Platt college?

jumpingbean · Nov 27, 2006

Platt has an informational meeting every Monday at 4:00 p.m. I'm going to the one tonight and will report back for those who are interested. :)

mbw5680 · Nov 28, 2006

DSN is only ~$30K, and you get your BSN in 21 months. (You have to take pre-reqs elsewhere.)

jumpingbean · Nov 28, 2006

The informational meeting was interesting. The cost is steep--about 60K, which I tend to think is excessive compared to some of the other programs I've looked into. There are a couple of advantages to Platt for me in that classes never start before 9:00 a.m. (clinicals are another story, of course) and the school is literally about a mile from my house.

All the instructors have a master's in nursing, which I thought was impressive. The school is approved by the CO Board of Nursing. The BSN program is 32 months long and consists of 201 credit hours. You start your nursing classes right away and the general education classes and science pre-requisites are taken throughout the program. I was a little disappointed with the fact that I couldn't finish the program sooner, given that I already have a bachelor's degree and can have most of my gen-ed classes transfer to Platt. The president of the school said I would still finish in 32 months but that my workload would be lighter along the way.

The clinicals are supposedly very intensive and they also have simulation labs at the school. You do clinicals throughout the program and you end with a capstone where you work one-on-one with a nurse in a hospital. They said that they are preparing nurses who are "work ready" and that the program far exceeds the state's minimum competency requirements. This gives students more of an edge when they apply for jobs and also gives them a feeling that they actually know what they're doing instead of learning as they go, although there will always be a learning curve no matter how well prepared you are, in my opinion.

Nursing classes are from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. one day a week, clinicals/labs are one day a week, non-nursing classes are one day a week, and any overflow of classes might run an extra day per week but they said that isn't what usually happens. It sounds like 3 days a week would be the schedule most of the time, with an occasional 4 day week.

They accept 15 students each new term with the next one starting in January. You have to take the TEAS test and have an interview with the president of the school, fill out the application, and have all your immunizations in process before you start. Federal funding is available as well as the alternative-type loans. I think that about covers it! If anyone has any questions, let me know, because I have an information packet but I haven't gone through all of it yet. I'm still weighing my options and am going to talk to Concorde on Wednesday.

Melina · Nov 29, 2006

This gives students more of an edge when they apply for jobs and also gives them a feeling that they actually know what they're doing instead of learning as they go, although there will always be a learning curve no matter how well prepared you are, in my opinion.

Just what we need, a bunch of fresh grad nurses who think they know what they are doing. :selfbonk:

Kidding aside, thanks for the info. Platt is pretty good at the business end of higher ed, so I'm not surprised you were impressed. I think all the BSN programs out here have the same amount of clinical and lab experience, so I'm not sure how Platt's curriculum gives someone an "edge." If anything, it might be more difficult to come out of new program without an established reputation. (Then again, it might not matter one way or the other). It is expensive, but not extreme. I think Regis is >$40K. Best of luck with it.

~Mel'

jumpingbean · Nov 29, 2006

Hi Melina,

I haven't decided to attend Platt, I just wanted to check out all the programs that don't have a waitlist and that was one of them. I think the "edge" that they're referring to is more the capstone at the end of the program where each student does an internship with a nurse in a hospital, rather than the clinicals/labs, which I'm sure are included in all nursing programs. I don't remember the specific length of the internship but that's why they said their students come out "work ready." As with everything, I take it with a grain of salt because, of course, they want people to enroll in THEIR program and fork out the 60K. It may or may not be worth it but I just wanted to pass the info. along to anyone else who'd been wondering about their program. :) I'm going to Concorde today and have a call in to DSON to find out more about their nursing programs as well.

stephen_kor · Nov 29, 2006

Hi All,

Could someone please tell me where Platt College is located in Colorado. I currently live in Wellington; about 65 miles north of Denver.

Thanks,

Stephen

Melina · Nov 29, 2006

Platt is in Aurora. The address is: 3100 S. Parker Rd, Aurora, CO 80014

Platt Colorado Nursing

~Mel'

studentnurse3 · Dec 11, 2006

Hi Melina,
I haven't decided to attend Platt, I just wanted to check out all the programs that don't have a waitlist and that was one of them. I think the "edge" that they're referring to is more the capstone at the end of the program where each student does an internship with a nurse in a hospital, rather than the clinicals/labs, which I'm sure are included in all nursing programs. I don't remember the specific length of the internship but that's why they said their students come out "work ready." As with everything, I take it with a grain of salt because, of course, they want people to enroll in THEIR program and fork out the 60K. It may or may not be worth it but I just wanted to pass the info. along to anyone else who'd been wondering about their program. :) I'm going to Concorde today and have a call in to DSON to find out more about their nursing programs as well.

How did your visit with Concorde go? Any information you can share or your thoughts after having visited there?

Thank you!!

jumpingbean · Dec 13, 2006

I met with a rep at Concorde about a week ago. They don't have a waitlist for the ADN program but it's very competitive and you have to score close to 70% on the NET test to even be considered since there are people scoring in the 90's. That program is 16 months and classes run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. M-F, although that can vary. The LPN program is a little under 12 months and also runs M-F from 8-5. One thing I didn't like is that clinicals can be anywhere from Colorado Springs to Ft. Collins and sometimes they don't know until the last minute. Also, Concorde is expensive but then so are most of the nursing programs at private institutions. Hope this helps somebody. At this point, I wouldn't consider giong to Concorde because of the hours and the clinicals being literally all over the state. At least at some of the other schools the clinicals are only in Denver.

studentnurse3 · Dec 13, 2006

I met with a rep at Concorde about a week ago. They don't have a waitlist for the ADN program but it's very competitive and you have to score close to 70% on the NET test to even be considered since there are people scoring in the 90's. That program is 16 months and classes run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. M-F, although that can vary. The LPN program is a little under 12 months and also runs M-F from 8-5. One thing I didn't like is that clinicals can be anywhere from Colorado Springs to Ft. Collins and sometimes they don't know until the last minute. Also, Concorde is expensive but then so are most of the nursing programs at private institutions. Hope this helps somebody. At this point, I wouldn't consider giong to Concorde because of the hours and the clinicals being literally all over the state. At least at some of the other schools the clinicals are only in Denver.

Wow, that doesn't sound good at all--the clinicals being all over the state. Plus the cost of these private schools are outrageous. I guess if you don't want to spend the money it will be worth the wait on the waitlist. I know Platt College costs $60,000 plus you have to have your own laptop. I think I might just consider DSON or wait on the waitlist.

Thanks for filling us in on what you found out about Concorde.

Coloradogrl · Dec 15, 2006

I met with a rep at Concorde about a week ago. They don't have a waitlist for the ADN program but it's very competitive and you have to score close to 70% on the NET test to even be considered since there are people scoring in the 90's. That program is 16 months and classes run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. M-F, although that can vary. The LPN program is a little under 12 months and also runs M-F from 8-5. One thing I didn't like is that clinicals can be anywhere from Colorado Springs to Ft. Collins and sometimes they don't know until the last minute. Also, Concorde is expensive but then so are most of the nursing programs at private institutions. Hope this helps somebody. At this point, I wouldn't consider giong to Concorde because of the hours and the clinicals being literally all over the state. At least at some of the other schools the clinicals are only in Denver.

I am in the Concorde LPN program(was a few points away from RN on the test)

They tell you the program is 8-5 but it really is more like 8-3. The clinicals are 2 days a week & they try to keep them in the Denver metro area....but they "can" be a wide range. The addmission reps I think try to "scare" the floaters away! The RN program is pretty much the same way.

I was also accepted into Platt but to be honest was more so impressed by Concordes program and nursing labs.

lisacsu84 · Dec 15, 2006

hi

i am in the RN program at Concorde, i think it is a really good program, the hours completely depend on if you have any transfer credits. the first session the classes can be long because it is all prerequisities, but then you get into session 2 and the nursing classes start. they are tough and very stressful!!! but i think that you will find that any where. the clinicals for the most part in the metro area, they try really hard to keep them in denver. i am in 4th out of 6 sessions and the farthest i had to go was northglenn. I love the program and you have to work really hard but it is well worth it. i don't know about platt college but concorde is a great program. just my 2 cents