Questions you should ask a school before you apply

[AOx1]

Here are a few questions to ask a nursing program before you apply:

Clinicals- what sites are offered? How many total clinical hours do students attend snd how does this compare to other similar programs? What is the faculty:student ratio at clinicals? What education/experience is required for faculty supervising clinicals? Are they taught by adjuncts or full time faculty? Will the majority of my experience be acute care or community-based? What do graduates and employers say about their skill level after graduation? How far is the expected commute? Is simulation a part of clinical hours?

General- what is your NCLEX pass rate over the last 5 years? What is your retention rate? Tuition cost? Do you use hesi/ATI or similar tests to determine retention/promotion to the next course/graduation? Average debt carried by grads? Job placement rates over last 5 years? Opportunities to find work in the area? Do they recommend working during school? Are there state/local scholarships? Who is my advisor? Do you offer remediation/assistance for those who need it? Is the program accredited, and if so, by what agency? What is faculty educational level/experience? What are typical class/lab sizes? What student support services are available? How long does it take to complete the program?

Meet with faculty/staff. Attend the nursing student club meetings. Are current students happy? Are employers happy with grads?

[Cuddleswithpuddles]

Super kudos!

The part about clinical rotations are so important. I meet new grads fairly regularly who have never step foot into a hospital because their school (usually the private, for-profit kind that advertise on TV) do not have a steady faculty, much less steady relationships with clinical partners. Some say that they did ask which clinical sites the school uses but were told past clinical sites or were downright lied to. Most were just happy to get into a nursing school, end up with so little clinical experience and a massive amount of debt. It is very unfortunate and I think that, with a little research, could be easily prevented.

[AOx1]

Thanks, cuddleswithpuddles. I saw a post of llg's saying that more students should ask about clinicals and thought it might help prospective/new students. Anyone else have suggestions of questions to ask?