Nursing schools

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Dec 25, 2019

Do ranked nursing school do a good job teaching you? yes

Are there non-ranked nursing schools that do a good job teaching you? yes

Looking at your state's BON website for the list of each school's NCLEX pass rate will give you an idea of how well the school prepares their graduates for the NCLEX.

NAtoRN · Dec 29, 2019

I'm in my last semester at a community college associates program. They have great NCLEX passing rates, but I can tell you that most of the students in my class feel like we are lacking in clinical skills and that our clinical rotations have been limited. We have 1 instructor for each group of 8 students. My advice is go to a BSN program because in their last semester, they have a multiple week preceptorship/capstone where one nursing student works with one nurse and learns alot more than in the typical 8 students to 1 instructor situations. As far as I know, only BSN programs have preceptorships/capstones.

Sun1 · Dec 30, 2019

16 hours ago, NAtoRN said:
I'm in my last semester at a community college associates program. They have great NCLEX passing rates, but I can tell you that most of the students in my class feel like we are lacking in clinical skills and that our clinical rotations have been limited. We have 1 instructor for each group of 8 students. My advice is go to a BSN program because in their last semester, they have a multiple week preceptorship/capstone where one nursing student works with one nurse and learns alot more than in the typical 8 students to 1 instructor situations. As far as I know, only BSN programs have preceptorships/capstones.

Thanks for the advice.

vitone215, BSN · Jan 1, 2020

I feel that a good portion of nursing is self taught and clinical experience. You really learn to be a nurse when you get your first job and hit the unit/floor etc. Having great instructors is a plus but if your a good student you can excel with average instruction.

Sun1 · Jan 1, 2020

Thanks for your comments.

13 minutes ago, vitone215 said:
I feel that a good portion of nursing is self taught and clinical experience. You really learn to be a nurse when you get your first job and hit the unit/floor etc. Having great instructors is a plus but if your a good student you can excel with average instruction.

amoLucia · Jan 2, 2020

This post reminded me of something like driving a car.

We took Drivers Educ in school. Then we written-tested at DMV for our permits.

It wasn't until THEN (with our driver's permit) did we get behind the wheel with an experienced driver that we practiced and practiced and practiced. It was THEN after significant practice that we could be deemed proficient enough in how to maneuver/drive a car.

Then we road-tested.

I took a long while to learn how to parallel-park - long time after I took the classroom course. (I guess I was lucky for my driving test!)

It would be virtually IMPOSSIBLE for any nsg school to select out clinical skills that would match all the possibilities that could be needed to practice.

Just thinking ....

Sun1 · Jan 2, 2020

3 hours ago, amoLucia said:
This post reminded me of something like driving a car.
We took Drivers Educ in school. Then we written-tested at DMV for our permits.
It wasn't until THEN (with our driver's permit) did we get behind the wheel with an experienced driver that we practiced and practiced and practiced. It was THEN after significant practice that we could be deemed proficient enough in how to maneuver/drive a car.
Then we road-tested.
I took a long while to learn how to parallel-park - long time after I took the classroom course. (I guess I was lucky for my driving test!)
It would be virtually IMPOSSIBLE for any nsg school to select out clinical skills that would match all the possibilities that could be needed to practice.
Just thinking ....

That's a very interesting way to look at it.....maybe if the foundation that is laid is great to begin with....during the didactic year it could ease up for better learning in the clinical years....

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Jan 2, 2020

8 minutes ago, Sun1 said:
during the didactic year it could ease up for better learning in the clinical years....

Lecture class and the corresponding clinical are during the same semester. You will have Maternity lecture class several days per week and also have Maternity clinical either after your lecture class or another day of the week. You do not have all of your lecture classes one year and then have all your clinicals the next year.