My RN program is on a warning status

[alexandraae]

Hi all!!

I was accepted into an RN program at a community college in the state that I live in. I attended a mandatory meeting last week. At the meeting, my cohort found out that the schools RN program was placed on a warning status with the intent to close back in February of this year. Prior to applying to this school, I had no knowledge of this. It wasn't on the schools website, nor the link that was provided on the website that takes you to the state's official website for all of the ADN programs and their NCLEX scores. Had I known this, I wouldn't have applied to this program. From what our class gathered at the meeting, the program was put on a warning status due to it's curriculum (i.e. instructors not having the right accreditation, preceptorship, NCLEX scores being below 75% for 2 prior years). The BRN approved of a new curriculum that my cohort in the spring will be starting. The program's director will meet with the BRN again in January to see if they will be removed from warning status, or remain on it. I'm a little unsure of this program after hearing about this. Their NCLEX scores have improved greatly for the 2016-2017 year. It just makes me nervous going through with this program but I have applied to so many schools and been rejected. Has anyone else been in this position or been in a similar situation? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I'm so torn on this decision I need to make before I am registered for my classes.

[llg, PhD, RN]

You are right to be concerned. There is a possibility that your school will close before you graduate ... or that you will graduate, but your diploma will not be respected and that lack of respect might make it difficult for you to find a job or further your education later. Choosing to invest in an education from such a school is a gamble -- and only you can say whether or not you want to gamble with your time and money.

Is there any other school that you could attend that has a good reputation? If so, a delay in your education so that you can attend the other program might be worth it. If not, then you have to decide whether or not you can afford to invest your time and money into something that might not work out.

Do you know anyone familiar enough with the program to be able to give you solid information about what the school's chances are to improve and stay open? Sometimes, schools can recover. Is there a reasonable chance that this school can recover? Obviously, we here on allnurses cannot tell you whether recovery is likely or not.

Another thing ... when a school closes, they often make arrangements for the current students to graduate before the actual shut down. They stop accepting new students, but the school stays open until the current students have a chance to finish. Either that ... or they arrange to have another local school provide the necessary classes to allow those students to graduate. I would ask the school whether or not they have made any plans to allow you to graduate in the even that they close.

Good luck.