Hello everyone, thanks in advance for the support I know I'll receive here in this forum...I'm so happy this is available!
I'm a student who was just accepted at a local community college here in CA for the spring '09 RN class. I am elated..I just got the letter in the mail today! However, when I checked CA gov't website that listed NCLEX pass rates I saw they have one of the lowest scores in the state. 5 years ago they had 100%, this past year it has steadily declined to 67%.
I'm a diligent student, I've maintained a high GPA, and scored well on the TEAS test. Does anyone I think I should rethink this school and the quality of instruction or just apply myself and do my very best?
Carrie, with your GPA and TEAS results you certainly have the wherewithal to do wonderfully.
I'm happy for your acceptance into Sac City as well; having Sutter front the expense is terrific!
Your friends will find incredible people staffing the classes at Butte. I retired from narcotics enforcement and returned to school after over 20 years away from it, to take up retraining for the nursing field alongside my daughter... I thank heaven for the investment that the staff here is willing to make in those students that will put forth the effort to succeed. Some of those enrolled have relayed horror stories about other programs and the attitudes that they had to deal with. One guy told of an instructor that pretty much viewed his ability to fail students as a badge of honor. (Only 2 students supposedly passed his class that semester!) Needless to say, this guy could not say enough good things about the different attitude at Butte.
Good luck to you!!!! Take a deep breath and walk through the door with confidence in yourself!
Hello everyone, thanks in advance for the support I know I'll receive here in this forum...I'm so happy this is available!
I'm a student who was just accepted at a local community college here in CA for the spring '09 RN class. I am elated..I just got the letter in the mail today! However, when I checked CA gov't website that listed NCLEX pass rates I saw they have one of the lowest scores in the state. 5 years ago they had 100%, this past year it has steadily declined to 67%.
I'm a diligent student, I've maintained a high GPA, and scored well on the TEAS test. Does anyone I think I should rethink this school and the quality of instruction or just apply myself and do my very best?
What are the reasons the pass rate has dropped so far? Did they lose a bunch of experienced instructors? Lower their admission standards, or do they have a higher graduation rate than other schools? It might not be a bad idea to ask some local DONs in various hospitals, etc what they know about the school's recent grads. A side benefit of that would be a little early job-search networking.
I think that you can pass the NCLEX if you're a good student and prepare well for the test. (Doing lots and lots of practice questions worked for me.)
Job-wise, if the school has a poor rep, that will work against you getting the position you want. For that reason, you might want to rethink the school.
Thank you for your encouragement! I love that you are alongside your daughter...what an awesome experience!
I don't understand why there are people out there who are so incredibly negative and unhappy that they delight in "contaminating" everyone around them. Maybe it is good to have a little, I mean little, experience with individuals like that...kinda prepares us for those people we will inevitably meet along hospital corridors at some point.
Anyways, Best Wishes to you and your daughter...may you both shine in 2009!
I will hold my head up with confidence...thank you for those encouraging words.
I was recently accepted into Sutter's Extended Campus program for Spring 2012!! So HAPPY! I hope you are all graduated and a successful nurse somewhere! I was also hoping you could give me some insight as to how the program is and if the acceleration part is extremely difficult. I (as you can imagine) am NERVOUS.
Sorry it took me a few days to respond. First let me say CONGRATULATIONS on being accepted into Sutter's nursing program! You should be very proud of that, as they have high acceptance criteria and high expectations. I graduated from there May 2010 and passed NCLEX in June of 2010. It is a highly esteemed, exceptional quality program. I received an excellent education with Sutter and you will too as long as you apply yourself 100% from the get-go. :)
It is an intense program but honestly in speaking with other nursing students what nursing program isn't? Yes, it is accelerated, however the content isn't crammed or skipped, it just does not have the same long time-consuming breaks in between semesters that traditional schools have. I graduated with honors ( I just saw that on my transcripts when I got an unofficial transcript from SCC online last month-I was jazzed!) I am married with 4 children, I had a high-schooler, junior-highers, and elementary kids while in the program and it is VERY do-able. I did not work during nursing school, although a handful of fellow students did, they usually worked PT or less than PT during weekends in between clinicals. One piece of advice I now give nursing students or students doing their pre-reqs is work at a hospital while in school if you are able to. Try to get a job as a unit secretary, orderly, CNA (if you can-that is more difficult unless you have experience.) If you absolutely cannot work while in school because you cannot find a job or don't feel that you will be able to juggle both then get on with a hospital as a volunteer for a few hours each week.
This is very important, as nursing jobs are now few and far between. It is extremely difficult these days to get hired as a new nurse because hospitals have more than enough applicants with experience, either nurses re-entering the field due to spouses not having work or even nurses not retiring like they were planning to. Please consider taking my advice here, we were told we would probably not have any trouble getting hired because we were "Sutter-trained" ....not true (I submitted well over a hundred applications last summer in acute hospitals and got only one interview.) There is still some students from my class who are not working as nurses. I am working in long-term care in case management. I am very thankful to have my job, however it is not what I went to school for so many years for, and I don't even make enough to start paying on my student loans
I am so not trying to be a downer, I just wish I had known and had done things differently! The first nurses in my class who were hired had jobs throughout school as an orderly, monitor tech, CNA, and unit secretary. Two girls got their dream jobs by working in LTC full time as an RN, then volunteering for months at the hospital, so try to get in as a volunteer BEFORE you even graduate, while you are in school.
You will do well! Just kiss your family and friends good-bye for 18 months and put your head down and work hard and study hard. I'm teasing about the kiss goodbye lol just forewarn everyone around you that you can't plan the big family dinners or go out with the girls like you used to! Remember, this is for a short time in your life and you CAN do it! Go ahead and email me with any questions or if you need a cheerleader at any time. [email protected]
Thank you so much for taking the time to write me back with such a thoughtful response! I am truly appreciative of this website and its members.
I hope that you find the job that you are searching for! One day...just keeping plugging away right? I am sure you know about Sutter's New Grad program - does that take an act of God to get accepted into though? Your advice did not fall on deaf ears...I have my CNA certification already and thought about volunteering...I was waiting to see how the first few weeks of school went before I added anything else to my already full load that I am sure I'll have!
I will try to remember to take one day at a time and yes, I am preparing myself to no social life! But also, you are right - such a short sacrifice for a career that I want and have worked so hard for.
5 years ago they had 100%, this past year it has steadily declined to 67%.
bluemalibu
114 Posts
Carrie, with your GPA and TEAS results you certainly have the wherewithal to do wonderfully.
I'm happy for your acceptance into Sac City as well; having Sutter front the expense is terrific!
Your friends will find incredible people staffing the classes at Butte. I retired from narcotics enforcement and returned to school after over 20 years away from it, to take up retraining for the nursing field alongside my daughter... I thank heaven for the investment that the staff here is willing to make in those students that will put forth the effort to succeed. Some of those enrolled have relayed horror stories about other programs and the attitudes that they had to deal with. One guy told of an instructor that pretty much viewed his ability to fail students as a badge of honor. (Only 2 students supposedly passed his class that semester!) Needless to say, this guy could not say enough good things about the different attitude at Butte.
Good luck to you!!!! Take a deep breath and walk through the door with confidence in yourself!