Achieve Test Prep for CNA to RN

[LJ1]

Hello, my wife who is a CNA is interested in using Achieve for an accelerated RN program.  The wait lists for regular schools/colleges are 1+years out so being able to start now is a plus.  She never completed college and only took a handful of courses.

After speaking to an Achieve counselor, the way the program works is they gave a list of classes that she can immediately test out of by, and then take about 5 other courses at the local community college, although its not taking a full course.  It's more of attending once a week with a professor they coordinated with and the class isn't as long as a typical college class.  This allows the flexibility to still work full time while taking these courses.

Then after getting through those, there are RN specific courses to take that follow a similar structure.  All in all, can complete all the courses and have the college credits in one year and then submit/take the NCLEX.

Total cost is about $11K, which normally would be a lot but we've saved our government stimulus from Covid and that's basically how much we got from the IRS.

Now we could probably do it for half the cost but in at least twice as long, so the accelerated option is enticing for us.

Been searching online and keep seeing random posts about negative things with Achieve although they are vague.  So looking to get some specifics on whether this program is legit.  Willing to pay extra to get an accelerated program so if there is another better program am interested to hear. 

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Please be sure to find out if the school where the nursing classes are being taken, (and she is guaranteed to be accepted), will accept those credits/prereqs before spending all that money.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Achieve Test Prep is not a school, cannot guarantee entrance/ admission into any school.

Waiting to find a legit, accredited SCHOOL is worth it. 

[Wuzzie]

^ What she said. Read the fine print.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

The quickest and cheapest is not always the best. The journey is just as important.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Eleven thousand dollars will seem like even more when it doesn't end up with your wife having a license. 

Don't do it. If there are wait lists, advise her to use the time to take core courses that would be applicable to the legit programs.

[caliotter3]

This is the entity which was involved in extensive litigation with the owner/administrators/some members of this website a few years back, in which this site prevailed.  

[LJ1]

Thanks for the feedback.  So are there any accelerated RN programs that are legit?  Since most of the regular schools have a significant wait list, there is nothing we can take now (even for regular gen-ED) so we are willing to pay a premium to get started now, while we currently have free time.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

8 minutes ago, LJ1 said:

Thanks for the feedback.  So are there any accelerated RN programs that are legit?  Since most of the regular schools have a significant wait list, there is nothing we can take now (even for regular gen-ED) so we are willing to pay a premium to get started now, while we currently have free time.

Do you mean all the English/Math/Sciences/Psychology courses have been taken? These will be necessary, and it's possible to take these as a non-matriculated student.

[caliotter3]

ABSN programs are accelerated BSN programs however I believe a bachelors degree may be required. Not sure, so be sure to check. If possible for her she should be aware that the programs are competitive, intense, one can’t work. Many drop back to regular programs because they find the pace too intense.

[klone, MSN, RN]

The only accelerated RN programs that exist are programs for people who already hold bachelors degrees in another field. They're 12-18 month long programs that are VERY intense, and you cannot work while doing them, because you will be doing nothing but school and clinicals.

Alternatively, there are year-long programs that are LPN-RN bridge programs, that also include lots of clinical time in the hospital setting, as well as coursework.

Achieve is not one of them.

I'm going to refrain from saying anything more because I don't want to get sued.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Ask this Achieve counselor where she does her clinical rotations. Every state requires a certain number of hours of clinicals in a hospital setting before you can sit for the NCLEX. The clinical rotation with the hospital is through an affiliation agreement between a hospital and a local nursing school. Ask the Achieve counselor with which nursing school those local hospitals have that affiliation agreement, and how she would do her clinical rotation if she's not actually a student of that nursing school. I'm curious what the answer is.