For anyone who's graduated from NSC or is currently a nursing student (accelerated/regular-track): ANY input helps!!!
I've been hearing a lot of bad things about NSC since late 2006, I also know a couple of people who have graduated last year from the school who still can't pass the NCLEX, I hear that the first time pass rates are in the '60's or 70's and the latest rumor i've heard from different sources is that, NSC is like a rotating door, they're just graduating people...... as far as passing NCLEX -- it's a different story! People r having a hard time even passing the nurse predictor test (big test they're supposed to take B/F graduating)?? ........................ Las Vegas sun doesn't really have any flattering things to say about NSC either....
Folks, need a little help here, any truth to this? Is University of southern nevada, tuoro university or apollo college any better? These schools also have low nclex passing scores.
Anyone wanna share their thoughts??? experiences??
By the way, Deefromlv..... NSC is provisional and technically, u can only practice in nevada. But, there are OTHER states that'll allow u to practice there, are u interested in that? ..... 'coz I've heard that around vegas, hospitals here r not very friendly to new grads, I'm not sure up northern nevada though, since I don't know anyone from there. Maybe they're friendly to "new nurses"??? ..... A friend of mine graduated last year from NSC and she was able to work in TX. She took the nclex here, passed it, got a NV license and was able to get a license in TX (after filling out all the paperwork & paying the fees, of course).
Really? I've found that the hospitals I've been at have been pretty good with new grads. Sometimes you have to wait until they start a new grad orientation program but other places will start you right away. I've had one offer already. The critical care job I am interviewing for right after I graduate is the one I really want. I didn't really look hard. Both came out of my clinical experiences. And so far I haven't heard of any of the NSC grads having trouble getting licensure in other states. Many of my classmates are from California and will be heading back there. A previous grad was even accepted to Duke U NP program and is practicing there while going to school.
Good luck with everything, Dee! I read your pros and cons post and I have had similar experiences with my school, especially the ever-changing syllabus and structure. It is so frustrating having things switched up at the drop of a dime...totally throws me off. The professors always say, "Take it all in stride, nurses need to learn to be flexible!" Geez...
I love that! It sounds like your instructors and my instructors got together over a beer and said "OK, what do we say to them to justify our complete lack of planning?" Oh, well, it's almost over! Glad to hear that other programs share some of the same pains.
Just this past spring '08, NSC only accepted 20+ something students for regular term, w/c they should've accepted about 40, is it? the cutoff GPA was 3.5 and above, plus the teas results of course... Anyone who has below 3.5 received rejection letters. I suspect they would be doing the same thing for future semesters... why? well, budget cuts frankly, but they wouldn't admit this. Anyway.....
There are so many different things floating around about this!
I keep hearing that the last semester, they accepted about 20 people, and the lowest GPA was a 3.2. The advisor said they chose not to accept 40 students because a few semesters back, they were accepting all the way to a 3.0, and like half of the students had failed out of the program!! So this past semester they only went to a 3.2 and only 1 person failed out that semester. Makes sense to me...
there are so many different things floating around about this!
i keep hearing that the last semester, they accepted about 20 people, and the lowest gpa was a 3.2. the advisor said they chose not to accept 40 students because a few semesters back, they were accepting all the way to a 3.0, and like half of the students had failed out of the program!! so this past semester they only went to a 3.2 and only 1 person failed out that semester. makes sense to me...
hey pepperoni....
yes, nsc only accepted around 20+ something people for the regular program for spring '08... anyone who had a gpa lower than 3.5 were given rejection letters. the teas results were only used as a tie breaker between people who have the same gpa's (i'm not quite sure how that works). the selection process is generally as follows: the 3.2 gpa you're talking about only applies to the accelerated program... meaning if you have that gpa, you have a chance for the accelerated program but not the regular program (since they have more applicants to it, nsc requires a higher gpa) . . . i know this for a fact, 'coz i had around 3.2 last year and the nsc advisor told me that i needed to upgrade my gpa near or around 3.5 at least!. . . . think of it this way, if you qualify to apply to both, if you have less than 3.5 and more towards a 3.0 gpa ... then just apply for the accelerated. . . they wouldn't even look @ your application for the regular program, i guess for some people that makes sense or not? ----->> in any case, it's getting tougher every year, nsc does not have to fill up 40 spots for the regular program and 56 spots for the accelerated program, in the past, they had to... now, it's a completely different ballgame . . . kris.
By the way, Deefromlv..... NSC is provisional and technically, u can only practice in nevada. But, there are OTHER states that'll allow u to practice there, are u interested in that? ..... 'coz I've heard that around vegas, hospitals here r not very friendly to new grads, I'm not sure up northern nevada though, since I don't know anyone from there. Maybe they're friendly to "new nurses"??? ..... A friend of mine graduated last year from NSC and she was able to work in TX. She took the nclex here, passed it, got a NV license and was able to get a license in TX (after filling out all the paperwork & paying the fees, of course).
That is not true. I graduated from NSC last year and I work in TX. I did not get my license in NV first- I applied in TX. Rumors are just that...rumors.
That is not true. I graduated from NSC last year and I work in TX. I did not get my license in NV first- I applied in TX. Rumors are just that...rumors.
lynzmaj is right. Many of my classmates are going back to work in their home states after graduation. When a school is not accredited, it restricts you from pursuing a graduate degree, not from working in other states.
that is not true. i graduated from nsc last year and i work in tx. i did not get my license in nv first- i applied in tx. rumors are just that...rumors.
i originally posted the comment you're commenting on... here's the thing, if you check the nv state board of nursing website, it will state that in southern nv, there are only 2 schools that have full accreditation (nursing programs nationally recognized in the united states)... namely, unlv and csn !! ... other schools are recognized as teaching schools but their nursing programs are only recognized in the state of nv (this is what "provisional" means).... . . if you scroll down nv board of nursing page, it will say that, if you graduate from " nv provisional schools " and want to work out of state, you need to contact those states before you can assume you can work there and pay their fees to get their licenses. if you read my previous comment again, i did mention that i had a friend who graduated from nsc, pass the nv nclex and she was able to work in tx. . . . i guess she called the tx board of nursing ahead of time and was told she can "practice" there. "provisional accreditation" means just that -->> you are technically just licensed to practice in the state of nv. . . . "other states" don't need to hire you ---> for now, there are "other states" who will accept them, but who's to say that they will in 2 to 5 years?? . . . when their priority will be is, to hire people from their own states and from other states who graduated from "fully accredited schools".... shady economy is a good indicator of this.
i mean, there is a reason why the other schools around here are labeled "provisional accreditation" -->> their graduates can't make the 80% and up requirement on their nclex results to qualify for the "full accreditation" ..... it's not the same thing, it's not even close, there are people who are applying to these schools and thinking they can work anywhere, in reality, you have to check first w/ other states, if they'll even recognize your license .. ..... kris.
that is not true. i graduated from nsc last year and i work in tx. i did not get my license in nv first- i applied in tx. rumors are just that...rumors.
maybe, what i should have said is this. . . . will other states even recognize the school where one went to and the clinical training they received from these "provisional accredited schools"?? ... 'coz that's the bottom line isn't it??
"provisional accreditation" just irks some people off. for now, there are states who hire people who graduate from them (i also hope it stays that way, believe me).... kris.
i originally posted the comment you're commenting on... here's the thing, if you check the nv state board of nursing website, it will state that in southern nv, there are only 2 schools that have full accreditation (nursing programs nationally recognized in the united states)... namely, unlv and csn !! ... other schools are recognized as teaching schools but their nursing programs are only recognized in the state of nv (this is what "provisional" means).... . . if you scroll down nv board of nursing page, it will say that, if you graduate from " nv provisional schools " and want to work out of state, you need to contact those states before you can assume you can work there and pay their fees to get their licenses. if you read my previous comment again, i did mention that i had a friend who graduated from nsc, pass the nv nclex and she was able to work in tx. . . . i guess she called the tx board of nursing ahead of time and was told she can "practice" there. "provisional accreditation" means just that -->> you are technically just licensed to practice in the state of nv. . . . "other states" don't need to hire you ---> for now, there are "other states" who will accept them, but who's to say that they will in 2 to 5 years?? . . . when their priority will be is, to hire people from their own states and from other states who graduated from "fully accredited schools".... shady economy is a good indicator of this.
i mean, there is a reason why the other schools around here are labeled "provisional accreditation" -->> their graduates can't make the 80% and up requirement on their nclex results to qualify for the "full accreditation" ..... it's not the same thing, it's not even close, there are people who are applying to these schools and thinking they can work anywhere, in reality, you have to check first w/ other states, if they'll even recognize your license .. ..... kris.
you are 100% right kris... other states may accept provisonal license at this time and that can change at any time.. one day or month they may accept this license and the next day they would not.
it is very "iffy" and a day to day decision of the bon of the state you are applying.. i have heard.. that it depends on how many grads they have from the state you are applying , if they have enough and their is no shortage,, they will not accept provosional license...
So far I haven't heard of any of the NSC grads being turned down for licensure by other states. Word like that travels quickly at the school. As for the provisional status I think they are taking some positive steps to be fully accredited. The BON came to visit us and basically said if NSC follows their recommendations for improvement then they will get their accreditation. The accelerated class is doing really well with pass rates it's just the regular track that was having problems and bringing the average down. I guess the decreased class size and harder gpa requirements are how they are addressing this. There was also some turnover of instructors so I'm sure that had something to do with the continuity of teaching.
i originally posted the comment you're commenting on... here's the thing, if you check the nv state board of nursing website, it will state that in southern nv, there are only 2 schools that have full accreditation (nursing programs nationally recognized in the united states)... namely, unlv and csn !! ... other schools are recognized as teaching schools but their nursing programs are only recognized in the state of nv (this is what "provisional" means).... . . if you scroll down nv board of nursing page, it will say that, if you graduate from " nv provisional schools " and want to work out of state, you need to contact those states before you can assume you can work there and pay their fees to get their licenses. if you read my previous comment again, i did mention that i had a friend who graduated from nsc, pass the nv nclex and she was able to work in tx. . . . i guess she called the tx board of nursing ahead of time and was told she can "practice" there. "provisional accreditation" means just that -->> you are technically just licensed to practice in the state of nv. . . . "other states" don't need to hire you ---> for now, there are "other states" who will accept them, but who's to say that they will in 2 to 5 years?? . . . when their priority will be is, to hire people from their own states and from other states who graduated from "fully accredited schools".... shady economy is a good indicator of this.
i mean, there is a reason why the other schools around here are labeled "provisional accreditation" -->> their graduates can't make the 80% and up requirement on their nclex results to qualify for the "full accreditation" ..... it's not the same thing, it's not even close, there are people who are applying to these schools and thinking they can work anywhere, in reality, you have to check first w/ other states, if they'll even recognize your license .. ..... kris.
new schools go through growing pains to get their pass rates up. one big reason is because at first not many people knew about the program. they were admitting people that should have never been there in the first place because the pool of applicants wasn't large enough. their pass rates as of now have increased dramatically as far as i know.
new schools go through growing pains to get their pass rates up. one big reason is because at first not many people knew about the program. they were admitting people
to lynzmaj and other folks:
i am not bashing "provisional accredited schools" at all, i think they're a good idea, since, they open up "options" for people. i certainly did not come up with these "rules of accreditation"...... these "rules" have always existed (even before i moved to nv). the nv state board of nursing has nothing to "hide" from anyone, if you just check their website. . . "provisional accreditation is not the same as full".
i commend ccne and other organizations like it that try to monitor quality and prevent fraud in the nursing practice. yes, it is a good organization that should continue it's mission and so forth. . . however, it is not a substitute for nv state board of nursing and nlnac (national league for nursing accreditation commission). meaning, a school can have 10 accreditations from other organizations, but what really matters is the accreditation from the board of nursing and i guess nlnac??
here's why:
nv state board of nursing issues, decides and mandates the nursing profession in the state of nv. they pretty much have the power to close any nv nursing school (it hasn't happened yet), decides who's in and who's out. they are in charge of setting the tone for all practicing nurses in nevada. as far as they're concern, they're god, ok?? just kidding!! . . . . .
nv state board of nursing is the accreditation that all nursing schools in nevada needs (full or provisional)... it pretty much trumps all kinds of accreditation --->>> because it is where all the "other states" board of nursing look at (you know, the people who decide whether to issue you, their licenses??).... if you graduated from a school that has "provisional accreditation", they can refuse you their license if they wanted to... even if you've been a "good citizen/boy or girl scout" with no convictions or terrorists connections. the mere fact that you received your nursing education/clinical training from a "provisional accredited school" only recognized in the state of nv. . . . is a good enough reason to refuse you their license.
i find it interesting that in the ccne website you posted, it only has 3 or 4 schools accredited by ccne, namely: nsc, touro, unr and unlv (i think theirs starts in october?? --- i went to their website)...... what happened to the other nv nursing schools?? how come they're not on ccne's list?? ---->> i guess they didn't think that ccne's accreditation is "not important enough to be on???" .... . . . like i said, nv state board of nursing, pretty much trumps all accreditation .... kris.
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HikingNinja, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP
612 Posts
Really? I've found that the hospitals I've been at have been pretty good with new grads. Sometimes you have to wait until they start a new grad orientation program but other places will start you right away. I've had one offer already. The critical care job I am interviewing for right after I graduate is the one I really want. I didn't really look hard. Both came out of my clinical experiences. And so far I haven't heard of any of the NSC grads having trouble getting licensure in other states. Many of my classmates are from California and will be heading back there. A previous grad was even accepted to Duke U NP program and is practicing there while going to school.
D