Apollo College Associates Degree Program

U.S.A. Arizona

Published

Hello,

I have spent the last 6 months scouring Nursing websites and talking to nurse friends and relatives. I am 40 years old and have decided to change careers and become a RN! After extensive research on local school options, I've come to the conclusion that the time it would take to actually graduate from MCC negates it as a possibility for me. I earned a BFA 20 years ago and have no transferable credits. I am in need of information/opinions of APOLLO COLLEGE (westside campus) from Nurses who have graduated from this school or students who are presently attending the associates degree program. I have concerns about their accreditation. They are approved by the Arizona State Board of Nursing, Dept. of Education Private Post Secondary, and the ACICS....Not NLNAC or CCNE. There are only 2 schools (U of P, U of Wisconsin) that will accept transfer credits from Apollo to advance to a BSN. I am interested in ER work and assume I will eventually want to get my BSN. A few of my many questions are:

1. Do I need a BSN to work in an ER?

2. Assuming I pass the NCLEX, will I have any problems relocating to another state? I realize all states have their own criteria for licensing...

3. Will the lack of NLNAC and CCNE accreditation prevent me from working in any particular place?

It has been VERY difficult getting information from anyone other than Apollo employees ...I'm looking for unbiased opinions and info. I look forward to hearing from someone with insider info on this School..

Anxiously awaiting replies!

MV

Specializes in Cardiac.

I know your BA is old, but can it transfer to any Accelerated BSN programs anywhere?

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Not only is it 20 years old, but it's a BFA with very few non-art related classes (maybe Psych 101 and English comp) No math or science. I'm basically starting from scratch. I am still confused about the whole "accreditation" issue. If a school is approved by the governing state Board of Nursing and is approved by an accrediting agency recognized by the US Dept of ED....then???? What is Apollo lacking in terms of being a legitimate school to recieve an associated degree of Science in Nursing? I've just given myself a headache!:bugeyes:

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Again having graduated and passed my baords I am now an ADN RN regardless of what school I went to. I have a job, thank GOD, for the next 3 yrs and when I am done with this contract I will have 3 yrs as an RN under my belt, and just as qualified as the next. The accredidation far as I understand, is so that you may sit for the boards.

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What is Apollo lacking in terms of being a legitimate school to recieve an associated degree of Science in Nursing? I've just given myself a headache!:bugeyes:

Did you read that link to this forum that I posted few days ago? It's a good discussion of this accreditation stuff. From what I've read and remember, there are like 4 different types of accred., Apollo has 2 of those, and some schools require the other types for their incoming RN students to transfer in to earn their BSN.

No I don't know the details or what the differences are, I'm sure you could find this out by online research. Beneath it all I get the impression that it's fighting and competition amongst the businesses and universities and different interest groups that want their own little "standards" to be the winner...... just look into the BSN vs RN issue, it's ugly. You see this split by the different "accreditations" and who takes what. To me it seems that this serves the univesities, not the students or public. They of course will SAY that it promotes higher standards or whatever.

Funny thing is, to practice nursing in this country, all you need is an RN lic. Seems to me that this would suffice as a min starting point for anyone who wants to study for and earn their BSN. Every single student in this country must sit for the SAME nclex test regardless of where they went, and yeah some schools are better than others, and some are barely minimum, but we can't all go to MIT huh?

So do whatever you think is best, and be careful about financing that much $$. A few yrs ago many places would repay student RN loans, and some pay for BSN. Most local places have killed that already, and will it ever come back? So it's a safe bet to assume the worst, that whatever you borrow you will have to repay!

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This post is for MICHEVOG, I too am in the same boat as you, I am 40 and switching careers. I have decided to go the community college route for the expense reasons. I was able to transfer in many of my previous credits and just had to do the sciences. I am on my last pre-reqs before I apply, which will be at the end of this month. Rio Salado make it very easy to complete these courses online, so that you can work or whatever, and study when it works for you. If you are able to get a job with a hospital that has an affiliated program with the community colleges, that will increase your chances of getting in faster. I was able to get a job with one of those hospitals, and my wait time for getting into the actual nursing program will be less than 1 year, and once in, it is an accelerated program, so not a full 2 years. I have given myself 3 years to complete, and I am on track to complete sooner, so that we can also go back to the East Coast and start over.

Good Luck to you and if you want further information letme know.

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Everytime we asked my grandmother out for dinner, she would say "No thanks. I'll eat mac 'n' cheese at home and be just as full as you". LOL

Obviously to us, my grandmother was being silly and tight. But that was how she wanted to spend her time and money, so no amount of arguing would have done any of us good.

What's good for the goose is not always good for the gander. You need to figure out what your future goals are and make a decision based on that. If you have your heart set on getting a BN from a school that will not take Apollo grads, then don't go there. If that's not an issue, then I don't think that an Apollo degree would be bad. Just expensive. And you may always deal wth some snide opinions, just like the UofP graduates do. But it comes down to your own comfort level and future goals. Good luck whichever route you take!!!

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
hey read this thread for some details: allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/nlnac-vs-ccne-187100.html

these competing accreditations may have more to do w/ politics and what bsn schools will accept your apollo degree if you decide to move on; since 2 schools already accept, and if that's ok w/ you to do your bsn online, then you have no worries.

new york is not a compact state, so if you're gonna move there after becoming an rn here then you should contact their state bd of nursing for details about what you'd need to do to work there.

that post about scottsdale "not hiring" students from that school may have nothing to do w/ accreditation, a licensed rn is a licensed rn.

i wouldn't be so quick to dismiss accreditation issues as "political." accreditation is a stamp of approval that one's nursing school has met certain minimum standards. adn programs tend to seek nln accreditation and bsn programs tend to go for ccne accreditation. as i'm graduating soon, i surf nursing employment ads all the time. while doing this, i do see ads saying applicants' nursing schools must have been accredited by nln or ccne. here's just one example among many that i came across today:

http://www.ihs.gov/jobscareerdevelop/careercenter/vacancy/act_job_view.cfm?kw=&sl=&dy=-11711&st=ca&ar=any&sc=any&sort=1&sr=51&jb=28118

[color=#333333]r.n. charge nurse - 1 positions

salary range: ($46,812 - $60,858)

location:san manuel clinic (san bernardino, ca.)

graduated of a nln accredited school of nursing. current active california license as a registered nurse, and a current cpr certification.

now it's your choice if you decide to attend a program like apollo. it is true that not all employers require your nursing education to be from an nln or ccne accredited school. however, it is 'funny' when people post the issue on the board asking for opinions - and then shoot down every issue of concern.

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It's been a good discussion, I don't think anyone has "shot down" or dismissed the accred issue. There are so many variables to consider when choosing an ADN pgm, on top of the maddening wait list issue, then on top of that add the variables of what colleges will/will not accept different accreditations. Then there's the lousy economy that confront every one of us, and what difficulties will graduates face?

Personally I think the cost of getting the RN degree is of most concern right now, it's amazing how many "rqmts" are brushed aside by the decision makers when they feel they have found the right person with the proper experience for the job, when that time comes.

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Thanks very much...great info. This is all good input. My comments were not meant to sound pejorative; I'm not sure what, in particular, was perceived as dismissive. I am merely looking for a variety of viewpoints and to tap the cumulative knowledge of the forum participants.

Kf15: Yes, good link and I did read it. I keep coming up with questions...the further I dig, the more questions I have. Like: When job postings state that the RN must be a "graduate of an accredited nursing institution" and they don't state the accrediting agency, which one(s) are they referring to? Is this just for jobs that are looking for a BSN RN?

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Specializes in Cardiac.

From TMC:

Minimum Qualifications: Graduation from a qualified, nationally-accredited nursing program;

From Carondelet (3 hospitals in town):

Required: Graduation from an accredited School of Nursing

It just says accredited, so they may or may not be specific as to which accreditation.

If I were you, I'd call the HR depts at the hospitals and ask then which accrediting agency they are using...

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
It's been a good discussion, I don't think anyone has "shot down" or dismissed the accred issue.

You may be right. I've been speed-reading (bad) and may have assumed this thread had gone the way of many others just like it. Threads start to blur together over the years, LOL!

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Curious to know what you decided to do? I read this thread because I too am in a similar situation. I'm 33 and I have my BS in Accounting. I have worked in the Accounting field for 15+ years. I have noticed that companies are now "down selling" their accounting positions to clerk positions with clerk pay. I was laid off in March and I haven't been able to find anything since.... it's tough out there. I decided a very long time ago that I would one day like to go back to school for Nursing. Apollo is quick but the cost is what is eating me up & not real sure if it's justifiable in my mind. I would love to know what you decided to do. I am new to the boards and I too have been doing a LOT of research before I make any decisions.

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