Thank You Note to GPC's Nursing Program

U.S.A. Georgia

Published

I can’t neglect to thank the faculty and staff of the GPC nursing program for my experience while enrolled. The reason it is important for me to say thanks is because my plethora of negative experiences while enrolled in the program helped me to be truly grateful for the nursing program I left GPC for.

If I had never gone to GPC and been treated like dirt by many of the faculty and staff (minus a select few – you know who you are) I would not appreciate the instructors I now have nearly as much in my new program.

My time at GPC helped me to develop a thicker skin, more confidence in myself, and a deeper faith in God because that’s the only way you will make it out of there with enough sanity to thrive in another program as I now am.

I know that many students that leave GPC’s nursing program are not able to get into other programs for various reasons. To those of you in this situation, don’t give up on your dream. GPC is not at all the typical nursing program despite what others have said. Unfortunately, many are so wounded after leaving that they don’t continue to pursue nursing.

Just a few of the things that I have in my current RN program that I did not have at GPC are:

  • Rationales provided for all tests questions
  • Polite, respectful faculty and staff
  • Returned calls and emails
  • Organization, Organization, Organization
  • Tests questions whose correct answers can be found in the required reading
  • Not having to put my family on the backburner until I finish school
  • Exam grades and a GPA that reflect the diligence that I put into my studies

Again, GPC I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unprofessional, uncaring, and blatantly unfair practices because they have served to make me a more grateful, and solid nursing student currently finishing up in another program.

God Bless

Bravo dmarie :)

It's a crime what GPC is doing to innocent, trusting nursing students. You walk in, willing to give 110%, and you DO give 110%, only to be mislead, swindled, ripped-off, and lied to. They could care less about you. They are not in the business of education. They are in the business of money. They recently received a huge chunk for their new program in Dunwoody (LPN-RN bridge), and it was all based on their numbers. You see, several years back, they were actually on academic probation for their low NCLEX pass rate. So they swung the pendulum in the opposite direction. In 2006, their NCLEX pass rate was 100%. This might sound good to you.....after all, this must be a great institution that trains their students well. Right?

But the casualty for their new found success is YOU, the innocent nursing student. It's all about numbers to them now. As of 2006, out of 170 people to start the program, only 20 actually made it through. And out of those 20, how many had to beg and grovel in order to repeat a semester? Well, I happen to know several. What does this mean to a fresh nursing student coming into this program with wide eyes and a trusting heart?

DISASTER!

It's a crime. They have destroyed lives, broken spirits, trampled pocket books, and deterred many fine students from the nursing profession altogether. Fine, intelligent, bright, gifted, ambitious, and motivated students, all who were willing to give 110% to the program and to the nursing profession, smacked in the face, deceived, and tossed to the curb. Students who altered their lifestyles, studied 12 hours per day, held their breaths during clinicals hoping their psychotic and unreasonably abusive instructor wouldn't humiliate them in front of a patient. Students who despite the fact that they studied above and beyond the call of duty, crossed every T and dotted every I, formed study groups, created practice questions, visited the study lab, purchased supplemental study guides and analyzed study guides with a fine tooth comb........feeling totally prepared for the exam.......... went into the lecture hall for the exam and found that 75% of the questions were from a different planet. Questions that were never discussed or covered during lecture, questions that were poorly written and impossible to answer, and questions that made absolutely no sense to anyone in the class, slowly chipping away at your hard-earned GPA and self-esteem, because Lord knows you aren't stupid, but where in God's name did these questions come from??????? And lo and behold, the entire class fails the exam. Hmmmm. An entire class can't be wrong..... Kinda makes you wonder. Maybe it's not the students after all?

What's really sad is: after pouring your heart and utter soul into the material, hanging on every word in lecture, putting your family on hold and taking out thousands in student loans, all to obtain your dream of being a nurse, everything is shattered in a matter of a few exams. Your heart is beyond broken, your mind is in a daze, friends and loved ones are asking "What the heck is going on?", and your dreams go down the drain. Do you think a single instructor or administrator at GPC gives a damn? HELL NO! :) Do you think they lose sleep at night because you're life has become a living hell? Do you think that when you go to them and ask them, "What's the secret? What am I doing wrong?" that they actually care or give sound counsel?

The REALLY scary thing is: after a couple of semesters in GPC's nursing program, your GPA is utterly destroyed, making you ineligible for any other nursing program. You CAN'T transfer into another RN program because your GPA is screwed! HA! NOW YOUR A PRISONER! You either stay and sell your soul to the devil, or find another career path. All of those pre-req classes you took? All that hard work and money to GET INTO the nursing program? The joy you felt when you made it in? EVERYTHING down the tubes. Because now, GPC has destroyed your transcripts. You can't go to Kennesaw, Georgia State, etc. Nobody will take you now! You've been forever tainted. Go ahead and paint a big read GPC on your forehead, because nobody will take you now.

It doesn't matter to them how many people graduate. It only matters how many of those that actually do pass the NCLEX. Because that is the only number they are judged by.

It can be argued that GPC wants to protect the nursing profession and all of the patients of the world from future potentially incompetent nurses. Maybe GPC is on a mission to save the world and protect the sick and dying from these horrible wannabe nurses who simply can't grasp the material? I mean really, they can't have these slackers going out into the world caring for patients, taking their lives into their hands!!!!!!!!!!! GOD BLESS GPC!

I have advice for anyone considering this program. STAY AWAY.

And if you choose to go ahead and give it a shot, because you think, "Well, I actually study really hard and I'm really smart and I will apply myself and I can do it! It won't happen to me..."

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

The people and instructors who run this program are nothing short of criminals. I have seen many lives destroyed, time wasted, money down the drain, and spirits trampled.

The drug calculation test is the least of your worries, trust me. Passing it with 100% is no big deal. Study the formulas and do the problems. What you should be worrying about is the UNKNOWN. The stuff you can't see coming around the corner of this farce of a school. The instructor who purposely withholds information to watch you fail. The faculty who purposely doesn't recommend supplemental material. The clinical instructor who sets you up to fail. THIS is what you have to sweat about. The frickin' math test? Give me a break! That's a piece of cake! If you can't pass a drug calculation test, then.... I dunno. It's the other stuff that'll REALLY gettcha! Because there is absolutely NOTHING you can do to prepare for it.

You've been warned.

So well said and sooooooooo true. I have been warning others also because it is the right thing to do. People can make their own decisions for themselves but at least they've been informed. I wish that someone had warned me.

Specializes in LTC Occupational Med,Internal Med.
So well said and sooooooooo true. I have been warning others also because it is the right thing to do. People can make their own decisions for themselves but at least they've been informed. I wish that someone had warned me.

The program seems impossible, so much so that even though i live 2 secs from the clarkston campus i didnt even apply there!!!!!!!!! Instead I will have to drive about and hour and 15 minutes to gordon where i did apply and got accepted. i was just thinking today as i drove down memorial dr that i wish they had their stuff together because it would have made things ALOT easier as far as travel was concerned and for a sec i even thought about applying anyway thinking it cannot be that bad but after hearing all of the horror stories from this forum and other nurses i have talked to everyone says the same thing!!!! I am happy with my decision to go to gordon cause i think it is better to drive far and pass than to drive close and fail!!!! It just upsets me that i will have to drive right past one nursing school to go to one an hour away!! But at least i will be ok i think!

Thanks, for i have taken heed to the warning!!!

"The Hopefull one"

Same here! I definitely deleted GPC off my list of schools to apply to even though it's probably the closest to me. SO not worth throwing away my chance to be a nurse no matter how far I have to drive. Well, that's assuming I even get in anywhere, but here's hoping!:D God bless y'all for the heads up, otherwise I may have ruined my chance to follow my dream!

I finished all of my science prereqs at GPC, but also decided not to apply there. I too heard all of the horror stories and poor retention rates. SO I applied to Kennesaw, got in and graduated in July. We had one student from GPC who did transfer in with us. She got out EARLY! She said KSU was a "blessing" and was absolutely wonderful! She told us there was no comparison, and that GPC was a nightmare and purposefully tried to fail as many people as they could.

Point being stay away from GPC; it apparently is truly worse than any other program I have heard of. Good luck with Gordon College! THe drive will be worth it, as the drive to KSU was worth it to me.

After reading this thread, are we sure the nursing program is that bad over there, or is it just a bunch of mediocre students who had no choice but to go to Perimeter that are complaining?

Me: 1200 SAT score out of 9th grade

Compass: Reading/Writing/Math (out of 9th): 99/99/63

NET: 90th percentile with no prep or studying.

GPA: 3.75 Biology, 3.35 Nursing program, 3.8 overall since starting back to school.

Gifted program since first grade.

I guess I am wondering if I will personally have a hard time with the program...

After reading this thread, are we sure the nursing program is that bad over there, or is it just a bunch of mediocre students who had no choice but to go to Perimeter that are complaining?

Me: 1200 SAT score out of 9th grade

Compass: Reading/Writing/Math (out of 9th): 99/99/63

NET: 90th percentile with no prep or studying.

GPA: 3.75 Biology, 3.35 Nursing program, 3.8 overall since starting back to school.

Gifted program since first grade.

I guess I am wondering if I will personally have a hard time with the program...

Obviously none of us can predict your future and what your personal experience would be if you decide to go the GPC nursing program route. It seems as if you may be very misinformed though about what it takes to be accepted into GPC's nursing program or any other for that matter. Today to get into many of the nursing programs (including GPC's) generally one would have had to work their butts off to prove that they have what it takes. Their transcripts and test scores need to show that hard work. There are many, many others with transcripts and test scores like yours and better. Mediocrity usually is not your friend if you're trying to apply to get into any nursing program these days.

Having said that - you are not on an island to yourself since you have decent grades and scores. Many former and current GPC students are on that island with you. There are also people that test very well that quite honestly don't make great nurses. An employer simply wants to know if you have an RN behind your name - not all of that other stuff. I know quite a few people that started GPCs program with high GPAs whose GPAs were butchered when we were all finished. I also know some that had a higher GPA than mine (3.75) when we started that weren't able to finish the program. Believe me when I say things change once you get in.

I wish you the best. :wink2:

Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.
After reading this thread, are we sure the nursing program is that bad over there, or is it just a bunch of mediocre students who had no choice but to go to Perimeter that are complaining?

Me: 1200 SAT score out of 9th grade

Compass: Reading/Writing/Math (out of 9th): 99/99/63

NET: 90th percentile with no prep or studying.

GPA: 3.75 Biology, 3.35 Nursing program, 3.8 overall since starting back to school.

Gifted program since first grade.

I guess I am wondering if I will personally have a hard time with the program...

Some may take offense to this post; although, it is a valid question. I have no experience with GPC!! That being said, we must all remember that this is a message board where anyone may post, good students, bad students, and NO students!!! I've always found it best to investigate for myself. Visit the campus and ask many questions. I am not sure what my thoughts are about GPC. It WOULD appear there is something going on there, but I just can't say for sure.

STAFF NOTE: please do not respond to WorriedStudent negatively. I am sure some will post that GPC is bad and being a genius will not help you graduate. I am just as sure someone that had mediocre grades has graduated from GPC.

After reading this thread, are we sure the nursing program is that bad over there, or is it just a bunch of mediocre students who had no choice but to go to Perimeter that are complaining?

Me: 1200 SAT score out of 9th grade

Compass: Reading/Writing/Math (out of 9th): 99/99/63

NET: 90th percentile with no prep or studying.

GPA: 3.75 Biology, 3.35 Nursing program, 3.8 overall since starting back to school.

Gifted program since first grade.

I guess I am wondering if I will personally have a hard time with the program...

Me: 1280 SAT as a sophomore in high school

NET: 96th percentile

GPA: Currently 3.86, even when considering the C I brought home from GPC's nursing program my first semester

Advanced and AP courses throughout

Accepted into a major prestigious university as a JUNIOR in high school

99th percentile on the NLN nursing entrance test at another nursing school

Graduating MAGNA CUM LAUDE from another major university in three months

And I'm proud to say that I withdrew from GPC's nursing program halfway through my second semester. I've moved on to better things. Read my previous posts if you care to know my story regarding GPC...I'll won't go through it all again here.

GPC was simply a ridiculous program full of instructors who could not have cared less about our futures. My hat is off to any graduate of the program. This University honors grad couldn't hack it.

Specializes in Long Term Care.

ABMSAM,

I couldn't have replied to WORRIEDSTUDENT, any better than that, and with that type of attitude I guess they should be a "worried student":uhoh3: . And for WORRIEDSTUDENT, just in case you haven't looked at what the requirements were to get into the program at GPC, I wouldn't assume that everyone who has (not-so-pleasant) things to say about GPC, is mediocre. You are not the first one to come in with great scores and won't be the last, but it does take way more than good grades to be a great nurse. Like my instructor told me, I would rather have a nurse that possesed good clinical skills and used critical thinking than one who was just book smart and could make an "A" on a test. So to answer your question about personally having a hard time at GPC, is just that, personal. Only you know your personal strengths and weaknesses, and the time you would have to dedicate towards the program. The question is will you be able to deal with all the unneccesary things that go along with GPC's program. It's not hard academically (the tests) but how about getting lecture on what you're actually going to be tested on. How about encouraging instructors,that want to see people that have dreamed of being nurses all their lives, go on to do so. That's all we are saying. I have friends who are in the program right now, that are in their last semester..( that means they are passing right now), and they would tell you the same thing. It's not impossible, and one thing I can say, is if you graduate from that program, you will definitely pass your boards. So just do your research and goodluck!

I graduated from GPC in 2006. I was not an honors student and only got in because I tested really well on the NET. I worked my tail off and got 3 C's and a B. throughout the program, but I passed, graduated and am a RN now. That being said we started out with 140 students our 1st semester and I was one of 22 who graduated. And many of those who graduated failed a semester.

But if you want to give GPC a try, I have heard that it's a lot more fair now, many of the ridiculously unfair teachers are gone, there is a new dean of nursing and after numerous complaints to the BON and visits by the BON it sounds like they've cleaned up their act a little. I think in May of 2007 they graduated something like 60 + people.

They couldn't go on like they were going and the BON was investigating them my final 2 semesters there. I think they knew they had to relax the ridiculous standards a bit to keep their accredidation. I know a few people in their final semester now and it seems much more doable than 2 years ago.

So yes, we students who went to GPC during that nightmarish time have nothing good to say about the program and it's unfairness. Many of my classmates who had 4.0's going in had their GPA's ruined and were rejected by nursing schools after that because of it.

Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.

Once again, no negative comments towards members of allnurses.

1) WorriedStudent's post IS a valid question.

2) WorriedStudent did not say GPC students that did not make it are mediocre. WorriedStudent was only asking IF it is mediocre students OR is the school really that difficult. Again, a valid question. One that can be answered by stating. "Many well qualified students have not made it through GPC's program." Without calling him/her condescending or lacking common sense.

3) WorriedStudent posted his/her academic qualifications and asked if you think he/she would do ok at GPC. He/she did not post that he/she has a 25,000 sq.ft. mansion and drives a BMW, "do you think I'd do ok in GPC?" No, he/she appropriately posted his/her academic record to say, "I am an above average student. Will I be ok?". I do not believe that this was to be condescending.

Again, please mind the terms of service.

+ Add a Comment