Chaffey College ADN Program

[Anono]

I want to tell you guys about my experience with a certain nursing program in Rancho Cucamonga. Now that I'm in a different city and have safely gotten into a different program without their help, I feel that it's safe for me to say something. This is just my experience and observations throughout my two years. Some people may agree and some may not. I will admit it right now that I didn't pass because my grade wasn't high enough. That's my fault. Now let me tell you about Chaffey College and what I wished they'd fix to become a great program.

1. The only thing you hear prior to entering their program is, "it's a great program. A lot of hospitals love these students. It has a good reputation." You'll hear it over and over again. But no one talks about why it's such a good program and how it's run. I'll admit that they do prepare their students for high-stress situations, but only because they put their students in that type of environment. Sure, that's one way to prepare someone for a demanding job, but it can also send them to therapy. It got so bad that people needed to take something for their anxiety for class and clinicals.

2. The passive-aggressive borderline aggressive tone. You've seen it. The smile. The one that says, "what are you, stupid?" Each instructor had their own way of showing it. To the point where you'd think they were saying, "how dare you not know anything about these nursing subjects," even though they only lectured about it for a whole minute, deemed it unimportant and there was only a paragraph about it in the book. Then when they actually say something to you. Well now you just feel dumb and you start to blame yourself for not knowing absolutely everything about nursing. Everyone's favorite line is, "maybe you should be a CNA instead? I could get you into the LVN program here." So, because we're not thriving under your instruction, you believe we're not cut out for nursing? Seems unfair, but okay. I'll tell you more about the LVN option later. I've only experienced these passive-aggressive chats a couple of times, but I've seen and heard more from other students. There was one student's experience that I'll always remember. They never had a problem in the program. They thought the people who were complaining about these things were just blowing it out of proportion. Things were fine for them until they failed a class and had to retake it. I met with them by chance and they told me what had happened in the office, that they had never thought the program could be so, for lack of a better word, mean. They felt that the program's employees entire demeanor had changed. (Don't worry, they passed the program)

2. LVN option. Unless you know for sure that you don't want to have the responsibilities of an RN, do not let them bully you into this option. They'll tell you that you can jump into the second semester of their LVN program, get your LVN license, and then start in the third semester of the ADN program. Sounds nice and do-able right? What they didn't tell you was the time frame. You have the 5 year limit on anatomy (the first science you took that will count towards nursing). You can't apply for the ADN program till you finish micro so that puts your anatomy at about 1.5 years already, 2 years if you somehow get accepted one first try immediately finishing micro. Say you managed to finish second semester but not third for the sake of getting your CNA license. That's another 1.5 years so we're at 2.5 years. Then you go into their LVN program and find out you can't start in their second semester! There's a class in their first semester that you have to take. The LVN program is 1.5 years, isn't that great? We're at 4 years now. It's ok. We can apply to the ADN program now right? Nope. You also need at least a year of experience as an LVN. And that puts us at 5 years. Applying at that point would put you past the 5 year mark and that won't do. So here's my advice for people who failed the program. If you really want to be an LVN, go for it. If you only want to do the LVN option to get to the RN option? Go to a different school. Why do 1.5 years of the LVN program when you can just do another 2 years at an ADN program? I hear the LVN program has gotten a lot better. They used to use the same aggressive techniques as the ADN program. One of the representatives told us this in a meeting. They said so many people complained to HR that they had to do something about the "weeding out the weak" technique. They also said that the ADN program will continue to use that technique as long as people keep quiet about it.

3. So here's where my experience with the program gets really bad. Why I mentioned that it's safe for me to say anything now. For about 6 months, I was trying to transfer to another school to finish up my semester and be free from all this nursing program nonsense. It should've been easier than it was. I fill out a form for a verification form and hand in some papers for the office to fill out and send out to the schools I'm trying to get into. Then I meet with the director at other schools and talk about my situation. Then I get into one of those schools right? Nope. Turns out I didn't fill out the form, or I filled out the wrong form, or I didn't give enough notice, or I didn't fill out a form again. Which was weird because I had someone with me when I filled out the correct form and gave the correct time frame. So when I filled it out again. After talking to other schools, I find out that I didn't get into any of them. Only two said that they didn't have room for a transfer while the others remained silent. Then I found out that, although I filled out a form, nothing was done because, you guessed it, I didn't fill out a form. And they were quite mad that I didn't do it. This led me to believe that I must've spit on their mother's grave or something ridiculous to be experiencing this kind of hell. After that, I gave up trying to get help from them. I quit believing their, "I'm here to help you" attitude. There are programs that don't require me to go through that whole process again and I've applied to them. And now I'm happy. That program is dead to me and I hope no one ever has to experience what I did.

4. The one thing that really bothered me was that the program was so keen on teaching their students about keeping to their standards that they didn't teach them how to pass the NCLEX. Need test taking tips? They'll give you the same 20 minute power point slide over and over and tell you to go find some NCLEX books. I recently learned that the program was switching to Kaplan instead of HESI. That's great! Because Kaplan is the one making the NCLEX. From what I've heard, Kaplan's NCLEX prep course is the best and has a great pass rate. You know what would have been nice? Someone to teach us how to answer these NCLEX questions. It would have saved us the frustration of hearing, "the answer is right because all the other answers are wrong" or, "the answer looks right to me, but the book says its wrong so it's wrong" or, "the rationale is on the paper." That just tells me that either they don't know or they don't care, it's not their job to teach you. Ha.

5. Clinicals. No one fails clinicals. Usually. Until you get to third and fourth semester. Then people just start dropping. Each semester has that one clinical instructor that no one wants. This is where that intimidation technique comes in. Really? They're supposed to be teaching, supporting, and correcting their students. Not put them in a corner and keep telling them that they're failing. Other clinical instructors have proven that their students will do just fine without intimidation. If this happens to you, report it to HR. The program won't get better until someone says something. I haven't had a clinical instructor do it to me so I have nothing to report.

6. I recently learned why community college nursing programs like this one can fail so many students every year. This program makes fun of BSN and private colleges because of their price and for producing "bad" nurses. First, not all BSN and private college nurse is a "bad" nurse. And not all ADN nurses are "good" nurses. It's unprofessional for this program to bad-mouth and laugh at other programs. ANYWAYS. Community college ADN programs can fail as many students as they want because the costs are so low. At BSN and private colleges, you're paying a whole lot more and if they fail too many people, it looks like they're just taking people's money, which warrants a visit from the Board. So if you have the financial support (job, scholarship, grants, loans), why not pay more at a school that will do all they can to make you pass? If you don't have the financial support, then go research each program and find the one that. Best fits you.

7. Last one. I bet people are dying to hear about care plans. First semester, you will absolutely hate care plans and won't understand anything about it and it may take up to 7 hours to write to pages. Second semester, you will be confused, but pleased over a care map and then hateful again towards care plans. At this point, care plans kind of started making sense. By the end of second semester, you think you've got it and it's only taking up to 4 hours. Third semester, you're back to care maps even though you just got the hang of care plans. Care maps weren't so bad, I actually enjoyed only spending an hour on it. Fourth semester, why? I'm already working without pay and getting out late because I need to finish charting or the nurse that's supposed to take over is late. Now I need to turn in my care plan the next day? My brain is fried, but ok. I heard they give you two days now! How nice. You know what's great about care plans? You don't sit down and write them anymore. Now you just look at the computer and just look at everything and then choose a plan of action. I guess they prepare you.

Again, this was my experience and observations. I'm just one student who had a bad time at this particular program. Before choosing this program, make sure read up on other programs. If you have the time, drive to the schools while their nursing classes are in session and ask the students about their experience. Don't ask just one or two people, ask all of them. They'll tell you what it's like. You'll find that all of them will say nursing is hard (duh), but they'll tell you about each instructors personality, the curriculum, and how the program is run. This program boasts it's good reputation and 6k program cost, but you know who else says that? Every other community college ADN program. Community colleges are switching to the random lottery and getting rid of wait lists. This program isn't the quickest and best option anymore. But if this program is the best one due to location and cost for you, then I wish you all the luck, stay under the radar, find videos or tutors to teach you how to pass the tests. Your classmates probably know as much as you do so find someone who knows more.

Here are some other posts that people have made. Just saying this again, these are our experiences. Just because other people didn't experience it, it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

https://allnurses.com/california-nursing/chaffey-college-adn-813496.html

https://allnurses.com/california-nursing/chaffey-college-nursing-515159.html

https://allnurses.com/california-nursing/chaffey-college-nursing-582668.html

https://allnurses.com/california-nursing/chaffey-college-in-359596.html

[Maribelsilva]

I appreciate you taking the time to write all this. I've been looking for a recent post. I will be applying this month at chaffey only because its closest to me but I'm really hoping I get in somewhere else. Do u mind saying where you transferred to?

[Anono]

I appreciate you taking the time to write all this. I've been looking for a recent post. I will be applying this month at chaffey only because its closest to me but I'm really hoping I get in somewhere else. Do u mind saying where you transferred to?

I'd prefer not to. With my luck, I'd somehow jinx myself and end up getting dropped if I mention it. If you do get in, good luck, stay positive, watch what you say, and trust no one.

[neisha117]

This was very interesting. I wanted to apply to Chaffey a long time ago 2008-2009ish. I actually first started my pre requisites there. I met with a nursing counselor and she strongly suggested I apply somewhere else and take my general eds elsewhere also. I consider myself a very high energy, outgoing, fun person. I enjoy being a nurse and I'm excited to excel as a RN in the near future. I had a long conversation with her and her eyes and suggestion to not go there led me away. Now that I'm applying to nursing programs in the I.E., Chaffey came across my mind. Thing is, I can't get that eerie situation out of my head. Defiantly a pass for me.

[Jl1099]

Were you able to transfer to another school or did you have to start the program over at another school? I experienced a lot of the things you described in your post. Third semester in and now I have to find another school. Just wondering if you could offer any advice.