Does the school really matter...?

[ninjakat2115]

There are several schools in my area that offer the nursing major with the end product being a BSN. From state records, one school's annual pass rate on the NCLEX was 78% while another was 91%.

My work ethic throughout school, and life, is that if you work hard at something, you will achieve it. No one else is going to be around to do the work for you so you must put forth your best effort in order to get the final desired result.

With that being said, will attending one school from the other affect my qualifications as a nurse? Will future employers use this type of information as a way to conclude that I am not as qualified as another applicant?

So...essentially... does the school you attend really matter?

[commonsense]

There are several schools in my area that offer the nursing major with the end product being a BSN. From state records, one school's annual pass rate on the NCLEX was 78% while another was 91%.

My work ethic throughout school, and life, is that if you work hard at something, you will achieve it. No one else is going to be around to do the work for you so you must put forth your best effort in order to get the final desired result.

With that being said, will attending one school from the other affect my qualifications as a nurse? Will future employers use this type of information as a way to conclude that I am not as qualified as another applicant?

So...essentially... does the school you attend really matter?

While the school may not make a major difference in how employers look at you, the school you attend does make a major difference in the quality of your education. While looking the way you describe the statistics of students passing NCLEX at each school I get the idea you're putting the blame on the student who did not pass, not the school. I agree with you to an extent, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to pass NCLEX. However, try looking at this from a different perspective, the school only educated a little of 3/4 of their students well enough for them to pass NCLEX. Also, try and talk to previous students at the schools about clinical experience. At my school we have very good clinical rotations and very good teachers as our clinical instructors. Other students at our clinical sites from different schools do not get the always receive the same positive experience that we do.

[UVA Grad Nursing]

While the NCLEX pass rate is very important, I would recommend that you also ask about the retention or attrition rate. How many people admitted to the program actually graduate?

I have been an outside consultant to several programs over the years. One program admitted to me that they accepted many more people than they graduate, and less than 50% of those who they admit will graduate. Let's say this school (College A) admits 100 people a year and graduates only 50. In this way, they maintain a high pass rate (by failing out half of their students before they get to the end and the NCLEX). College A knew that their retention was low, but they wanted to admit more students initially (and have them fail out) rather than be more selective in admissions.

College B has a higher retention rate (they also admit 100, but 90 of these will graduate). The NCLEX pass rate may not be as high, but they graduate more RNs.

I'd rather attend my hypothetical College B than A. While the passrate might be lower, there would be a greater likelihood of completing the program and becoming a RN.

By the way, I recommended to College A that they develop their tutoring system and find ways of remediation to keep (and graduate) more of the students they admit.

[mindlor]

There are several schools in my area that offer the nursing major with the end product being a BSN. From state records, one school's annual pass rate on the NCLEX was 78% while another was 91%.

My work ethic throughout school, and life, is that if you work hard at something, you will achieve it. No one else is going to be around to do the work for you so you must put forth your best effort in order to get the final desired result.

With that being said, will attending one school from the other affect my qualifications as a nurse? Will future employers use this type of information as a way to conclude that I am not as qualified as another applicant?

So...essentially... does the school you attend really matter?

A very important consideration is the accredidation status of the school. Many programs of higher education will not accept prior coursework from a non NLNAC school. Furthermore many employers WILL NOT hire a nurse that went to a non-NLNAC school. For example, The VA system will not hire anyone who went to a non-NLNAC school.

Caveat Emptor

[bigboi]

As aforementioned, if you're disciplined enough to seek other resources to ensure your success, then it really should matter what school you choose. However I would contend that to make it easier on yourself, it would be wiser to choose a school with a higher passing rate. I would suspect that they are probably more organized and an overall better program than the other you described. It is important to attend a program that would afford you knowledge to pass the NCLEX, since ultimately thats what you'd need to start practicing as a nurse. If you are disciplined enough, you will probably get through a subpar program, why entertain that idea if you have other options?

[jumpingfish21]

I am in the same boat as you. I do not know if the school you go to really matters!