Mira Costa College vs Grossmont College ADN nursing programs

treehugger · May 15, 2012

I would look at the NCLEX pass rates online on RN.ca.gov see which school's results have been higher on a consistent basis. I would also find out the clinical locations of each school, and based on my interest in the hospitals, I would go for the one that has hospitals I see myself working for in the future. Clinical rotation may be your first foot into the hospital and let's you build a relationship with the supervisor, etc. Take where you want to live after school into consideration as well. Hope this helps

Hi everyone,I recently got into both Mira Costa and Grossmont College's ADN programs for the Fall 2012. I was wondering which one people would choose and why (ie better program, which has more graduates that obtain jobs right out of the program, class size, etc.). If I went to Grossmont, I'd be able to save on rent, however I want to know if it would be worth it to pay the $20k+ on rent to go to Mira Costa instead. Thanks!

linzay02 · May 17, 2012

Thanks! Yah, the NCLEX pass rates are so similar that it's sort of negligible based on the difference in how many students graduated each year (100 something for grossmont vs 20 something for Mira Costa and 96% vs 92% pass rates). :/ Looking at the clinical rotations in each school is where I was going to look next, but I'm not really sure how to figure that out. I guess I could ask each school. Do you know if that information is posted online anywhere?

k.jo72 · May 17, 2012

Hi linzay02! How difficult did you find it to get into Mira Costa and Grossmont? How long was the process? I am considering applying to both of those schools, as well as Palomar. I have everything completed on the checklist, as well as my TEAS score, as I have been attending another nursing program for the last 6 months. I am considering switching and wondered if you could shed some light for me. Did you get in your first try? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks :)

linzay02 · May 18, 2012

Hey k.jo. I applied to Grossmont for the Spring semester and didn't get in. Though, their administrative staff isn't really on top of things and there's a chance they didn't even look at my application. For Grossmont, this time around, I applied in January (the application period was until the end of April) and I heard back by May 11th. However they gave me a short time period of accepting by (May 16th). And the orientation is June 7th. Everything seems to happen quickly once the application period ends. For Mira Costa I applied in February and heard back by mid-April. I applied to Palomar as well and didn't get in. I think MCC is a little tougher to get in to just because they only accept ~24 students. Grossmont accepts a lot more (I believe 60-100. Someone, please correct me if I'm incorrect). I've had a lot of administrative issues with Grossmont in the past, so I'm a little weary of attending the program, but I've heard the actual program is good. I've heard MCC has a good program as well. Not sure about Palomar. Hope I helped some. :)

RShepRN · Jun 2, 2012

Hi Linzay02- I graduated from Grossmont College and I have to say that I am very proud to have graduated from the program. It is very rigorous and their standards are high, but you graduate from the program feeling very prepared. I can honestly say that I have been told numerous times at different clinical sites from nurses and nurse managers that Grossmont College has a reputation for producing competent RN's with outstanding critical thinking abilities. I may be biased because I did not, of course, attend Mira Costa but I can tell you that I know of 3 students who were hired before officially graduating. Do you have any background in the medical field? Good luck to you!

linzay02 · Jun 2, 2012

Thanks for the feedback RShep! I really appreciate it! The only background in the medical field I have is volunteering in different units in hospitals and shadowing MDs and PAs. I spent the last few years obtaining my BS in Bio, which consumed most of my time. It was nice to hear the great stuff you had to say about Grossmont though. Could you tell me which hospitals the program is affiliated with? For clinicals and what-not. Also, did you happen to have any issues at the school? For some reason I keep having issues with the nursing administration and I worry about their lack of organization (administrative-wise, not necessarily the program itself). It's actually been one of the major deterrents for my wanting to attend there and I wanted to see if it was something I should keep on the 'con' side of Grossmont's list or if it was something I needn't worry about. Thanks again!!

RShepRN · Jun 4, 2012

Hi Linzay02- not a problem :)

The hospitals that GC was in contract with included Scripps and Kaiser for the clinical rotations (however, do keep in mind that contracts with hospitals may be tentative- this is likely true with all colleges for various reasons); there are more facilities (including Sharp, UCSD, Alvarado, etc.) available during preceptorship which vary according to the spots available as all the schools compete for these spots each year. As far as administrative issues, I really did not feel that I had any. In fact, they were very good about sending out emails reminding you that you need to update our BLS or immunizations and whenever I emailed them I received a response that same day. I am not sure as to the details of the problems that you have had with the administration, but I can tell you from my personal experience that as a student of their program I did not have any issues.

Make sure to continue volunteering in the hospital setting, especially in one that you may want to begin your career in. That will look great on your resume in the long-run, and if you are sure you want to become a nurse you may want to consider working as a nurses aide in the hospital+floor that you are interested in. Several of my colleagues were hired at places they worked at previously (i.e. telemetry, ER, psych) because 1) they already knew the nurse manager, 2) were able to prove during their employment there that they will be a great employee by working hard (that also means that if you are not a good employee they will see that as well!) and 3) they have already formed rapport with the staff and have a working knowledge of the floor, equipment, policies & procedures, etc.

Did you receive a bachelor's degree in Bio? Have you looked into the accelerated BSN program at Cal State San Marcos? Due to the Magnet status of hospitals such as Scripps and Sharp (which means that hiring preference is given to BSN-prepared nurses) it will be beneficial for you to set your goal at obtaining a bachelor's degree in nursing. I included some links to help you determine if this is an option for you:

Accelerated BSN program at CSUSM (for those with a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing discipline):

Accelerated BSNAmerican Association of Colleges of Nursing for non-nursing college graduates:

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/research-data/BSNNCG.pdf

I know that was a lot of info, but I hope that helps and good luck!

linzay02 · Jun 4, 2012

Thanks for taking the time to respond & for being very thorough! You've been incredibly helpful! I actually volunteered up near where I got my bachelors (in bio at UCSB), so I'm unfortunately not currently volunteering. Did you feel like you had time to volunteer as you were completing the program? I've heard the program is quite rigorous and I wasn't sure if it would be too time consuming. I looked into the accelerated BSN programs prior to applying to the ADN programs and they weren't an option for me at the time. Right now, I'm hoping to get my ADN, and then look into an accelerated program for a master's in Nursing. Of course, that's a ways away. I'm just glad I got this first step of being accepted to a program out of the way.

RShepRN · Jun 5, 2012

I was able to complete the program going to school full-time, take other courses along the way, get ACLS certified, volunteer for four hours a week, be a full-time mommy and wife AND still manage to graduate from Grossmont with honors. Most students in the class worked part-time, and there were single moms that were able to excel in the program. So in short, YES it is doable! Is it a lot of work? Of course it is-- and trust me, there were days when I would question if I was really cut out to be a nurse. That's where your recognition for support systems and being resourceful comes into play. It's funny because being in nursing school itself is like a lesson in time management and critical thinking because you have to get creative, learn to prioritize and delegate tasks and be resourceful!

I would definitely look into volunteering somewhere in the area, especially at a facility that you may be interested in starting your career-- or again, working as a nursing aide or tech. The exposure to the floor and to the staff will prove valuable when you are searching for a job!

linzay02 · Jun 5, 2012

Oh, that's good to hear! I will most likely try to find work/volunteer while in the program then as well. I imagine it wouldn't be tougher than getting my BS at UCSB, working part time and volunteering while doing so. I never really thought to compare the two. For some reason I had it in my head that they deterred students from working while in the nursing program, but that may be another school that I read that about. Thanks again for all your input! I appreciate it so much!

snobrdrblinkchik · Jun 6, 2012

MCC has clinicals at tri-city, palomar medical center, pomerado hospital, kaiser zion, and camp pendleton; no nursing homes, all acute care hospital setting. if you have any questions about MCC, feel free to message me :)