I need help choosing the right Nursing Program

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Specializes in RN.

Hi everyone :)

I found this site by accident and I've found myself coming back to it almost every other hour. Kudos to everyone!

I am making plans to apply for a nursing program in MI and I am a bit in a dilemma to choose what is best for me. I hold a BSc in Psychology and so I'm thinking about applying for the accelerated program (BSN/CD 2 program) or the traditional BSN program, in which case I may be applying into either Schoolcraft or Wayne State. Will appreciate all contributions. Thank you.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Welcome to AN! One of the things I tell prospective students to look at is statistics: how many students who enroll complete the program, how many complete it on time, how many pass NCLEX on the first try, and how many are employed in the nursing field within 1 year of graduation? Another one is to verify that the program is approved by the state's BON, which should be available on their website. The third big one is ACEN or CCNE accreditation.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

  • It should be fully approved by your state's BON.
  • It should have a good NCLEX pass rate.
  • It should offer a good number of clinical hours and experiences.
  • It should be NLNAC or ACEN/CCNE accredited. There are employers who will not hire a nurse that didn't attend a school without either of these accreditations.
  • What can you afford? If you don't know already, there is no nursing shortage. Many new graduates struggle for 3, 6, 12 months or even more just to land that first job. In addition, nursing is not the cash cow that it used to be, and jobs aren't as secure as you'd think. So you really want to think it through before accumulating a lot of debt in student loans or expenses.
  • What are your long-term goals? Do you just want to get on the floor and start working ASAP, or are you aiming towards advanced practice nursing in the future? Is a diploma or ADN enough for you, or do you need to have at least a BSN? A heads-up that a lot of employers prefer BSN graduates. It doesn't mean that the diploma/ADN can't get hired...but do keep this in mind.
  • If you can, try to find out the reputation of the school among the hospitals in your area. Some hospitals won't touch graduates of specific schools for whatever reason, and you don't want to go to THAT school if none of the local hospitals will hire from it.

Best of luck whatever you decide!

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Specializes in RN.

Thanks to both of you :)

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