Get RN in 2 yrs or less!

astarrh34 · Sep 2, 2008

Glad to hear things worked out for you, and best of luck in school. Please keep us updated on how things go for you. :) :jester:

AtomicWoman · Sep 3, 2008

What school did you finally end up going to? Did I miss that info somewhere in this thread?

dreamon · Mar 17, 2009

Good for you! How are you liking the program and what school (or state if you don't want to list) is it?

Just a quick update. I found it, thanks to this thread and your many good suggestions. I had to move but I started school in July and will be a RN in November of '09. A sixteen month program that includes all pre-req's like A & P & Micro. Where there's a will there's a way. So far it seems like a great program and I've been very impressed with the instructors. I have also heard from outside sources that the school has a good reputation for turning out good nurses. It's condensed and there's tons to learn but I have the confidence I'll have the tools I need to be a good nurse when I graduate. Clinicals start the end of next month. We have to jump right in but I can't believe how much I've learned so far. I'm not promoting this school or any others but there are schools out there where you can get your RN in less than 2 yrs. These programs include all of your pre-req's and no waiting lists. They are generally more costly but because time is money and working at a low paying job while I plunk through school was not an option for my family, this seems the most financially reasonable way to go... after doing the math. They don't accept just anybody and you have to brush up on your basic skills to get a good score on some entrance tests but it's really doable if you know your High School reading, critical thinking and math. So for all you neigh sayers out there, and especially for any of you who believe you can do it, you can!

simplymemyselfandi · Dec 18, 2009

Another update. Sorry I didn't get back to you guys with specific questions. My wife had a baby in March and with the accelerated program I was enrolled in, I didn't look at this thread. I hope you all found what you were looking for. I enrolled in the RN program at Concorde Career College in Aurora, Colorado in March of 2008. I had to move from Arizona. It was hard on my family, but we knew it would be. Classes started in July of 2008. I graduated there in October of this year (after 15 1/2 months). I took the NCLEX on December 10th and passed! (It was hard.) I have a job starting January 4th working on the reservation. (The government is still hiring new grads and paying up to $20,000 per year of school loan repayment.) I'll be enrolling at Grand Canyon University online to get my BSN. This program can take between 8 and 16 more months to complete... as long as you are willing to work hard. So it can be done if you are willing to relocate and work HARD. Much less than two years later, I am an RN with a job and in another year or so I will have my Bachelors as well. It CAN be done. Good luck to all of you.

To all of you purests who felt I cheated the system, thank goodness there are more ways to receive an RN than the traditional four-year route (with pre-req's, wait lists, etc.) We are all in different situations and may not all need the exact same solution...

ProspectiveMDC · Dec 18, 2009

Another update. Sorry I didn't get back to you guys with specific questions. My wife had a baby in March and with the accelerated program I was enrolled in, I didn't look at this thread. I hope you all found what you were looking for. I enrolled in the RN program at Concorde Career College in Aurora, Colorado in March of 2008. I had to move from Arizona. It was hard on my family, but we knew it would be. Classes started in July of 2008. I graduated there in October of this year (after 15 1/2 months). I took the NCLEX on December 10th and passed! (It was hard.) I have a job starting January 4th working on the reservation. (The government is still hiring new grads and paying up to $20,000 per year of school loan repayment.) I'll be enrolling at Grand Canyon University online to get my BSN. This program can take between 8 and 16 more months to complete... as long as you are willing to work hard. So it can be done if you are willing to relocate and work HARD. Much less than two years later, I am an RN with a job and in another year or so I will have my Bachelors as well. It CAN be done. Good luck to all of you.
To all of you purests who felt I cheated the system, thank goodness there are more ways to receive an RN than the traditional four-year route (with pre-req's, wait lists, etc.) We are all in different situations and may not all need the exact same solution...

Wow! Congrats!

You are an inspiration to all. And, I don't think anybody can say you cheated the system. Yours, was just a faster accelerated path that was even faster than the traditional accelerated program.

It's the 1st time i'm reading this thread, but it's a pleasant surprise to see that you did it. Your drive, passion and determination is a formula we can all learn from, regardless if others said it could not be done.

Please, keep this thread going by giving more updates.

As for me I took the traditional route, I got in with to Full time RN program 4 semesters long. Of course, all my pre-reqs where in, but I did not have to endure a waiting list. I stayed in public school for two reasons: cost, ours is under $6K for the whole program including books, and our NCLEX pass rate is ~93%.

Btw, how much did Concorde cost all together? And, who much do you owe or does the average Concorde student end up owing upon graduation?

Or you tell more about how the government gives back up to 20K of unpaid loans? Or a link, or what the program is called?

I'm sure many could use such assistance here and would be grateful to hear of such a program.

simplymemyselfandi · Dec 19, 2009

I just wanted to respond to your questions. I also got a private message but thought I'd just respond to it here. As far as the cost of Concorde, if you take every single credit in every single class like I did, it is about $40,000. You can transfer in credits from other schools, which can save you a lot of money. Either way, it's expensive but it would've taken me three years minimum to get through school otherwise. Even if I could've done it at a community college for six to ten thousand dollars, I'm still money ahead by going to work a year and a half sooner. That's how I look at it anyway.

I was able to get government aid from workforce center. They gave me about $6000. I don't have to pay it back. I don't know how to explain this program very well. It's not exactly a grant but it's not a loan. It's just money that they give to qualified people. As far as I can tell the only thing you need to do to qualify is to prove that you are going into a career that will pay you more than your previous career. It's a federal program run by the counties in each state. I would google workforce center in your area. Funds vary depending on county. I got federal loans for the rest of the cost.

As far as the $20k loan repayment, this is available if you go to work for IHS (Indian Health Services). These are hospitals located on indian reservations run by the federal government and indian tribes. You have to be hired by IHS to be eligible for this program. It's not guaranteed you'll get the loan repayment money but I think most people do. I realize not everybody is interested in moving near a reservation but this was one of the closest hospitals to where I lived and it worked out great for me. There are threads about IHS on allnurses if you're interested.

As far as Concorde goes, I had my fair share of frustrations with the school. There were times it definitely felt like they cared more about the money than the students. I will say that in talking to many other students who attended community colleges, 4-year universities and other private schools in the Denver area, they had pretty much the same complaints that I had. In short, while I'm sure there are a lot of good schools out there, I think most schools are in it for the money. It's very hard and very expensive to run a nursing program and a lot of times students get the short end of the stick. I don't feel Concorde was any worse than many other schools. Many of the instructors really did care and were high quality and in the end it got me eligible to pass the NCLEX and I was able to pass.

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2009

Congratulations on your success.

valkyria, BSN, RN · Dec 21, 2009

good morning,

valkyria, BSN, RN · Dec 21, 2009

oops. most hospitals that are government affiliated (va,etc) or teaching hospitals that are state affiliated ( jackson in the public health trust here in miami), have programs for repayment/forgiveness of student loans that were acquired in nursing school.it does not matter how you get there, as long as you get there. "purest" folks just prefer to do things the regular way and many times, are fortunate that they do not have to find another way there.

the journey is the story and the struggle makes it more appreciated when you reach your destination and it gives you a heck of a story. good luck in whatever path you find/chose and welcome to the family.