... no they don't appear to be accrediated. So what does that mean? Their NCLEX pass rate was 88% for the ADN program. Again, they do have the bridge to BSN program through a college in Rockford, Illinois...

Well, to me that would be a huge deciding factor. Are you sure they aren't accredited? You should really verify that. Good luck. If they are accredited then go for it!

If they are not accredited, you may be unable to work outside of your state, and your degree will not necessarily be recognized by other schools. Another thing you should look at is the nature of the clinical experiences the students get. Do they get into the hospital much or are they in nursing homes and community locations? This could affect how easy/difficult it will be to get a job after. These questions are much more important than NCLEX pass rates IMO.

It seems like your friend is just jealous. You got into a program quickly, whereas for her, she may have endured a bit of a waiting period and feels like you should too. I've seen that kind of reaction before...

Try to not let it get to you - and if you're worried about the credibility of your future school, look up the retention and NCLEX pass rates online - or simply call the school for their information.

Good luck in your future studies!!

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