RonaldLS

NCLEX pass rates seem to be vary a lot year from year in the majority of Colorado colleges. Personally, I think that the 84% pass rate can be attributed to some extent to the candidates pool rather than the quality of instruction. DSN is more expensive than Regis or other public school systems who are more selective with who they admit to the school. So the primary selector for those schools is GPA rather than money. The opposite applies to DSN where people with lower grades may attend if they can pay the tuition. All things considered DSN actually has a pretty good NCLEX pass rate if you include that into your judgement of a school's effectiveness of instruction. At any rate the 9/11 GI Bill paying my tuition, and time is money since it need to graduate before it runs out. DSN will graduate me quicker than any competitor and time is my money!

Thanks for the responses everyone, I appreciate it! Lol I guess I was under the impression that the military would be a viable option for previous service candidates. Leaving the Marine Corps I'd been given a lot of really terrible information regarding re-entering service during our TAPS Briefs. I guess I'll just have to sweat it out as a new grad in the general market when I graduate in a year and half.

@RNsRWe Thank you for the thorough answering of my questions! I really appreciate your advice, I'd never heard of the VALOR program before... I'll definitely give that a swing combined w/ some volunteer work while attending the Nursing program. Worse comes to worse I'll at least get a good letter of recommendation.

Thanks for the info... I'm looking forward to starting the program! Most people seem to have nothing but good things to say about their experience @ DSN

@Nursedenver Are the job placements rates advertised by DSN accurate in your experience? They say 97% of grads get a gig in 3 months, but that seems too good to be true.

This is saying a rate as high as 97% for the following year: ED Gainful Employment Disclosure Template Just seems too good to be true after seeing so many recent grads having difficulties finding work on the forums...

Hey, question's in the title... DSoN claims a 93% job placement rate for BSNs in 2012. Is this really accurate? I've been told that this job placement rate is for Nursing jobs, not just random employment. http://www.denverschoolofnursing.edu/cig/Denver%20SON%20-%20Placement%20Rate.pdf I've heard the new grad market is rough in Denver, so I'm thinking that this claim is too good to be true...

Interview process isn't a big deal, just bring in the required paperwork and be prepared to answer the question of why you want to work in Nursing or have chosen DSN. You'll spend an hour or two touring campus, checking out the facilities, etc. You'll also need to schedule for the HESI A2 exam which isn't to big a deal either, if you've knocked out your pre-reqs you'll have no troubles w/ it.

Hello, I'm prior service Marine Corps combat Vet (got out 3 years ago, Honorably)considering re-upping as a medical officer. I understand that I'll get OE pay b/c of prior service, but does anyone know if I would be entering as an OE-1 or OE-2? Also, what are the working conditions like normally. I ask this b/c the main reason I got out of the Marine Corps was the terrible working conditions & hours (regularly 70-80 hours a week), deploying on 18 hours notice in some cases (I still haven't forgiven North Korea for ruining my Christmas in 2010), and, most importantly, did not like the idea of having to PCS (move to a different base) every 3 years. Really rough on a marriage, and would not want to put my wife and future children through moving every 3 years. I understand that I would be sacrificing my freedom and autonomy by signing up again, but are the working conditions in the Air Force or Army Nursing Corps that much of strain on family life? I'm not graduating for another year and a half, but am considering this career path as a back-up if the employment scene for new grads is too inhospitable. Reserves are definitely an option.

I had not realized that disabled veterans don't receive any preference for Nursing jobs... It makes a perverse sense, but I'll be damned if the VA doesn't try to keep that little fact away from the public eye. I can only find references to 38 USC 7401 (1) on allnurses forums, and the legalese of the actual bill is far less instructive than I'd like. On the subject of seeking employment at the VA, I've been lead to believe that the lengthy employment review process may have something to do with background checks and other red tape. If I were to perform volunteer work or work in housekeeping @ a VA facility (in the process going through a background check), does anyone know if doing this would serve to expedite any application w/ the VA? Also, does anyone have any solid advice for Nursing student that would assist them in getting a job with a quickness after graduation?

Out of curiosity, did you know that there are research teams that require Nurses? You may want to look into this forum about the pros and cons of being a Nurse Researcher: https://allnurses.com/research-nursing/what-do-you-541229.html

I regret that I may sound naive, but the BSN program I'm currently scheduled to attend has indicated that they have a 95% (or somewhere in the 90% range) job placement rate within 3 months of graduation. I checked and the statistics they compiled was for Nursing jobs not just mere employment. I was skeptical still and then found that the accrediting bodies hadn't found any cause to disagree with that statement (Denver School of Nursing). At any rate, the main reason I'm relocating is because I live in SF Bay, and I'm almost entirely sure there isn't a more inhospitable location for Nursing grads in America than this place... Not only that, but a decent sized VA Hospital is scheduled to open in Denver when I graduate, and as a disabled vet I think I should have a decent shot at getting work there. I'm not posting this to brag or anything stupid like that... Just posting my plans here b/c I have a dearth of knowledge when it comes to getting employment after graduation, and if anyone can poke holes in my plans I would welcome it. I'd much rather change my plans now than 2 years from now with my GI Bill run out!

Didn't realize that there was not a shortage of Nurses (I'm going to Nursing School this summer)... But reading the posts, I'm glad that I'm going to Colorado (a state that seems to be one of the three best states for employment outlooks), and looking to get into the ER or ICU. So, all-in-all not bad news on the employment front

@klnurse, as far as anyone can tell it appears they send out approval confirmation all on the same day. They may have a system for the stand-by list, but the rhyme and reason to the madness isn't immediately apparent.

Well I just got the "100% approved for the program letter" yesterday in the mail, so I think people should be hearing back very soon if they haven't already...

I'm veteran starting Nursing School this summer, and plan on applying for a VA Hospital position upon graduation... But I think I know just about nothing when it comes to applying for a job with the VA, and I'm working entirely on speculation from my peers right now... a)I heard that the VA will start a veteran's Nursing salary at a higher schedule than non-veterans, is this true? (The rumor I've heard is that you start @ the 75th percentile, which seems high to me... not that I'll complain if it is true!) b)How long does the application process take (I've heard 6 months in some cases) c)Does my status as a disabled veteran actually assist me in getting employment w/ the VA? (I know that you get extra "points", but I have no idea what that actually means...I'm over 30%) Thank you for your time and advice, I really appreciate your input!

They seem to really be rushing people accepted for an interview to commit to an interview date... I think they're trying to weed out the applicants not likely to attend ASAP. Hopefully you guys hear soon!

@KDowney I got accepted w/ a 3.7 GPA with 2 pending pre-reqs (random science class and advanced algebra), am TA for the Nutrition dept, and tutor all the Nursing science pre-reqs... I think I clinched my acceptance because of my military record though, as I don't have any real clinical experience or recent volunteer work under my belt... It probably doesn't hurt that, as a male, I'm considered a minority candidate for Nursing programs. Good luck, hopefully you'll hear from DSN about getting selected for an interview as other candidates decide against attending!

I think he said that he estimated something like 90% of the alternatives got the opportunity to be accepted last year when I asked for statistics on acceptance.

I just got an email saying I've been accepted pending an interview... Just set my interview for March! I was told by Jeff @ DSN not to worry if you get put on the alternatives list though, b/c so many people who get accepted wind up not going due to how expensive the school is.

I'm a little anxious... I've been accepted into a few schools in California, but I would rather not pay the California tuition rates (40k/year @ USF)! @FutureNurseRebecca I heard that if you get asked for an interview, you're basically in, as long as you don't completely wreck the interview... Do you think that's true? I know that google says DSN had an 80% admit rate in 2010, but I think would have changed since then b/c DSN has full accreditation now... Anyone else find info more recent?

Lol, I wouldn't say that I'm waiting patiently, definitely looking forward to getting the news! I looked at a thread last year and it looks like applicants started getting emails February 7th (a friday). Here's to hoping that we'll get an email this Friday on Feb 6...

I'm curious as to whether any other prospective July 2015 DSN students have heard back from admissions yet... I'm still waiting on them to cash my check, but I was in touch with a counselor about polishing up my package recently, so I know at least some progress is being. At any rate, I'm interested in DSN b/c Nursing school is too damn expensive in California, even w/ the GI Bill >. edit: And I'd also like to live in a place like Denver for college. Best part is if I like it I can stay in Colorado and not have to wait 6 months (which is the minimum wait in Cali for new licenses apparently!) for the state to issue me a license after my NCLEX.