"For-profit" schools... As bad as they say?

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DowntheRiver

983 Posts

Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

I currently attend Galen in St. Petersburg. I was accepted to HCC but did not have time to spend 2 years on a waiting list so I opted for Galen. I am in semester 6 out of 8. Galen is what you make of it. Be prepared to read and study outside of class. I want to do pediatric nursing so I went out and found myself a Pediatric MA job which has helped me network tremendously! A ot of my classmates have CNA, OR tech, or MA jobs that will promote them when they graduate and pass the NCLEX. It isn't a cake walk but if you put the time and effort in you will pass.

Also, while we're just starting the process for NLNAC accreditation it is SACS accreditation that will be completed in June.

PaigeS410

3 Posts

I'm currently attending Galen and love it so far. We have quality instructors that are willing to help you succeed. The SACS accreditation is what's most important to me and they complete that next month. Once I'm finished with my RN I'm going back to a local university to do their RN to BSN program and all of my credits from Galen will transfer.

kbrn2002, ADN, RN

3,822 Posts

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

I don't think that for profit schools are necessarily bad. I work with a few nurses that have earned their degrees that way. The only problem is if you decide to further your education later. One of the nurses I work with would like to continue on to MSN and possibly NP and is finding out that her credits won't transfer, so I would be wary if you intend to further your education somewhere else.

Specializes in Pediatrics.

I used to teach at a for-profit. Now I teach at a CC. So I can speak to both sides (but only generally, Of course).

The sales pitch, the aptitude/assessment test, the boasting of job placement and NCLEX pass rates are all accurate. The shiny building with state of the art equipment... It was all there.

I echo those posters who speak about the expense of these programs. It is absolutely ridiculous. Especially since there really are no guarantees for jobs (despite the "job placement" the school offers you). . And even if you get a job, it may not be in a hospital, where the salaries are higher. And if your school doesn't have the best reputation, you may not get a job at all.

Generally, their standard are lower. They would have no one if their standards were as high as their competitors. In a nutshell, they tend to prey on those who cannot get into the other schools, and will do anything to get into nursing school (including take on a lifetime of debt). It doesn't mean they are not good schools, it just means you are paying a lot more money for potentially the same (or maybe a lesser quality) education.

One of the biggest issues I had as a professor was that the schools curriculum and policies are national. The school was not based in my state, and the powers that be just didn't get that state regulations vary, as well as the general culture of nursing, their clients and the students. What works in Nebraska is probably not going to work in California (I'm from neither of these states, btw).

To the OP: no one can tell you exactly what you want to hear. You want reassurance that everything will be ok at your school. There are plate of students who did well in my for-profit school, and there are ones who struggled (because they didn't belong in NS, and this was the only place they could get into). No matter where you go, you will have to work incredibly hard. Those who worked hard at my school did well. Those who do not work hard at my current CC do not do well.

Where I am at, there is one for-profit school that is fully accredited with all of the bells and whistles. It is where I chose to go and have no complaints. I am glad I did not choose the community college because they just lost their accreditation.

I also want to add that I have zero debt. I paid cash for each semester, so not all of them are super expensive either. I work full-time, but am certainly not rich. Just a regular ol' middle class 20-something who lives alone and has all those regular bills we all hate on top of tuition and books.

All of mine will transfer (looked into before even registering for the first semester). All of my pre-reqs from my previous two Bachelor's degrees also transferred in so I only had to take nursing classes and will graduate in 13 weeks. Definitely do your homework, but the same goes for any school. A community college here just got their accreditation yanked, so non-profits can have major issues too.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

4 Articles; 7,907 Posts

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
Definitely do your homework, but the same goes for any school.

This...so much so, that I've bolded it.

You (OP as well as in general) need to do your research about the school before you drop the money and sign on. It doesn't matter if it's a for-profit, traditional, hospital program, whatever: it's your responsibility to check it out and know exactly what program you're getting into.

If you find out later that the program isn't accredited, the school has a poor rep, you're going to have a lot of money to repay, your credits won't transfer, you can't get licensed by some state's BON because of your school etc., you really can't blame anyone else for it.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

ShyeoftheTiger

491 Posts

I'm currently attending Galen and love it so far. We have quality instructors that are willing to help you succeed. The SACS accreditation is what's most important to me and they complete that next month. Once I'm finished with my RN I'm going back to a local university to do their RN to BSN program and all of my credits from Galen will transfer.

So... You signed up for AN just to post about how great Galen is? Mmmmhmmm

PaigeS410

3 Posts

So... You signed up for AN just to post about how great Galen is? Mmmmhmmm

Actually no. I have been a member since March but this was my first post since she was asking about Galen and I just happened to start the program in April.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN

1 Article; 20,908 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
All of mine will transfer (looked into before even registering for the first semester). All of my pre-reqs from my previous two Bachelor's degrees also transferred in so I only had to take nursing classes and will graduate in 13 weeks. Definitely do your homework, but the same goes for any school. A community college here just got their accreditation yanked, so non-profits can have major issues too.
Absolutely...any school can have issues.......that is why those of us who have experience are cautioning to be careful and do your homework. Some of these for profit type schools have different accreditation in different states.

The other word of caution is that there are states that will not accept certain school and certain programs with concurrency issues. This means that even once you graduate....lets say you want to move to California...they may not accept your schooling and will not issue you a license by endorsement.....they may not even allow you to retest if your subjects are not concurrent.

As I posted earlier in the thread.......States with concurrency requirements......Excelsior College New York nursing graduates have had same issue recently.

see state board licensure requirements here]

These are states having concerns over concurrent theory and practicum:

Alabama

Arizona

California

Georgia

Illinois

Kansas

Louisiana

Maryland

north Dakota

Oklahoma

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Other states are following suit for they are finding in this nursing program BOON that there are issues with the quality of the education.......It may never affect some....but one should be aware of all the facts to make the best decision.

I have a question.....you will be able to sit for NCLEX PN in 13 weeks???? Wow that seems quick.....I wish you the best!!!

Good Luck!

dt70

464 Posts

I went to one once, It's like accidently chopping off your toe, you don't want to make that mistake again.

zoe92

1,163 Posts

So... You signed up for AN just to post about how great Galen is? Mmmmhmmm

There is a thread on the general nursing student forum that has one student (not any one on this thread) at Galen talking about her experiences. I think it is somewhat fake or the school is doing it/paying her to do it. Her only posts are on that thread & talking about Galen...

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