I'm currently completing prereqs and plan to apply to DSN later this year for the summer/fall 2016 cohort. However, I'm reading a lot of discouraging reviews, as well as reviews that are polar opposites (e.g. "the teachers suck" vs. "the teachers are very educated and willing to help").
Can anyone elaborate on their experiences, please? Classes, teachers, workload, clinicals, expenses, culture, etc. I'm trying to discern if the school really is that bad, or if the people bashing it maybe weren't prepared for the intensity of nursing school and/or performed poorly. This is one of the longer programs that I'm apply to (20 months vs. 12-16 month ABSN programs) and I can't imagine it being any more difficult than most accelerated programs.
I'd be coming from the East coast and Denver is a place I've considered moving to in the past, so I've been getting excited about applying to DNS, but now my balloon is deflating a bit. Any information that you can share would be much appreciated!
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The way I see it, everyone has to take the same final test the nclex. Nursing school is what you put into it. CU and other schools are so hard to get into because they only accept a small amount of people. For those of us who already have a degree and just want to be a nurse already, DSN is a great option because you have a better chance to get in. Yes it is pricey, but it gets you where you need and want to be in a short amount of time. :)
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
The way I see it, everyone has to take the same final test the nclex. Nursing school is what you put into it. CU and other schools are so hard to get into because they only accept a small amount of people.
According to Denver School of Nursing's website, they say "At DSN you'll find that our class sizes are smaller than most universities."
And yes they accept people with lower gpa's as Well because they believe you don't have to be a straight A student to be a good nurse. So yeah they have lower expectations for acceptance but trust me they push you and you learn ALOT. there are always going to be a handful of people who try to slide by and end up not graduating on time, such as having to retake a class. Or not passing the nclex the first time. In all the classes, anything lower than a 78% is failing.
Oh yeah, I have no doubt that they push you hard. I didn't mean to imply that they accept less competent students. Standardized testing doesn't effectively measure everyone's "intelligence" or knowledge. Some people test better than others, but that doesn't mean they are smarter or necessarily retaining more information. I'm not at all put off by their NCLEX pass rate.
Yes I def agree. I have never been a great test taker but they teach you how to be. Yeah I am doing the completion option so it's 50,000$. Def will be worth it!
Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.
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It's 50,000$ for the BSN program and the pass rates are lower because there are more people. Places like cu have 50 or so people so the ratio is different. DSN has three or four times that. So the ratios and stats are different.
First, let me say I have worked with both awesome nurses and students from DSON.
However, this post makes me think they need to add in a statistics class as a prereq.
Oh yeah, I have no doubt that they push you hard. I didn't mean to imply that they accept less competent students. Standardized testing doesn't effectively measure everyone's "intelligence" or knowledge. Some people test better than others, but that doesn't mean they are smarter or necessarily retaining more information. I'm not at all put off by their NCLEX pass rate.
The MAIN job of a nursing school is to prepare students to pass the NCLEX. If you don't pass, you don't get to be a nurse. I would be VERY put off by the pass rates.
I would also check to see where their clinical sites are. You want to make sure that they are affiliated with enough of the major hospitals that you would get good sites. Some schools do more clinics and nursing homes, and that is not the way you want to spend all of your clinicals.
Perhaps it's because I'm favorable toward CU, but I really don't understand the draw of either DSN or Regis. I was accepted to all of the schools I applied to, but CU was by far the best option: highly ranked, highly regarded; affiliated with one of the best hospitals in the country, cost-effective; opportunity for advancement (MSN, DNP, and a dual DNP-MPH program), inter-professional training. I don't regret my decision at all--even over Hopkins or Penn. There is a real emphasis on evidence-based practice, and many of our professors are leaders in their specialty. It's as though I'm getting an Ivy League education at a public school price. DSN and Regis, in my opinion (even before I enrolled at CU) are not worth the enormous investment--no place is. Couple that with the questionable NCLEX pass rates and the lack of opportunity for growth, and it seems like a poor choice to me. Yes, CU demands a higher standard for acceptance, and many people have to apply more than once--but, if you really want it, then a year isn't a long time to wait or enhance your resume. Wherever you go, don't make the mistake of rushing the process just so you can become a nurse faster; take the time to ensure you have a solid foundation (from a quality program) to base your career on. That's my two cents.
*Also, OP, just checked out your profile. Have you considered applying to UNC Chapel Hill, since you're from NC? Sounds like CU would currently be out of state for you (as would UF). I'd strongly recommend considering your applications based on cost, as well as quality--many of those schools are going to be astronomically priced for you, either because they are private or out of state. Anything above $50,000 (total, including cost of living) is not worth it, in my opinion/experience.
agriggs
39 Posts
The way I see it, everyone has to take the same final test the nclex. Nursing school is what you put into it. CU and other schools are so hard to get into because they only accept a small amount of people. For those of us who already have a degree and just want to be a nurse already, DSN is a great option because you have a better chance to get in. Yes it is pricey, but it gets you where you need and want to be in a short amount of time. :)