Keiser University RN Program

Karla_WanaB_aNurse · Feb 10, 2009

there are many other posts on this topic. i too am considering the school. do a search using "keiser" at the top of the screen.

good luck!

FLFutureNurse18 · Feb 10, 2009

I've heard they're no accredited, which means your degree won't be "real" as in other colleges won't accept it if you want to move to a BSN or MSN someday. As long as you pass the exam, I think you'll still be a nurse.

Karla_WanaB_aNurse · Feb 11, 2009

i'm looking at the information packet the school gave me:

"the melbourne campus was granted "full approval" status after the first class graduated and successfully complete the registered nursing licensure examination. other nursing program locations in ft. lauderdale, jacksonville, kendall, lakeland, sarasota, orlando, tallahassee, and west palm beach have aquired provisional approval and will be eligibile for full board of nursing when a sufficient number of graduates has passed the (rn) licensure examination....the keiser university school of nursing acquired national league for nursing accrediting commission (nlnac) accrediation march 2006..."

i was a legal studies major in college. many of my friends chose to go to barry univ law school or famu law school both in orlando. the two schools were fairly new and only had provisional accrediation. eventually the school did gain full accrediation stauts and i know all who graduated before the accrediation breathed a sigh of relief (is it retroactive or just that now their diploma is more than a piece of paper?). so have faith in your school. have faith in yourself. the faculty and students make the school.

mayteb87 · Feb 11, 2009

Its very expensive and they dont start you untill, Jan 2011 its crazy i wento last week to see and that was their answer and 35000 dolars... NO WAY!!!!

Karla_WanaB_aNurse · Feb 11, 2009

they admit three times a year i believe: january, april, august (not sure??) i know pre-reqs are 9 months and core classes are 17 months. i was told if i were to start this april (i have quite a few pre-reqs already) the core classes would start jan 2010. that is unless the 2010 class was filled up when you went. i went about 2-3 weeks ago. the thing appeal to keiser is there is no waiting or rejection into the nursing program. no switching schools or moving to another area. once you're in you're in. i'd rather pay the extra money and finish in 26 continuous months than sit on a 1-2 year wait list for a 2year degree or even the bsn has wait lists too. perhaps the cost is a deterrent so fewer will apply (??) :twocents:

have faith in your education. student loans can be forgiven, worked off through employer, and cancelled by lenders/gov't. well these days maybe not the latter.

nurz2be · Feb 13, 2009

I attend and will graduate from Keiser RN program in Melbourne. As someone previously posted we are NLN and SACS accredited, I graduate this summer.

As with MOST schools there are ups and downs with each school. The classes are fast paced. I would suggest that if anyone has to take pre reqs, since Keiser pre reqs are 1 month each, PLEASE take your A&P classes in a school or online where you have more time to digest the information, you will NEED the pathophysiology in your classes as you move through the program. Taking the other pre reqs in one month is no big deal.

Clinicals are hands on, to say that some other schools in this area are "mostly observation" where at Keiser we are hands on from fundamentals all the way through, Peds, OB, Pysch, Med surg, and advanced med surg.

The best advice I can give you is call the local hospital(s) you are interested in working at once you graduate, talk to the hiring nurse manager and ask her or him what their opinion is of students that come from Keiser. In this area, at least, Keiser students are highly regarded.

If you have any other specific questions, if I can, I would be happy to answer them

mltomasi · Feb 14, 2009

What is your schedule like? I am also looking into Keiser, but I have 2 elementary children at home and a husband in the military!

Thanks!

labrador4122, RN · Feb 15, 2009

Personally,

I would consider the Keiser university program, or any other vocational schools turned 'universities' last after I have tried all the other options.

this is due to the costs------

The program is very expensive, but on the other hand you will get an RN degree.

and while some universities may not accept credits from a non-accredited school-- some do.

for example, FIU accepts students from keiser in kendall, FL

but you should call the school to find out for yourself.

nurz2be · Feb 15, 2009

For the people who repeatedly, in several posts, like to comment that Keiser is not accredited, those statements are completely unfounded and inappropriate. Keiser is and has been for several years, accredited by SACS and NLN. I hope that those who keep stating that in different posts will order a packet from Keiser and get their information corrected so they will cease trying to pass out information that is false.

To the poster who asked about Keiser schedules

Ok, the pre reqs are 1 month each and you only take one class at a time, if you take them on campus. For instance, you take Algebra this month and go 3 days per week from 8-12. Next month you take English Literature, same thing. In your Pre reqs the only classes that are 5 days per week are AP I, AP II, and Microbiology. The up sides to all that is 1, you only have to focus on one set of information and testing at a time, and that as I did, have ALL my pre req classes completed in 8 months. Oh, Keiser Melbourne campus, as I am sure several others do as well, have night classes you can take with your pre reqs or online classes you can take as well.

The other up side is I started my pre reqs in May 2007 (I had to take all of them) and I had them completed by January, started my nursing classes then and I will be done this July. While unfortunately, a lot of people at other schools are on waiting lists. Melbourne campus has a "wait list" now if you call it that, I think they are opening up for classes for next year. They start a new nursing class every 4 months. 4-8 months wait is a heck of a lot better than 3-4 years, for me.

Now the nursing classes work differently, in most of them they are 3 months long, after the first week or two of 5 day a week classes, you will most likely have Monday or Friday as an "autotutorial day" (just a day you don't have to be at school) Tuesday and Weds are normally clinical days (days you go to hospital sites and work with patients) those hours are give or take a few minutes from 645 am to 300 pm, Thursday and Friday (if Monday is your auto day) are back in the classroom. You spend a lot of time outside of class prepping, studying and such.

I can tell you that a lot of schools in my area, Melbourne, are not as hands on with patients as we are allowed to be. I have friends who attend other schools and they are not allowed the types of or the amount of interactions we have with patients.

Oh, about kids, nearly 2/3 of the people in my class have children and are doing well. At the beginning of each set of nursing classes you get a schedule, at least at my campus, that covers the days for the 3 months you are in that class, so you know ahead of time and can make decisions around that schedule.

Yes, Keiser is expensive, it is a private university, but myself and hundreds like me are willing to take that on to become nurses sooner and with a solid knowledge base under our feet when we graduate.

If you all have any further questions I will be happy try to answer them.

nurz2be · Feb 15, 2009

i was told if i were to start this april (i have quite a few pre-reqs already) the core classes would start jan 2010. that is unless the 2010 class was filled up when you went. i went about 2-3 weeks ago. lenders/gov't. well these days maybe not the latter.

karla,

once you get past the entrance tests, meet with the nursing head that performs the interviews, and are accepted as a keiser nursing student, you are tentatively accepted and placed in a spot in a specific class. you will get a phone call and or letter and are told congratulations, yada yada yada, you are accepted into keiser nursing class january 2010. that is the class you will start with unless you either drop out or fail out. the only acception is that if your pre reqs are completed and the nursing class before the one you are assigned to has someone leave their spot for whatever reason, you could be offered a spot in a class ahead of yours. you won't be told to show up with a class and then be told oh it is full you can't start, it doesn't work like that, thank goodness. most keisers have class numbers of 24, that could be different at other campuses, so you will have a reserved seat for the class you are told to attend.

and the question you asked earlier about the provisional status. part of the accreditation process is that the school must have had a certain number of students graduate from the school and have a certain 1st time pass rate on the nclex. melbourne campus has done that so we have full accreditation, the other campuses have provisional for a few reasons, 1 is they have it because they follow the same program that melbourne campus follows (same books, same course material, same hours in clinicals and so on) 2 they have it because melbourne has it 3 they haven't had enough graduates go through their programs yet to receive full-accreditation. provisional has the same perks as full in the fact that when you graduate from a school with either provisional or full accreditation, you will be accepted at schools and universities to further your education, you will be accepted in other states even right after graduation. so what that means is that all keiser nursing program students who graduated in and after 2006 fall into that category. if you attend and graduate and for whatever reason keiser decides not to renew that status, which i can't imagine, or if they for some reason don't pass their renewal, it will still reflect that you attended while the school was nationally accredited.

it's all good stuff. good luck

good luck

FLmomof5 · Feb 15, 2009

There is a keiser here in Jax....so if one were to consider nursing in Jax....

A prior poster said that "next class is Jan 2010" and that they would rather be guaranteed a slot....

A prior poster said 24 mo straight

A prior poster said $35K

FCCJ - I took my pre-reqs online. That could be important to the mom with young kids (and hubby in the military). I took my classes 2 per semester because I worked FT and was single (until I married my guy last Sept 6th and BTW, he is military too!). If you don't have a FT job, you could probably get them done faster.

At the Orientation meeting, we were given a cost schedule (The gen-ed courses + the nursing courses and all other costs (fees, equip, clothes). Based on 7/18/06 (so a bit dated), total cost would be $7069.90. Even if there was a 10% increase since then, it would be ~$7800.....a whole lot less than $35K!!

The NS is 4 semesters straight (aka: 15 mo). Add 12 mo for pre-reqs and wait time, you sit at 27 mo.

There are no waiting lists in FL that I am aware of. But, the only one that mattered to me was FCCJ anyway. After completing pre-reqs Dec 08, my application for NS was for May 09. (keeping busy with classes in prep for a masters). Acceptance based in grades in Pre-reqs and NAT score. ALSO, this school offers NS in evening and weekends, so I can continue to work FT.

Each person needs to evaluate their needs and schedules vs cost as well. Whatever works for you works for you.

Good luck.