Rasmussen or not?

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Hello there, I am currently looking into nursing programs here in Minnesota. I went to the Rasmussen College information session and the LPN program seemed fairly straight forward and they said their job placement was 92%. I have worked in a research for the past 10 years and was recently let go from my job. I am looking to change my career path, but I already have a Bachelor's of Science and a Master's in Public Health in Epidemiology. The reason I chose nursing is because I have always cared for people and have worked in group homes taking care of people with developmental and physical disabilities. Yes, it is not all glamorous and hard work, but I feel very satisfied doing that work. Any suggestion and review on Rasmussen, or should I try a community college. All of my generals will transfer so the program won't take as long. Thanks. :)

I've been with Rasmussen since October 7th. They are really great. I have to admit, it is a little bit rocky at the beginning, because we didn't have the right books or people were exchanging for hardcover copies. I went to my first clinical site on October 15th at a local nursing home. We followed CNAs around that day which isn't what our job would've been if I stayed with the LPN Program, but it was eventful for someone who's never been a CNA before. I know other students have been CNAs for years and they said it was like they were working for free that entire time, but they allowed us to follow anyone that we wanted to. They told us that we were in charge of our clinical learning and not the instructor. All the CNAs, LPNs and the one RN were all wonderful and they were very informative about what they were doing.

The instructors and the Dean have been great. I recently was told that their RN Program has moved to the campus that I am currently at and they called me and asked me if I'd prefer to be in their RN Program. I accepted without hesitation. My current graduation date is on September 20th, 2015. I am currently enrolled in two classes soon to be three and will be fully starting my Nursing classes in January. I can keep you updated as I go through Nursing school, but I honestly think that Rasmussen was a good choice for me.

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I know this thread is a year old, but I'm just curious about Rasmussen as well. I started the enrollment process for the Brooklyn Park location, and have done almost everything needed to start in January. After reading through these posts, I'm slightly concerned that I made a bad decision going with Rasmussen.

When I did the info session they told me that while I'm in the nursing program, I can expect to only have school be my life. Which like most of the people going there (I'm sure) can't do only school. I didn't figure it would be too demanding as the woman said we would have maybe two days in class and two days in clinicals each week. Is that true? Or is it much more demanding? Anyone with experience at the Brooklyn Park location- I would love your insight into the LPN program. Thanks!

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I am a June 2013 graduate of Rasmussen School of Nursing. I passed my NCLEX on the first time in 90 questions. I was hired as at a reputable institution as a full-time RN even before passing my boards. I am currently in the process of enrolling for my RN to BSN at Rasmussen. Rasmussen is regionally accredited and in the process of becoming nationally accredited. It is as good of a school as any other nursing schools out there. You get out what you put in. Work hard, study hard, set your priorities and goals and finish strong. You will have a life-long, rewarding and profitable career. There will always be those who will put down any school and make you feel like you should consider something else. As far as its reputation, the large, well-known and reputable institution I work for certainly supports Rasmussen, accepting student nurses for clinicals, offering discounts on tuition at Rasmussen and hiring recent graduates! There will always be issues and politics wherever you go....ANYWHERE~ Don't let a few people with bad experiences/attitudes scare you off of Rasmussen!

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how is the bsn program? did you have many pre reqs for the bsn?

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That is very GREAT! I will be attending soon at, Rasmussen. So far a couple of RNs said that there program is a very good school. Can you please keep me updated on RASMUSSEN RN program?

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I will be starting at North Hennepin Community College in 10 days. Everyone has to do what's best for them, but I would never attend a for-profit school like Rasmussen.

NHCC has a day and a night and weekend program. I am in the night/weekend program so I can continue to work (at least that's the plan!). We meet three nights a week and every other weekend.

I urge to to look at the community college programs. Seven community colleges and one university have joined together as the Minnesota Alliance for Nursing Education (MANE) consortium. This partnership includes Metropolitan State University, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Century College, Inver Hills Community College, Normandale Community College, North Hennepin Community College, Ridgewater College, and Riverland Community College.

For MANE, you attend one of the community colleges to obtain an ASN. The community college part is one year of prerequisites and three semesters in the nursing program. You are able to sit for the NCLEX after you obtain your ASN and you are automatically accepted to the university to complete your BSN in just three addition semesters, if you want.

Admissions to the community colleges is competitive, but it is based entirely on your grades in the first semester of the MANE

curriculum and your score on the TEAS. They take your GPA (say 3.5) and add your TEAS score divided by 10 (so if you score 75% on the TEAS, it's 7.5). In my example, 3.5 + 7.5 = 11. I think, based on what others have said, a score of 11 around what would get you in (I think the actual number might be a little higher).

My tuition this coming semester is less than $2,500. So, after five semesters, I'm looking at about $15,000 plus books (and our nursing books are good for the ASN and BSN -- one set for all of it!). According to Rasmussen's website, it's program is just over $40,000 (assuming you have no transferable credits).

My program has a good NCLEX pass rate and is accredited. Take a look at http://mn.gov/health-licensing-boards/images/Number_and_Firsttime_Success_Rate_of_NCLEXRN_Candidates_Educated_i_021009.pdf to check out pass rates for programs in Minnesota.

If you attend a for-profit school like Rasmussen, be warned that your credits are highly unlikely to transfer to a non-profit school. As a result, if you decide to further your education, you may need to start all over. Or, you could attend Rasmussen's RN to BSN program, which is another $20,000. If I continue on to complete my BSN in the MANE program, I think it's another $15,000 or so.

As you already have a bachelors degree, so you can also look at accelerated BSN programs or direct entry masters programs. I believe metro state, St. Catherine, University of Northwestern and perhaps others have such programs but I know little about them.

In short, there are a lot of options out there. Considering cost, time and schedule, figure out what is best for you.

Good luck!

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Hello,

I was interested in Rasmussen at one point as well. It is very expensive to go there. Instead of earning your way into a program you seem buy your way in. The people you talk to in the admissions process make it sound very nice at first. Who wouldn't like no waiting list or competition? The fact of the matter is that very few of their credits do transfer to non-profit facilities, and they are not nationally accredited (they do not make that common knowledge). Do you really want to be stuck at Rasmussen paying their tuition for the rest of your academic career? My advice to you would be to look up other schools. Deciding not to go to Rasmussen was very hard to me, but after working hard I got accepted into a nursing program. When I notified Rasmussen that I would not be attending they seemed rather annoyed with me. Oh well, that reassured me that I made the right decision.

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Hello everyone! As a Rasmussen graduate, I would like to put my two cents in. Any and all nursing programs have their problems. It's just gonna happen and you gotta be able to roll with the punches. Rasmussen is accredited and I had no problem taking the NCLEX or getting a job. Actually, when I submitted my resume to employers I was the one being pursued, not the other way around. Employers in my area L-O-V-E Rasmussen grads. Rasmussen is tough - tougher than others because what semester classes teach in 16 weeks is taught in quarter classes that are 11 weeks. It's intense, but it's shorter. You gotta stay on top of it.

I was planning on going to a community college but because of the applying and waiting and then wait list in addition to the length of the program I decided against it. I wanted to go to a school and KNOW I was gonna get into the program. So my thought was I could wait another year and then go to school for 2 years - OR I could go to school now and graduate in 1 year (1.5 years for most. I transferred in credits - which by the way I had no problem doing). So LPN's make like 40,000 a year - so that'd be 80,000 I'd be missing out on. Now that tuition cost doesn't sound so bad, does it. So you gotta decide if you want a nursing program where you can get in and get out and start making that nurse's pay - OR you can wait another 3 years of your life and have less student loan debt.

I say do it and get it over with. Nursing school is something you want to get over with as quickly as possible.

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$15,000 for the RN to BSN in the MANE program? Did you type that right?

Rasmussen is about $5,000 a quarter, so twice as much as a state school or community college.

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Metro State cost per credit is $286.25 per credit (nursing) and $221.40 per credit for general undergrad, including $10.43 per credit fees.

According to the curriculum plan, the MANE BSN is 30 nursing credits, or $$286.25 * 30 = $8,587.50. Plus 16 non-nursing general ed courses, or $221.40 * 16 = $2,878.20 (in class, not online price). That's a total of $11,465.70. MANE students only purchase books at the first semester, so there should not be any nursing books to purchase, but you'd probably have books for the other classes.

Plus, I think you can take most, if not all, of the general ed. classes at the community college, saving even more money. At the school I attend, it's $182 per credit. So, that's another savings of about $40 per credit, or as much as $640.

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Metro State cost per credit is $286.25 per credit (nursing) and $221.40 per credit for general undergrad, including $10.43 per credit fees.

According to the curriculum plan, the MANE BSN is 30 nursing credits, or $$286.25 * 30 = $8,587.50. Plus 16 non-nursing general ed courses, or $221.40 * 16 = $2,878.20 (in class, not online price). That's a total of $11,465.70. MANE students only purchase books at the first semester, so there should not be any nursing books to purchase, but you'd probably have books for the other classes.

Plus, I think you can take most, if not all, of the general ed. classes at the community college, saving even more money. At the school I attend, it's $182 per credit. So, that's another savings of about $40 per credit, or as much as $640.

You're pretty close. I just thought I would correct your statement that you only buy books in the first semester. That's not true. We will have to buy books again in semester 6 (1st BSN semester). Idk if you're currently in a MANE nursing program, but those books don't contain enough information to last for 3 years... Especially not at the rate that we are covering the information.. Any how, either way it goes, MANE is going to be MUCH cheaper than Rasmussen, and you'll be getting an accredited degree.

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In terms of Rasmussen if you do your RN there, are you able to complete an Rn to BSN elsewhere? Such as Bethel, Bemidji or MSU-Mankato?

Where does Rasmussen Rn-ADN do clinicals in the Cities?

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