Nursing schools in Jacksonville, FL area

Devon Rex, ADN, BSN · Nov 7, 2016

Hi Olivia!

I always recommend to start from the list of accredited institutions. You can use the webpage I posted below, narrow your choices by State, and sort them by City. Once you have identified those in/around Jacksonville & Kings Bay, compare their location to where you will be moving to. Their websites should also be listed there; otherwise google the institution name. Other things to consider: tuition costs, other education-associated costs, graduation rates, NCLEX-RN passing rates, flexibility, program requirements, etc.

Search ACEN Accredited Nursing Programs

Since nursing is a licensed profession, you will need to take a board examination after graduation (NCLEX-RN). Some States have reciprocal agreements, in which you are allowed to work with one license within those States. Other States will require you to take their board exam in order to grant you their license... and they may or may not have reciprocal agreements with other States.

* There is such thing as traveling nurses (who get temporary assignments in different States), but I'm not familiar with how their licensing works. Each State has a Board of Nursing, which would explain their requirements.

Hope this helps.

Buyer beware, BSN · Nov 13, 2016

Hi Olivia!
I always recommend to start from the list of accredited institutions. You can use the webpage I posted below, narrow your choices by State, and sort them by City. Once you have identified those in/around Jacksonville & Kings Bay, compare their location to where you will be moving to. Their websites should also be listed there; otherwise google the institution name. Other things to consider: tuition costs, other education-associated costs, graduation rates, NCLEX-RN passing rates, flexibility, program requirements, etc.
Search ACEN Accredited Nursing Programs
Since nursing is a licensed profession, you will need to take a board examination after graduation (NCLEX-RN). Some States have reciprocal agreements, in which you are allowed to work with one license within those States. Other States will require you to take their board exam in order to grant you their license... and they may or may not have reciprocal agreements with other States.
* There is such thing as traveling nurses (who get temporary assignments in different States), but I'm not familiar with how their licensing works. Each State has a Board of Nursing, which would explain their requirements.
Hope this helps.

Yes, all these things should be considered OP but even ACEN accredited schools don't tell you much except that these schools listed have acceded to the minimal standards of of mediocrity that schools are required to have in place along with a check to the accrediting body.

What this means that there is a quid pro quo (you scratch my back, I'll scatch yours) agreement going on that incentivizes any school and accrediting organization to work together to give a good housekeeping seal of approval to sub-par performing for-profit schools run by Wall Street owned loan mills like South University and University of Phoenix among others.

A much better set of metrics to assess any school is to compare graduation and retention rates as well as tuition costs. (collegescorecard.ed.gov)

This site will underscore my assertion that most for-profits are expensive to attend, have poor G/R rates and loan up everyone to their eyeballs leaving most incredibly indebted without a diploma.

So while anyone can claim accreditation, not all are on the level concerning their motives in the educational marketplace.

Now as far as paying for your education, you must find out from the Department of Defense if you can claim all or some of your spouses educational benefits. Although a great benefit, it is not an endless pot of funds. You must use these funds judiciously.

My advice is to forget about fast tract. That is a marketing ploy to lure people who are not nurses into believeing that becoming an RN doesn't take a whole lot of time and effort and sacrafice.

This is not sociology. I do not say this out of self aggrandizement but only because I know from experience it's true. The fast tract candidates are those folks who are already ADs, know the ropes and want to transition to becoming an RN, usually on their present employer's dime. (tuition reimbursement benefit)

Go to a CC and take the prerequisites and you will either get the nursing thing out of your system or you'll go on the extended trip. Do not be desperate or rushed with this. The sharks will smell blood and with a smile tell you everyhing you want to hear.

But you must know it has to be done as cheaply as possible or it's not cost effective as there are too many elaborately conceived schemes out there that love to especially tap into the golden honey pot called VA benefits.

It's a crying shame that so many of those who profess to love vets often exploit them to the point of suicide.

That, everybody, is really what I'm talking about and trying to help people avoid. Those that dodged bullets and bombs overseas should NEVER be the targets of certain malevolent entities at home.

And they should be ashamed, but inexplicably, they're not.

ChristiHamm8, CNA · Nov 13, 2016

College of Coastal GA has an ASN, and prelicensure BSN. You also have FSCJ and UNF. FSCJ is more competitive because they have more applicants but the program is not as good as the other two. UNF is highly selective and is a 5 semester nursing program.