Concorde

Sakura63 · Dec 22, 2009

Thanks Katie for all your info! It was really helpful. I wondered if you still want to be a nurse after being in the program? I think you said you were almost finished? I'm struggling to decide if this is the right career choice for me. Ideally, it would be best for me to work as a CNA, but the program starts in May. I don't think I can defer..

Sakura63 · Dec 22, 2009

Is anyone that got into the May '10 program going down anytime soon to visit the school? I was thinking about going down soon to check things out, and was wondering if anyone else in the program wanted to go so I could get to know some of my classmates in advance

Kristin 15

I'm thinking of visiting in January. Give me a shout, if you want to carpool down there. I live in Lafayette.

IrishMama · Jan 5, 2010

I'm just curious if anyone on these boards has applied for this program. There aren't very many threads on it (some are a few years old). I'm just wondering...

lifewithkids · Jan 5, 2010

Once you get an appointment, are there several test dates to choose from for the entrance exam or are you limited to just one or two? I want to call on April 1st but I will be gone most of the summer and am worried that the test will be between mid june-mid august. Anyone know when the entrance exam is typically held for an October start date?

Also, from reading on here you can take patho in advance. That seems like that would make the first semester a lot more doable.

I heard yesterday during the call in time that most people have to pay $15k on their own to attend the bsn program. Is this true??

Coloradogrl · Jan 5, 2010

It seems to be very 'hush hush' about what you have to pay out of pocket and for some reason they wont even give you any info or let you talk to aid to see if it even feasible till you are in the program(which doesn't make much sense because the tuition is so high people need to plan ahead)

I was told from someone that actually got to talk so someone that you are looking at 400-600 out of pocket at least that is on top of the loans/grants.

RNtwoBE · Jan 6, 2010

The testing actually happens shortly after you call in, hopefully. ;-) When I did it last summer (I just started this week in the BSN program), they were doing testing on Friday's and got in the following week. You want to do it ASAP as you can't officially enroll and save your spot until you've completed the HESI tests. If you're calling in April, you should be fine to be gone this summer, don't worry! :)

With regards to financing, the reason they can't tell you is because every single person has a different situation. Some qualify for more federal grants than others, some people have used some of their loans for the year, etc. I have about 7k that isn't covered. There are several options though, so don't let that discourage you. I would guess the reason they don't let people talk to the finance people until they are enrolled is because they can only handle so much and if you had everybody who was interested in there, it wouldn't be feasible. You get to talk to them in plenty of time of starting!

I took patho in advance, a friend of mine who started last year highly recommended it. I'm so glad I did! This quarter is hard enough, I can't imagine having that hard of class as well. ;-) You should definitely consider taking it this semester if you can!!!

Let me know if you have anymore questions!

ashaffer · Jan 9, 2010

What type of accreditation does Concorde have? Do most Denver area hospitals hire grads from Concorde?

Thanks

buckeye rose · Jan 10, 2010

Oh Katie--you don't want to be a nurse anymore?? What changed your mind? Could it have been this last semester?? Believe me--my whole carpool was questioning it too. Hopefully this semester will be better, but WTH is up with these 2 Saturday things? Psych lab on Saturday? And don't even tell me they just HAD to put the state hospital orientation on a Saturday! Ugh. And what exactly is this convocation thing at night?

Sorry to threadjack and vent. I'm in class with Katie (I think we're the only two on here from our class). But all I can say is be prepared for utter disorganization. Most nursing students are very type A, and you would think that the nursing department would be that way too......uh yeah...not so much.

Also be prepared for the "you're lucky to be here" kind of attitudes from some individuals. One in particular--which you will recognize immediately.

Not to discourage you guys though. There are some really great instructors and some that need to NEVER teach again. I'm a former teacher and one class in particular was totally ridiculous this last semester. I've also had 2 really great clinical instructors that I learned a lot from. In that other thread about Beth-EL vs. CSU-Pueblo--yeah Beth-el has it's share of problems as well, and some people there aren't so nice either. From the discussions I've had with the nurses I was assigned to this past semester from clincals--no new nurse hits the floor and knows exactly what's going on. That first year is a learning experience and you should have an orientation to whatever department anyway. I know the ER at Memorial has something like a 20 week orientation where you don't do anything without your preceptor--so it's like being a student again. So to make a long story short--I don't think either school will have nurses coming out that are really ready. Also we just moved to Kaplan testing--so we'll take the Kaplan review at the end of July. Well technically it's Aug. 2-6, because they claim they can't fit it in, in July. :down: Boo, I wanted to be done. The review is included in your nursing fees. And all the accelerated students I talked to from the class before us have passed their NCLEX.

Oh and here's a good one--if you haven't taken A&P for awhile, brush up before orientation because there's a test on the first day that they don't tell you about. And if you don't pass you'll have to do remediation (which I think can be done at home) and take it again.

Katie is much better at answering questions than me. But I'm here if anyone has any other questions. Oh and for those with kids, it can be done. I have a young one at home right now and with a lot of planning and support it's hard, but not impossible.

Nurse2bNichol · Jan 11, 2010

CSU Pueblo is a program I hadn't considered before, and may do so now if I don't get in this admissions round to other schools. I am curious though, what did you all take to fulfill their nursing pathophysiology prerequisite requirement?

buckeye rose · Jan 11, 2010

CSU Pueblo is a program I hadn't considered before, and may do so now if I don't get in this admissions round to other schools. I am curious though, what did you all take to fulfill their nursing pathophysiology prerequisite requirement?

I believe my class was the last accelerated that did not require patho as a prereq. Although I did try to take and was told that I couldn't before I was accepted into the program at CSU-P. Funny how when I got there, there were other students that had taken it and tested out and were not required to take the online patho that the school had us take. I was a little peeved. But I do believe the people that took it before just took a regular patho class. I would call Peggy Foley to make sure though.

mad24 · Jan 11, 2010

I believe my class was the last accelerated that did not require patho as a prereq. Although I did try to take and was told that I couldn't before I was accepted into the program at CSU-P. Funny how when I got there, there were other students that had taken it and tested out and were not required to take the online patho that the school had us take. I was a little peeved. But I do believe the people that took it before just took a regular patho class. I would call Peggy Foley to make sure though.

Hello All,

I am classmate of Katie and Buckeye_Rose. I just joined allnurses.com and read this entire thread. I was one of the fortunate people who had taken patho prior to coming to CSU-P. Make sure it is a 300 level course and try to get your hands on the syllabus because they will want to see it. I had taken mine in 2005 and they were concerned, but I passed the national test so I didn't have to take it. My guess is that you will have to take a nation-wide standardized norms patho test along with the A&P test during orientation, so brush up on both. Good luck!!!

ashaffer · Jan 13, 2010

I don't know that much about it either, but I would be interested as well to hear how someone who is going through the program feels about it.

Are you currently in the healthcare field? I was thinking about becoming a CNA and then pursuing this route. Not sure how difficult it is to get into.