Questions for current Nurses & Galen graduates! Please help a future nurse :)

[laurencarol]

Okay so... long story short, I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism December '08, and I have decided to go to nursing school to become an RN and I am so excited with my decision. However, all of the 2nd BSN degree programs in the Louisville area are wait listed, expensive, I need a TON of pre-requisites, and they're very hard/competative to get into. I have considered them all, but nothing is a fit for me! I am not in the position at this point of my life to move to an area with more options.

So basically, I have decided to just get my Associate's in Nursing. Do you think this is a mistake? I just really want to get the ball rolling, and if I do my associate's I can start in the fall, go to school for 2 years and then take a ADN to BSN bridge course. But is waiting it out for the 2nd degree a better option? I would love to do the 2nd degree BSN so much, but it just doesn't seem very promising at all!

Anyway, I am considering Galen College of Nursing in Louisville. I scored high on my admission test to Galen, but I have heard mixed reviews about the school itself. I have talked to some current students at Galen, and they all seem to like it- they say it is very demanding and hard but worth it! After hearing this I was excited, however, I talked to a woman yesterday who has been a nurse in Louisville since the 1970s, and she commented to me that Galen puts out "terrible nurses, and that I just need to wait until a 2nd degree program works out because I won't be able to do anything with an Associate's anyway, ESPECIALLY from Galen"

I know this is one person's opinion, but it is really bothering me. Can some nurses in the area tell me if this is true or not?

Basically, my question is: Have you been to Galen? Do you know anyone personally or work with anyone who has graduated from there? Are they qualified and able to get decent jobs after they graduate? Do you think Galen is a good option for me based on what I have told you about myself?

Thank you to ANYONE who can help me; I am just feeling hesitant about Galen because it is a lot of money... but I have no problem spending the money if it is a solid program and it wil benefit me.

[BBFRN, BSN, PhD]

That nurse was incorrect. Galen has a very good reputation, and their nurses are employable. She may be thinking of another notorious school here, which I don't want to name publicly.

That being said, I do agree with her that you should go ahead with an accelerated BSN, since you already have a bachelor's. You'll either spend the same amount of time, or even less time getting a BSN, rather than an ASN because of this. And you are correct in thinking that it will be cheaper to attend an ABSN program. U of L is definitely cheaper than Galen and other private institutions.

[krltdy]

I have heard nothing but wonderful things about Galen nurses! As a matter of fact, when my daughter was in the hospital (about 6 months total) some of her BEST and most caring nurses were "Nurses by Galen". They really knew their stuff, which is the reason I am attending Galen!

[Lucky0220]

I graduated from that other school in Louisville, on Dixie Hywy and I would never recommend it! Luckily I had wonderful instructors in the LPN year, but in my RN year, (I bridged), I didn't learn anything new except for a community health course. I already had my BA, so I was able to do well in the program, but for those who struggled, there was absolutely no help from anyone! Administration does not care about anything and they admit students who probably should not have been accepted..then when they are struggling, not a single advisor will do anything to help them. I know of so many students who failed in their final quarter, while being pushed through the previous ones. They seem to want to weed out students who they believe will not pass NCLEX on the first try. I hear they lost their RN program and that is a good thing! Go to Galen!!