change in RN programs in Northern Colorado

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Until now, Poudre Valley Hospital and hospitals in the Banner system have funded some new grad contracts through FRCC and UNC. The UNC program was an especially good deal, with the sponsoring hospital picking up half the cost of tuition and offering a 2-year contract on graduation. For less price than an ADN degree, and only one extra semester of time, you could get a BSN & a good contract.

These programs are now discontinued. UNC still plans to offer a 2nd degree program, but the program will cost about $250/credit hour, with no break for in-state students and no contract on graduation. The admissions counselor, however, expects it to be somewhat easier to get into than their traditional program, which generally requires a 3.5 GPA to be competitive.

Even though I'm sorry not to get the chance to try for the hospital-sponsored degree with UNC, I honor PVH for their reasons. Since they're a magnet hospital, they need more BSN nurses. Rather than increase their number of new grads, they intend to direct their educational dollars toward helping their own nurses with ADNs be able to get their BSN in a convenient and affordable manner.

Dina

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

That is interesting info benedina, i can understand the frustration of potential nursing students because those getting a contract were pretty much guaranteed a job. However, it will most likely give many recent graduate RN's in northern CO a chance to get their 'foot in the door' with PVH or Banner who were not previously able to since the jobs were only going to the graduates with the 'contracts.'

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Hi, Hope. It will be interesting to see what the long-term implications are for the change in policy, but from what two instructors in two different schools affected told me--having a BSN is going to be more and more important for those wanting to work at PVHS, due to Magnet requirements. So with or without a contract, I think RNs in northern Colorado might want to consider transition to BSN, if they haven't already done so.

Although I was a bit disappointed at first in the change, it does make the traditional track at UNC more attractive to me. I'd much rather do a pediatrics rotation at Children's Hospital than at PVHS, for example, and I'd like a chance to pursue a summer externship, as well. Neither of those were possible in the old contracts setup.

Dina

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

I graduated FRCC ADN program and I will agree with you that you get much better clinical rotations thru UNC, since they contract w/ Denver hospitals. When I was attending they had problems finding clinical placement sites for their students.

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"i graduated frcc adn program and i will agree with you that you get much better clinical rotations thru unc, since they contract w/ denver hospitals. when i was attending they had problems finding clinical placement sites for their students."

hope3456,

i was wondering how long ago you went to frcc. i heard they were iffy in the first few years of the program, but that they've been great in the past few years. i plan on getting my adn at frcc in a couple years.

thanks!

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

I graduated from FRCC ADN program in may '05. Apparently FRCC doesn't have the accelerated program anymore so that probably helps with the clinical placement problem - opening up more spots. Also they had just started admitting 2x per year in the semester before me which caused some 'kinks' but those are most likely fixed too by now......IMHO they prepare students well for the NCLEX and have a decent pass rate.

it would be interesting to know how many recent RN FRCC grads are being hired in northern CO and where - or are alot leaving the area?

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
"i graduated frcc adn program and i will agree with you that you get much better clinical rotations thru unc, since they contract w/ denver hospitals. when i was attending they had problems finding clinical placement sites for their students."

hope3456,

i was wondering how long ago you went to frcc. i heard they were iffy in the first few years of the program, but that they've been great in the past few years. i plan on getting my adn at frcc in a couple years.

thanks!

i am not hope but i go to frcc larimer campus and am in the nursing program. we just got the national certified, it becomes official in a few months. i can't offhand remember the name of it. i have not had any trouble with the school or clinicals and i just interviewed for one of the summer star internship spots at pvh.

i also heard they had a rough start according to my neighbor who went when they were first up and running more. but the instructors have been great and i have had many pvh employees talk about how much they love the frcc students compared to another school (that i won't name) i have a neighbor that is a does hiring for nicu and she said how she hates that she can only hire the bsn students for her section because she finds the frcc students to be better over all new nurses. obviously this is all subjective, but i will say, i think we have a great program with great instructors that truly want to see you succeed and we have endless options for help if you run into trouble. not everyone agrees, i have heard students bash our program, but i have to disagree with them.

i have also had many co nurses that graduated from my same program. in fact, just last night a co nurse we had from the nursing home rotation graduated from frcc last year and only has the adn and was just hired on at pvh, it was nice to see her. i plan on doing the 1 year bsn bridge once i am working.

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Mi Vida Loca - that's great to hear! I'm doing my pre-reqs at the Larimer campus right now and plan on getting my BSN online through UNC while I work, after I graduate. I thought the BSN bridge was 16 months... is there an accelerated version that is only a year?

Hope - The nursing adviser said that a large percentage of graduates do find jobs quickly, but some have to go to Greeley, Loveland, and Denver to find them.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Mi Vida Loca - that's great to hear! I'm doing my pre-reqs at the Larimer campus right now and plan on getting my BSN online through UNC while I work, after I graduate. I thought the BSN bridge was 16 months... is there an accelerated version that is only a year?

Hope - The nursing adviser said that a large percentage of graduates do find jobs quickly, but some have to go to Greeley, Loveland, and Denver to find them.

Maybe it is 16 months, it has been a while since I had checked, I just knew it wasn't that long and planned on getting tuition reimbursement on it.

What pre reqs are you doing? are you on the list yet? I know someone that just got on the list and they only have a 3 semester wait. It has come down a lot. I was on the waitlist for 3.5 years. I have another friend due to start hopefully fall, those letter start going out the end of the month.

If you ever need anything or help or whatever let me know :) I love finding people close bye! It's true you might have to go somewhere else to get that one year under your built. Or like the lady I knew from Clinical at the nursing home, it doesn't count as acute care, so she was hired on as a new grad at PVH but she said it still gave her a jump ahead of the other new grads. Which I have heard from a lot of people. LCDC hires new grads and seems like a wonderful supportive place to work for (staff wise) and that to would give one a step ahead without having to go a nursing home route.

Anyway, how exciting.

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