Goldfarb school of nursing wait list

Greenclip · Aug 12, 2013

Hi Hannah, I am a Goldfarb student. About to graduate next week!

I hate to say that those waiting list numbers do not look good. There will be a lot of movement, but don't count on starting before January 2015.

Upper division is definitely a better program than Accelerated. The school loves the Accelerated students and they are favored over us, but the UD program is better planned and I think you get a lot more out of it. Lots of students in UD also have degrees and chose not to do Accelerated.

Have you applied to other nursing programs in St. Louis? In my class I think that very few students would recommend Goldfarb. We have had some great teachers and good hospital experiences. However that ought to be the minimum you should expect from a nursing school. They say that all of the faculty have Ph.D.s or are working to get them. That is not true. The administration is poor. Students that should fail are pushed through. Bad teachers (not just someone I don't like, I mean truly can't teach) return over and over. Most of all when problems are brought to the attention of administration, they do nothing. Don't get me wrong, I am not 19 years old and I don't expect the world to jump when I crack the whip. But genuine issues have been brought to administration and students are put down or ignored. Cheating is tolerated or people get their wrist slapped.

They are so proud of the sim labs, but you spend hardly any time in them especially after second term. We asked over and over for more sim time to supplement weak areas that we had in clinicals, but we were turned down. They will tell you that they have a high NCLEX pass rate, but I know that last term's graduates (April 2013) had a pass rate less than 90%. Also, Lutheran School of Nursing, which is a diploma program, has an excellent pass rate for every class. The state makes all of that information available for public search, so check it out.

It's definitely worth it to get a BSN, so I wouldn't look at the community colleges or Lutheran for that reason. If you have applied and are accepted to SLU, Maryville, or UMSL I would go there first in a heartbeat. You will get the same education for the same cost (or less) and have a much better experience. Goldfarb is OK at best. People associate it with Barnes and it benefits from the name, but it is not the same product and it is not worth the long wait to start school if you have other options. I needed to go to Goldfarb for personal reasons that I won't go into.

junkmurse · Aug 18, 2013

"If you have applied and are accepted to SLU, Maryville, or UMSL I would go there first in a heartbeat. You will get the same education for the same cost (or less) and have a much better experience."

thanks for your extensive post on the state of affairs at Goldfarb. i will be attending the Accelerated program next year. just curious if you could please expound on how you came to this conclusion. i get from your post what you did not like about Goldfarb, i'm just interested what made you conclude this about the alternative colleges?.

Greenclip · Aug 19, 2013

Junkmurse, I came to this conclusion through "lived experience." There are a number of reasons why I would recommend the other schools. First and foremost, they are real colleges. They have extensive student support systems and oversight of faculty and administration. You may not think that sounds very important, but it IS. For example, we do not have any counseling staff or any career placement staff. You are on your own for finding a job. There is a new dean and he is supposed to be changing that, but I'm not holding my breath for it to be implemented any time soon. Barnes-Jewish is not a college, it's just a finishing school for nurses. I did not expect a sports facility, dorms or a swimming pool but I did expect more interest in the students.

At Goldfarb, you will do all your clinicals at Barnes or Missouri Baptist. (Peds is at Children's.) SLU, Maryville, and UMSL all go to multiple hospitals in St. Louis, including those two, so that you have a chance to see a variety of different environments and network with many different nurses. Having done all my clinicals at Barnes, I have only networked with Barnes nurses. I have graduated now and guess what? BJC is in a hiring freeze and has been since the last round of graduates finished in April. The unit where I did my preceptorship has techs who are RNs that graduated in April. Do you think *I* have any chance of being hired there? It is a weakness of the program that they do not go to more of the area hospitals. The faculty will tell you that themselves. Yes, there are a couple more hospitals on the placment list for preceptorship in your last term, but it's Barnes St Peters and Progress West, not big guns like Mercy or St. Anthony's or even Christian. I was told by the admissions person I worked with that the school went to all kinds of area hospitals, but that is not true.

Our clinical time is minimal. We don't have clinical time in the hospital until the end of Fundamentals, which for you means at the end of your first term. In UD, it's one morning a week starting for the last 3 weeks of 2nd term. Then for about 14 weeks over the next 2 terms. The other schools all require more clinical time and in more settings. SLU for example has clinicals Thursdays and Fridays for accelerated. You get to see continued care of the patients, something I have NEVER seen. SLU also has a geriatric nursing rotation. This may sound "yawn" to you but old people are our patients.

Our choices for electives are minimal. The school will tell you that they offer a slew of electives, but you will have only 1-2 chances to enroll for one, depending on your program, and you have to take one of the 3 that is on offer that term. SLU for example has offered a fluids and electrolytes elective which would look really good on your resume, a lot better than Health Care for the Homeless which might be interesting but screams "bs" to most people.

We do not have full semester clinicals for OB, peds and psych. It's 6 weeks for each and one of those weeks will be orientation. Maryville has 16 week clinicals for every clinical course. Again, it's a huge weakness of the program. I had a job interview last week. I was asked how many IV's I had started - 3. NG tubes dropped - 0. Foley's started - 0. I have passed meds and given a lot of bed baths but I have not done a lot of other basic skills. I know that nursing is not all about sticking things in places but you would think that school was the time to practice that stuff. I was also asked about our total clinical hours. Eyebrows were raised and I felt embarrassed. This wasn't about me personally but about my credentials. Another Goldfarb friend had a preceptor at Barnes who told her that Goldfarb students are known for "knowing crap all when they start work."

Virtually all the students at GSON have friends who are at SLU, Maryville, or UMSL. We have often said to each other that when we tell them about what goes on at our school, they stare and say, "I can't believe you have to put up with that." I have a close friend who is an UMSl nurse, graduated last year. Yes, she did have people in her class who she thought should not be nurses, and yes she did have some poor faculty experiences. That can happen anywhere. But overall she rates UMSL's program highly and it is backed by the University of Missouri. Goldfarb is backed by a health care corporation. There is a world of difference.

junkmurse · Aug 21, 2013

thanks for the extensive info.

Hannahbanana03 · Feb 10, 2014

Thanks for the feedback guys :) luckily I got into a program in my home state of Louisiana and I'm in my second semester now. The tuition is also nothing compared to what it would have been in any school in Missouri.

Helaine401 · Mar 16, 2014

Hi - I'm starting the ABSN program this summer (5/14)....in which term are you starting? Boy, Greenclip is making me concerned about my decision to attend this school. They seem to have all the accrediting statuses that I would expect from a "real" college. I wonder if there should I be anyconcerns that there are not enough clinical hours for me to apply for a license in my home state when I have completed the program.

Helaine401 · Mar 16, 2014

Hi - I'm starting the ABSN program this summer (5/14)....in which term are you starting? Boy, Greenclip is making me concerned about my decision to attend this school. They seem to have all the accrediting statuses that I would expect from a "real" college. I wonder if there should I be anyconcerns that there are not enough clinical hours for me to apply for a license in my home state when I have completed the program.

bmw1092 · Mar 26, 2014

I am almost done with my 2nd term in the UD program & I completely disagree with GreenClip.

Helaine401 · Mar 27, 2014

Do anyone know people who live in Montclair on the Park or Convent Gardens? I'm ready to sign a lease somewhere very soon. Trying to figure out if there are any real problems in either building.

Loveothers · May 19, 2014

I am almost done with my 2nd term in the UD program & I completely disagree with GreenClip.

Hi can you give me some insight about UD program there...im looking to apply soon. I just have to get pass micro:/

bellabop13 · Jun 30, 2014

I am at Goldfarb, 2nd term ABSN. I have really enjoyed my time at Goldfarb and find it an excellent place to get a BSN. I've already done more IV's, Blood draws, serious med passing, stat ecgs, tube feeds, and various assessments than I can count in clinical. But when I'm there, I go for every opportunity I can find. I don't just wait for them to fall in my lap. I seek them out by asking nurses. I find the lecture and clinical time combined to be very intensive and is not for those who don't like a rigorous program. I have to study every day to be able to get A's, which is difficult. Pharm was one of the toughest classes I've had, but I know it now. But we have different professors in the ABSN vs UD. I've heard of many Mizzou students having to finish a 4 yr degree other than a BSN because they can't get into the clinicals they need or the nursing program in general. What a waste of time and money! We have a lot of students in my cohort that already have degrees from Mizzou and are going back...at Goldfarb. Imagine going to Mizzou and not graduating with the degree you want because there aren't enough clinical spaces. That would stink. I recently took a Critical Care elective that was challenging and very simulation heavy. We ran at least 4 sim codes in a few weeks with an opportunity to break down every step of the process so we understood when to do what. The faculty are extremely accessible and every instructor I've had has either a DNP or a PhD, at least a MNS with years of practice experience. They won't give extra credit or make up exams, but neither does the real world. It seems UD can be jaded by younger students who aren't ready for a serious head first dive into nursing. If you're a gunner then go for the accelerated program (prior degree req.) The UD students have a slower pace that is also lighter by term on content. Its designed for those who must work or don't have a bachelors degree yet.

At barnes I have seen patients with a high level of complexity and acuity, many who had been sent from other outlying hospitals from all over the state and a few from out of state, like Arkansas. I work at Barnes as well, and while it is tough while going through the accelerated program, I feel like I have had more clinical training and high level critical thinking training then I could have gotten most other places. My advice would be to totally take ownership of your training by going for every opportunity in clinical, in lecture, in sim lab, and with networking. If you don't eat sleep and breath nursing school during a BSN program then take on more by getting a tech job if you can. Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't feel like a pest. That's when I get the best opportunities like seeing art lines placed and watching intubation, c sections, complex multiple births, tubes placed under fluro... you name it, it happens here at Barnes and that is Goldfarb all the way. I would take on a nursing challenge with any other BSN program student with confidence and pride. Sorry Greenclip, I disagree 1000% and hope your experience has gotten better. All the best to you!