DNI Dallas Nursing Institute RN program

Blindsayyyy · Jul 31, 2015

Dni is accredited by the BON, just fyi

millenial3 · Feb 8, 2016

DNI is terrible. My sister dropped out of the program more than halfway through, due solely to the poor professionalism so present in the school. She's the nicest, least confrontational person I know, and her grades were certainly not the issue. She then attended a community college's LVN program (none of her DNI classes transferred - surprise, surprise). She graduated with a class where everyone had a job because everyone knows about the school's stellar program, and is now doing an online LVN-ADN bridge program. She had NO problems transferring her credits there.

She said her friends at DNI are getting turned away from jobs for two reasons: 1. The reputation of the program - terrible. 2. The DNI credits do not transfer easily and appropriately anywhere for an ADN OR BSN! Employers want future BSNs, and if you can't transfer your credits, what's the likelihood of you starting over? She has received an employment offer for every job she has applied to (albeit she's only applied to two, she got a job before she graduated). With no experience, she made $22 an hour at a nursing home facility. Now, a year later, still an LVN, just got a new job last week. She now makes $24 an hour, and she's PRN at her previous job because she garnered such a good reputation that they didn't want her to leave. She got her foot through the door SOLELY on the name of her $4000 community college LVN degree. She passed her NCLEX on her first try. She'll have her ADN in 9 months.

Now I've decided to become a nurse, since I have good grades in all the prereqs that I just so happened to take as a pre-med. She told me do not attend DNI, Concorde, Carrington, none of the for-profits. No one respects them. Well, I thought to myself, who cares? I don't really feel like going to college for another two years, especially when I already attend a four-year university and I could graduate with a degree in business in like a year. Someone will be willing to hire me, I'll have a nursing license, right? I still want to be a nurse though, so I thought about the quick-and-easy schools, where I don't have to wait for the next application period. I don't have kids, I have the money to pay for the for-profit programs, and the accelerated structure doesn't bother me. Why not?

So I called DNI this morning inquiring about both the LVN and ADN programs. I spoke with someone named Yolanda. Questions I asked her:

1. What is your NCLEX pass rate?

2. What is your retention rate?

3. Where/what kind of facilities do your graduates obtain employment?

4. What BSN programs in the area do your graduates attend?

5. As many nurses continue on in their education, how do their courses usually transfer to other programs in the area?

6. How do the courses I've already taken transfer into the program?

I spoke to Yolanda, and she couldn't get past the first three questions. She was obviously flustered because no one expects her to know very simple information about the program. Her answers:

1. 86.blah blah percent. Let's give them 87% for the benefit of the doubt.

2. 70%. 14/20 to be precise. Weak.

3. No answer. A lot of roundabout talking. She said she can transfer me to student services.

I proceeded to ask her about program length. LVN program does not allow any courses to transfer in. ADN program is 24 months, with non-nursing courses done and transferred in, it is 16 months. I asked her to tell me what the advantage of the program was, when it is a similar length to other programs in the area. Let's just say she did not sell me. I then shifted my focus solely to the ADN program.

I also asked her about concerns such as accreditation and job placement transferability of courses, and the reputation the school has. At this point I decided to ask to speak to someone else, as her answers simply did not answer my questions. She sent me over to the Program Director, Gwendolyn. Don't know why a regular admissions rep couldn't help me, but sure, I'd love to speak to the head of the program.

Asked her questions 3-6. There was a crying child in the background for the entire conversation! She said:

3. I do not have that information. She directed me to student services as well. So the director of the program doesn't know about job placement?

4. Our graduates attend programs all across the country. I pressed again for local programs. She said she does not have that information, but many graduates are NPs now... And began to go in depth about how A COUPLE people come on career day to talk about their path. She also said that they have been approved for a BSN program, that will be beginning in June. Clearly my question was not answered.

5. See question 4.

6. She said we only accept courses from accredited schools, we do not accept nursing courses, 5-year time limit on coursework, etc. I told her I was aware of the requirements. I named the four-year university and community college I attended, I have not taken any nursing courses, and seeing as I am 19 years old, the 5 year time limit on coursework doesn't really factor in that much. She begrudgingly told me that they accepted credit from my schools (she sounded mad, can you believe it?) and proceeded to tell me that her 15-year-old son takes college courses so the time limit does apply...

"Thank you for that irrelevant comment. I took college courses at the age of 14. As I said previously, this 5-year time limit still does not apply, so your rude comment was rather unnecessary. Please go take care of your crying child."

How unprofessional. This is 9 am on a Monday, and I am calling YOUR program to pay YOU tens of thousands of dollars. No offense against kids... but come on. You're the program director for a for-profit technical program. That's pretty unprofessional. I wouldn't have even mentioned it if you weren't so both rude and unknowledgable.

Summary: DNI = bad.

1. They are not CCNE accredited... And it shows. They tried to bypass all of my questions. I bet any of the regular public schools could answer the questions I asked easily (or even the private ones as well). In fact, some already have, and I didn't have to pull teeth from Collin and TWU.

2. They are clearly unprofessional. They could not answer any of the questions I asked. These are perfectly valid questions. Nothing I asked was ridiculous. Let's not forget that they are three times the price of other schools, so I would MORE than expect you to have these answers if you want my money. Like her final comment, and her general tone throughout the conversation was just nasty.

3. They have an ADN program, and an ADN-BSN program. Theoretically, you could attend them through BSN and get your degree, without worrying about transferability of courses. Problems with this: a) I doubt you'll make it through such a shady program. b) I wonder if the grad schools will look favorably on this program when their graduates can't even get jobs. c) Why would you pay Baylor and TCU prices for a weak education?

I won't be attending DNI, from my experience today, and my sister's experience with them. I actually came into the conversation knowing more negative information about this school than anyone reading this article, since my sister went there and complained about the program every day. I thought the acceleration and ease of entry outweighed any cons. I thought she was just whiny, and too worried about making friends. I thought, "Whatever. Who cares if I hate it? I'm pretty intelligent and I'll be making at least $20 an hour a year. That's more than enough for my single person lifestyle."

Side note: My mom has five nursing degrees: LVN, ADN, BSN, Family NP, Psych NP. Two graduate degrees, summa cum laude throughout. She makes two excellent salaries, and she was willing to fund my accelerated nursing education in full, even though she went through school the old-fashioned way for much cheaper. After I explained what I went through today, she said she was not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. The school is trash.

She also said, in her twenty years of nursing experience, that by going to reputable schools, you will very more than likely be interviewed by someone who went to that school or graduated from a similarly reputable school. You're not getting interviewed by a DNI graduate. It's all about who you know. When you get higher and higher in nursing education, where the applicant pools get smaller and smaller, name recognition goes a long way. She told me to go the community college route, or at least transfer to a BSN program since you haven't graduated yet - it'll take longer, but you won't end up dropping out or graduating with a shady degree. Who knows if they'll even be accredited by the time I finish my nursing education.

Danielle24 · Mar 9, 2017

Now THIS, I needed! Thank you, times 10!

GeauxNursing · Mar 24, 2017

Of course they recommended LVN first. They just want your money. I got my LVN there back in 2009. It was only 18K back then, I cannot imagine how much it costs now. Get your ADN if you are choosing. Or, go to WGU and get your BSN. Steering clear of DNI is the best bet, though. Sorry.

phalanx · Mar 28, 2017

millennial3, are you a nurse now? where did you end up going to school?

truthurts · Apr 5, 2017

This 100% truth! The questions you asked I did not know to ask them because when I attended the ADN program, I did not know anyone personally.

They are out to get your money period. There is a maximum on how much loans and grants you can get in a lifetime since Obama put that into law. So if you have prior degrees or plans to further your educations, DNI can eviscerate your funds. The school knows how much funds you have so failing you multiple times and you taking out more loans or grants mean nothing to them. So even if they were to quote you a pass rate it would be faulty information because if you do not ask the proper question you will find the hard way once you are in the program.

Mrs. Yolanda is a very sweet lady that comes across Christian-like. She will pray with you or for you. Don't be fooled she is very skilled as to not to lie by not saying anything or being vague. She has 2 children that probably has graduated from notable UNIVERSITIES, so your tuition pays her salary to get her children through universities other than DNI....irony.

It does not matter who own the school because Gwendolyn and her sidekick Shannon Whitehead or the most unprofessional at the school. Mrs. Whitehead is notorious for failing students repeatedly without lecturing. There have be too many complaints to TWC and BON to count. Mrs. Whitehead teaches fundamentals (1st semester), MedSurg I &II ( 2nd and 3rd semester) so if she fails you at least 2 times (happens very often) your 16 months ADN program turned into 24 months! So you are paying 3 times (plus because you pay like 1,000 to re-take a course) the amount to still be in a 2 year program.

If they don't like you, your are really in trouble. And if you think you are going to stand up to them with facts then it can go really good or at most times very bad. They know once you stay for at least 3 semester they got you because the thought of loosing your money and starting over is INCONCEIVABLE. I pesronally know people who passed their NCLEX on the 3rd attempt, not at all, and a few on the first attempt (most have repeated courses) this is what Mrs. Yolanda will not tell you. Or some people go from the ADN to LVN program after failing several time in their 3rd semester with Mrs. Whitehead, just to get out of the school.

There is no way around prerequisites. So it is way better to take them at a community college because they are cheaper. Just because there is no wait list doesn't necessarily equate to a fast program. Go to BON website and there is a sheet that list EVERY Nursing school and their stats for the last 5 years. Also, the stat doesn't show how many people sit for the boards a year at DNI so even if its says for example 80% only 10 people probably graduates that year while at other schools 100's graduated.

If they can answer all your questions as mention by millenial3 post honestly and accurately and money is not a thing, then by all means go to DNI. I just want everyone to be informed before walking into a bad situation. I was not!

If you don't believe you can compete at other nursing schools than stop lying to yourself! To take on the challenge to be a nurse take guts. You can compete and get in....do your du diligence and ask questions, compare other schools.

In conclusion, I experienced this nightmare and there is an cheaper and more professional way to becoming a nurse.