Georgia Perimeter College ADN Program??

U.S.A. Georgia

Published

Hello all,

I am looking for someone to give me an honest review of the ADN program at Georgia Perimeter College. I have read/heard many, many horrible comments about the program there. Also, I understand that they were on the verge of loosing accreditation, and had to increase NCLEX pass numbers, and that their way of accomplishing that was to fail out everyone who might not pass. At any rate, I know that GPC's program was quite bad in mid 2000's, but who's there now? Has it improved? Are you teachers good/helpful? How many people are dropping from your class? Would you go there if you had it to do again? Just looking for some advice... Thanks

Thanks, and yes I will be at Clarkston..

No, I don't feel like it has improved other than we have 3 chances to pass our check off skills. Some of the teachers are helpful but most are not and they are mean about it and expect you to take it. I have heard of some horror stories that are pretty bad here that has happened to other students currently. Some of the teachers don't teach and just read the powerpoints. I have had to take some major abuse from the teachers but nothing like some have had it. I feel sorry for them. It seems like if they don't like you they find a way to fail you in clinicals, they follow you around and wait for you to make a mistake. Not all are like this, about half. Some are truly wonderful but if you get the others, may God help you because you better pray real hard. The administration does nothing to help you, they act like they care but in the end they don't really care at all. They don't seem to care that their students are being treated unfairly or bad. Some, yes, may have good experiences but for the majority they do not but are unwilling to say anything about it. We haven't had to watch videos for check offs on how to do them but I hear the spring class does. How can you learn a skill from a video? It's just showing you what it looks like to pass the skill but how do you learn "how" to do the skill? If they showed a video on "how" to do the skill, I can see that but they don't. I have heard that is a complaint from some of the people in the spring class. This is an honest truthful review and I hope people listen. It has been a horrible experience and I wish I had never come here. If some of the stuff that has happened to other people ever got out to the state, the school would lose its accreditation for sure. I feel like I am in HELL!!

Hello all,

I am looking for someone to give me an honest review of the ADN program at Georgia Perimeter College. I have read/heard many, many horrible comments about the program there. Also, I understand that they were on the verge of loosing accreditation, and had to increase NCLEX pass numbers, and that their way of accomplishing that was to fail out everyone who might not pass. At any rate, I know that GPC's program was quite bad in mid 2000's, but who's there now? Has it improved? Are you teachers good/helpful? How many people are dropping from your class? Would you go there if you had it to do again? Just looking for some advice... Thanks

aimhigh11,

I'm not sure if you went to the same school as myself but I have to disagree with you. For skills lab we did have to watch a video to learn the skills lab, but next semester the skills lab is suppose to be way different.

What exactly are these skills check-offs and skills labs people keep talking about?

Hey, watashi

In 1921 there are 4 skills you have to learn (V/S,oral meds, SQmeds, and sterile gloves). You watch a video and then you must practice that skill in the skills lab for at least an hour. Lastly you have to check-off in front of an instructor on check-off day, following proper procedures and techniques. You get three times to pass, after the third time you are kicked out of the program. But, like I said earlier there were talks of changing the way skills lab was done.

No, I don't feel like it has improved other than we have 3 chances to pass our check off skills. Some of the teachers are helpful but most are not and they are mean about it and expect you to take it. I have heard of some horror stories that are pretty bad here that has happened to other students currently. Some of the teachers don't teach and just read the powerpoints. I have had to take some major abuse from the teachers but nothing like some have had it. I feel sorry for them. It seems like if they don't like you they find a way to fail you in clinicals, they follow you around and wait for you to make a mistake. Not all are like this, about half. Some are truly wonderful but if you get the others, may God help you because you better pray real hard. The administration does nothing to help you, they act like they care but in the end they don't really care at all. They don't seem to care that their students are being treated unfairly or bad. Some, yes, may have good experiences but for the majority they do not but are unwilling to say anything about it. We haven't had to watch videos for check offs on how to do them but I hear the spring class does. How can you learn a skill from a video? It's just showing you what it looks like to pass the skill but how do you learn "how" to do the skill? If they showed a video on "how" to do the skill, I can see that but they don't. I have heard that is a complaint from some of the people in the spring class. This is an honest truthful review and I hope people listen. It has been a horrible experience and I wish I had never come here. If some of the stuff that has happened to other people ever got out to the state, the school would lose its accreditation for sure. I feel like I am in HELL!!

aimhigh, did you attend GPC in 1930 this spring? I hate that school is hard for you, but it really is hard for all of us. Overall though, I don't agree with you. The Nursing Program is very unlikely to be at risk of losing accreditation for something "getting out to the state". They run a tight ship (for the most part) and, anything, are too strict. If they were lax in teaching or things like that, then perhaps that would be an issue. But I haven't witnessed anything like that in my 2 semesters in the program.

I haven't been on these boards since I was trying to find out if I got accepted about a year ago. Just like adorable (hey girl!) I finished my second semester (first year) a week ago. And I'm thrilled! Yes, it was hard as heck, but no nursing school is easy.

The vast majority of the teachers at GPC are indeed there to help. Really, I think all of them are. Some are just better teachers than others.

As far as failing you in clinicals, it's pretty hard to fail clinicals. You have to either be super lazy and not do anything, or falsify patient records, or hurt a patient, or lie about something, or anything along those lines. Clinicals provide a learning environment to practice our skills and put them to use on real patients. We are taught to think critically and prioritize with real people that are ill and are in need of help. Some clinical instructors are harder than others, and some can make it a less than pleasant experience for the student, but that's the luck of the draw. Most of them are great and really make it a time to expose us to as much as possible.

The skills lab was "less than ideal" this semester, but that was due to a staffing change. It is going to be easier next semester because now you won't get kicked out after 3 failed attempts. It will be more of a learning environment than a stressful pass/fail situation. Thank goodness! Because we lost a few good students to that policy.

Now the administration is something else. I have had little contact with them, and I prefer to keep it that way, but I know of one classmate that failed the third checkoff, appealed to administration, and was able to stay in the program due to the special circumstances of the case. Whether or not we agree with their decision to keep the student doesn't matter. What matters is that they do listen. They have made several changes due to our class being so vocal about what we feel needs to change in order to set us up for success.

Well, that's just my 2 cents. To anyone that is considering GPC, go for it!! But know that you are going to have to put in the time to learn! Practice your skills, and get the most out of it that you can! Good luck, everyone! :-)

Wow, thank you for all this information...it is a lot to think about. I have been on the fence about GPC or a 4-year college. Since I have already been accepted to GCP, it is more convenient for me to just go there than to keep applying to schools. Thanks to everyone for the honesty. I know some people have different experiences than others do, but the part that scares the heck out of me is that I dont want a 'boot-camp' environment. Everyone does not learn well in those circumstances...they will shut down. That is what worries me. I dont mind putting in the time to learn and to study, and I pride myself on my grades, but I can not tolerate someone yelling at me or degrading me. Sometimes, when I read reviews, that is what I am taking away from them.

Once again, thank you to everyone for their honesty and for sharing experiences. It really does help :)

aimhigh11...hang in there and try to stay positive and make it through. Maybe you can get some relaxation over the summer :)

No, I don't feel like it has improved other than we have 3 chances to pass our check off skills. Some of the teachers are helpful but most are not and they are mean about it and expect you to take it. I have heard of some horror stories that are pretty bad here that has happened to other students currently. Some of the teachers don't teach and just read the powerpoints. I have had to take some major abuse from the teachers but nothing like some have had it. I feel sorry for them. It seems like if they don't like you they find a way to fail you in clinicals, they follow you around and wait for you to make a mistake. Not all are like this, about half. Some are truly wonderful but if you get the others, may God help you because you better pray real hard. The administration does nothing to help you, they act like they care but in the end they don't really care at all. They don't seem to care that their students are being treated unfairly or bad. Some, yes, may have good experiences but for the majority they do not but are unwilling to say anything about it. We haven't had to watch videos for check offs on how to do them but I hear the spring class does. How can you learn a skill from a video? It's just showing you what it looks like to pass the skill but how do you learn "how" to do the skill? If they showed a video on "how" to do the skill, I can see that but they don't. I have heard that is a complaint from some of the people in the spring class. This is an honest truthful review and I hope people listen. It has been a horrible experience and I wish I had never come here. If some of the stuff that has happened to other people ever got out to the state, the school would lose its accreditation for sure. I feel like I am in HELL!!

It sounds like you're at a different school entirely. I'm just starting 1930 (in the accelerated class) and I've pretty much loved every minute of it. I know of one clinical instructor who made it difficult from some of her students but she didn't fail any of them. Unfortunately, it is the luck of the draw when it comes to which clinical instructor you have, but her students made it work, focused on their patients, helped each other, and all of them passed.

Skills check-offs are completely different for us this summer. We no longer are under the stress of "three strikes you're out." They've combined our 5 skills into two check-offs. If we succeed on the first attempt, we get a point toward our final grade. If we aren't successful, we don't get the additional point and we have to return to the lab for validation which involves going over the skills one-on-one with a member of faculty.

As for the videos, they're still there to watch. Honestly, they helped me immensely and I passed all fundamentals check-offs on my first attempts. But here's the thing, if somebody expects to just watch the video and not put in hours in the lab then of COURSE they won't feel like they learned the skill. That's why we do hours of practice. If you didn't do your time in the lab, learning and understanding the skill, then you have only yourself to blame, not a video. The lab instructors are WONDERFUL! All you have to do is pull one aside and ask them to go through the check-off with you until you understand what you're doing.

I have yet to meet a single faculty member who "aren't helpful and are mean about it." Every time I approach an instructor with a question I'm given a warm and intelligent response. When I was teaching college I could tell when a student hadn't been doing their part outside of class. It was a source of frustration to redeliver a lecture one-on-one when the student clearly had not been studying like they should have. Perhaps this is why some instructors may come of as mean.

GPC is fast, difficult, and inexpensive. The faculty members are extremely knowledgeable. Yes, some of them use power points written by somebody else, but those power points are based on information in a text book WRITTEN BY SOMEBODY ELSE. I'm not sure what the issue is with using the ppts. It's a strange argument. All of the information is what we are required to know and understand and a power point presentation, written by anybody, based on the same textbook, will always contain the information we need to know for exams. Period.

We have a tutorial lab. I was there for 2 1/2 hours today. The faculty tutors are brilliant. They are only paid for a certain amount of hours but will stay beyond, for free, because they want you to understand the material. They have candy and stress relieving aromatherapy hand lotions in there. Does that sound like a horrible school filled with teachers who hate you and don't want you to succeed? The first day of 1930, several faculty members came in and set up a beach scene at the front of the class and wrote "1930 is a beach" on the whiteboard. Does THAT sound like faculty who all hate you and absolutely can't wait to sit you down and tell you you're out of the program?

Honestly, I can't stand these negative reviews of this program. Is it all rainbows and unicorns? Absolutely not. It's one of the most difficult and time consuming things I've ever done. The resources are there for help. The faculty are extremely open for clearing up any questions you may have so long as you've studied and done your time and are still confused on any issues.

It's nursing school for crying out loud. The amount of knowledge we're supposed to have absorbed in 4 semesters is staggering. They're doing their best to make sure we know our stuff. It honestly is sink or swim but I have yet to personally meet an instructor who would honestly let you sink if you were truly studying and reading and doing everything you could to stay afloat.

Congrats to ALL of you who got into the fall class! I remember getting my letter so vividly. I was absolutely giddy. It's an awesome program and the faculty are there to help you through but you have to do your part. Use every resource available to you. Make appointments in the tutorial lab. Do your practice in the skills lab. Get organized, ask questions, behave like an adult, and if you get the short stick in clinical instructors, keep in mind it would only be a few days of clinical and put your head down and focus on your patient. After all, you're not always going to love your superiors where you work right?

If you ever have any questions or if in the Fall you start to panic about those crazy nclex style questions on the exams, find me here or on campus and I will talk you down off of the ledge and help you prepare.

Good luck friends!!

Thank you so much for posting this! I am starting in the fall and it's been great to see what people have posted about this program. I know there will be good and bad as there is with everything. I took all of my prerecs at GPC and have seen that there are awesome teachers and pretty bad ones too. But thank you, thank you, thank you, I'm even more ready to start!

Hi Ali...and welcome! I will be starting in the Fall and I am excited/nervous at the same time! Please join our discussion blog GPC FALL 2012. Will you be attending boot camp?

I totally agree with RockabillyMommy. GPC has a GREAT nursing program! I have been trying to catch up in this thread, but as a recent graduate, I can say with complete confidence that not only is it do-able, but it is an excellent school and I am very thankful for the education I received. I passed NCLEX-RN on my first attempt in 75 questions without any prep courses or anything special. All of the students I have spoken to post-graduation from my class had the same experience.

I also found that you get what you give in this program. The nursing instructors are here to help. Ask them questions, pose scenarios, have them observe something at clinical that you aren't sure about. Have them practice with you for checkoffs in the skills lab especially. I can't tell you how many times I would have them critique me. It was worth it though! If you take advantage of their wisdom, I guarantee that you will learn something and that knowledge will help you. It will also show them that you are serious and that will go a long way. Some instructors you think you are done with in Fundamentals may be instructors later on as well- so make a good impression. These same people may be willing to be a reference for you later or write a letter of recommendation- but not if you don't deserve it. I personally found that the people that complained the most and the loudest about instructors were the same people that used them the least or simply didn't prepare for clinical or lecture. And yes, if you don't come in knowing what the lecture is about or not being ready for clinical, then they will bust your chops and/or send you home. And they should! Nursing school is not supposed to be easy. As RN's we hold patient's lives in our hands and that is not something to be taken lightly.

The skill checkoffs that we had during the program that my class was in were even more difficult than they are now. We practiced in every spare moment. At home, on husbands and kids, on stuffed animals, on instructors, on each other. We laugh about it now, but skills are specific and measured for a reason. A contaminated sterile field or a wrong med given is a big deal and we do need to know how to perform under pressure. Most of us made it. Yes, not all of us did- but again this is just another tool used to evaluate students and most importantly.. to make sure we are safe and competent!

Tutorial lab is another valuable tool to take advantage of. They will spend hours with you to ensure you get what you need on an individual basis. GPC also offers a counselor for the nursing students should they need someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. We all cried at some point during school- it can get overwhelming between classes, tests, skill lab, clinical, projects, care plans, etc.. but you can do it!

I want to point out that I was almost discouraged from attending GPC based on the old negative threads posted on AllNurses.com by disgruntled students. I can't speak for how the program was back 2006 or whatever, but I can say that if you are looking at attending now that you shouldn't hesitate for a second- it is GREAT!

Overall, I loved nursing school at GPC. It was not easy- and they told us it wouldn't be right from the start. It was not sunshine and rainbows all the time- and they told us this, too. It WAS, however, an excellent program that taught me what I needed to know to pass the NCLEX-RN on my first attempt and how to be a safe, caring, competent nursing professional. I will be forever thankful for being able to attend a program that was so affordable and quick while providing me with such an excellent nursing education.

Just A Dream, I heard the tests in the last semester were much more difficult. Did you find that to be true?

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