Rasmussen University, Here I come!

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I am a pre-nursing student.I am pretty much set to go to Rassmusen college.I know a few nurses who went there and they say it was wonderful and very good.They say they got jobs quickly and are pursuing or have pursued a BSN.The ASN program is 50,000,but I find that my time is worth way more then my money.Im not blowing money away but I am set to go hereIt will take less then two years and I dont have to wait for a three year waiting list.The people there are very nice,nicer then some other colleges I have looked at.Anybody know anything about the New Port Richey campus?

I agree with everyone point. But the OP does seems very intent on going to a private community college that she doesn't care what any of us think but she will learn in the long run.

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3 Patch,

I am going into my second quarter at Rasmussen College and do not regret it. I did a ton of research, spoke to nurse alumnists in my area and also employers. I already have my bachelor's degree and will be transferring to the BSN accelerated program this fall. I too started out with prereqs at the state school (2 different ones, had to relocate to a different area). Yes state schools are cheaper but you get what you pay for. For example, the state school I attended had broken models in my AP class, no technology and after researching found out that the employers do not hire nurses from there because they are ill-equipped and cannot critically think. Not to mention my professor never even taught Anatomy before so it was a struggle. I obtained my bachelor's degree in another field from a state university years ago and my experience at Rasmussen has been much more pleasant than that. Guess where the three major hospitals in my area hire graduate nurses from? Yes, Rasmussen and do you know why? Because of their high tech simulation lab set up like an actual ER and medsurg unit which students can practice in before students entering their clinical rotation.

The employers I spoke with all said Rasmussen students come out more prepared than the state colleges. I can only speak to this In my area though. In addition, for me I'm a career changer and a bit older than most students and do not have the luxury of sitting around waiting to become a nurse on a wait list. I had 2 prereqs left after leaving the state school, tested for the TEAS exam and Rasmussen worked the final two in the nursing program. In my opinion, state schools are doing a disservice to the shortages we have right now in nursing. There are many people who would make great nurses but because of long wait lists or inability to have straight A's or high test scores don't even bother.

You have to way your options and do what is best for you. Diligently research, talk to employers in your area and ask what type of nursing students they hire. Additionally, talk to nurses who are paying back those loans and how they have managed financially. I have a friend who is graduating from the New Port Richey campus this December with her BSN. She does not regret it either. Research wages in your area and determine if you can repay your loans with your nurses salary.

By the way....in my former career I worked in HR management and for the hospital I worked at, they too hired Rasmussen College graduates as well as graduates from other private schools.

Do what is best for your situation and have a positive attitude. With any school, nursing school will be tough but you can do it.

Best wishes to you!

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In my opinion, state schools are doing a disservice to the shortages we have right now in nursing.

What shortages are those? There are no shortages in any parts of the country with which I'm familiar ... While there are some issues with distribution of nurses around the country (some parts of the country with too many, some areas with too few), there hasn't been an actual US nursing shortage in many years.

In fact, the US government Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Workforce is predicting a significant surplus of RNs across the country by 2025.

https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bhw/nchwa/projections/nursingprojections.pdf

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
3 Patch,

I am going into my second quarter at Rasmussen College and do not regret it. I did a ton of research, spoke to nurse alumnists in my area and also employers. I already have my bachelor's degree and will be transferring to the BSN accelerated program this fall. I too started out with prereqs at the state school (2 different ones, had to relocate to a different area). Yes state schools are cheaper but you get what you pay for. For example, the state school I attended had broken models in my AP class, no technology and after researching found out that the employers do not hire nurses from there because they are ill-equipped and cannot critically think. Not to mention my professor never even taught Anatomy before so it was a struggle. I obtained my bachelor's degree in another field from a state university years ago and my experience at Rasmussen has been much more pleasant than that. Guess where the three major hospitals in my area hire graduate nurses from? Yes, Rasmussen and do you know why? Because of their high tech simulation lab set up like an actual ER and medsurg unit which students can practice in before students entering their clinical rotation.

The employers I spoke with all said Rasmussen students come out more prepared than the state colleges. I can only speak to this In my area though. In addition, for me I'm a career changer and a bit older than most students and do not have the luxury of sitting around waiting to become a nurse on a wait list. I had 2 prereqs left after leaving the state school, tested for the TEAS exam and Rasmussen worked the final two in the nursing program. In my opinion, state schools are doing a disservice to the shortages we have right now in nursing. There are many people who would make great nurses but because of long wait lists or inability to have straight A's or high test scores don't even bother.

You have to way your options and do what is best for you. Diligently research, talk to employers in your area and ask what type of nursing students they hire. Additionally, talk to nurses who are paying back those loans and how they have managed financially. I have a friend who is graduating from the New Port Richey campus this December with her BSN. She does not regret it either. Research wages in your area and determine if you can repay your loans with your nurses salary.

By the way....in my former career I worked in HR management and for the hospital I worked at, they too hired Rasmussen College graduates as well as graduates from other private schools.

Do what is best for your situation and have a positive attitude. With any school, nursing school will be tough but you can do it.

Best wishes to you!

Quoted from another thread because it fits so well here. Good luck paying it off.

For anyone else lurking in this thread and thinking "But I will work a ton of OT to pay off that money or get a second job"

1) As a new grad you are on orientation for awhile (one would hope) and you will not be eligible to work OT. Additionally, you may not WANT to work OT after you pull your required shifts a week. Or, it may not be available in your position, as I experienced in my last job. Have not worked an OT shift since December. Which brings me to my next point....

2) New grads often sign documents that say they are not eligible for other positions because this will interfere with your required orientation or hours. If you are in new grad residency, they will not approve you to miss your job or residency to work a side job. And it wouldn't be possible to get side work as a new nurse when you haven't finished your residency.

I do not want to be gloom and doom. I'm a realist. I just wanted to clear up these issues since I see them posted ALL THE TIME on this site when posters say "I plan on working as much OT as possible after I pass the NCLEX."

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I have a ADN & BSN from Rasmussen College and it was $38 K together.. the ADN was somewhere in the $20K range. Yes it's spendy but they teach you what you need to know. My area is saturated with nursing programs so it was very competitive for any program. Rasmussen had the best reputation and the best clinical opportunities. This Alum wishes you well on your journey!

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I have a ADN & BSN from Rasmussen College and it was $38 K together.. the ADN was somewhere in the $20K range. Yes it's spendy but they teach you what you need to know. My area is saturated with nursing programs so it was very competitive for any program. Rasmussen had the best reputation and the best clinical opportunities. This Alum wishes you well on your journey!

All reputable nursing programs teach you what you need to know. The ones that cost that much are just ripping you off.

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No one is saying that Rasmussen is a bad program, so there's no need to defend the program (or insult other programs, which was really odd). People are saying that $50k (the OP's quote) is too much debt to go into for a 2 year degree - in their opinion. Which is what we do here, on the internet.

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I am currently attending Rasmussen and I agree that it is very expensive. It is easy to get accepted into the program but we have also had a very high rate of people failing out of/needing to retake courses in the program. There is quite a bit of pressure to do well on exams. At my school If you fail to get a 78% average on all exams you will fail the course. If you fail two courses you are expelled from the program, this is the main reason my classmates have dropped out or are taking longer to graduate. In order to graduate, the school of nursing requires you to achieve a 90% probability of passing NCLUX on the ATI comp predictor, if you cannot pass this exit exam, you are not allowed to graduate or sit for NCLUX. This ensures the NCLUX pass rate scores remain high. This means it's possible to pay for the entire program, pass all your classes, and not be allowed to take NCLUX. Be sure to check if your program will qualify you to practice nursing in other states if you plan to work outside Florida, as some state Boards of Nursing may not accept all Rasmussen degrees. I will say my campus has wonderful instructors, and I feel I have learned a lot and grown as a nurse. If you are set on this school, it worth checking to see if there are local employers who are corporate partners with Rasmussen, as you can get a 10% tuition discount if you or a family member works for one of these companies.

Best of luck with your nursing studies,

A.R.

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I gotta shout out to everyone who has given me advice upon a very difficult decision.50k is not something that I wish to spend and I want to prove that I am worthy of being a nurse.No wait list makes it seem like cheating.I am begining pre-requisite classes at my community college that has a nursing program in October.It has good connections to universities with nursing programs.As always,nothing will be exactly as you think it will be but I cant wait to get started.

Thanks everyone!

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I gotta shout out to everyone who has given me advice upon a very difficult decision.50k is not something that I wish to spend and I want to prove that I am worthy of being a nurse.No wait list makes it seem like cheating.I am begining pre-requisite classes at my community college that has a nursing program in October.It has good connections to universities with nursing programs.As always,nothing will be exactly as you think it will be but I cant wait to get started.

Thanks everyone!

Congratulations and best wishes!

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Thanks for this review, I am looking into Rasmussen myself & doing the research. How is school going so far with the accelerated program (that is what I am looking into). I have probable 2 prerequisites classes to take. You said they work them in your schedule...does this mean if I have A&P2 to finish I will be doing that with the first set of nursing courses?

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I am currently attending Rasmussen and I agree that it is very expensive. It is easy to get accepted into the program but we have also had a very high rate of people failing out of/needing to retake courses in the program. There is quite a bit of pressure to do well on exams. At my school If you fail to get a 78% average on all exams you will fail the course. If you fail two courses you are expelled from the program, this is the main reason my classmates have dropped out or are taking longer to graduate. In order to graduate, the school of nursing requires you to achieve a 90% probability of passing NCLUX on the ATI comp predictor, if you cannot pass this exit exam, you are not allowed to graduate or sit for NCLUX. This ensures the NCLUX pass rate scores remain high. This means it's possible to pay for the entire program, pass all your classes, and not be allowed to take NCLUX. Be sure to check if your program will qualify you to practice nursing in other states if you plan to work outside Florida, as some state Boards of Nursing may not accept all Rasmussen degrees. I will say my campus has wonderful instructors, and I feel I have learned a lot and grown as a nurse. If you are set on this school, it worth checking to see if there are local employers who are corporate partners with Rasmussen, as you can get a 10% tuition discount if you or a family member works for one of these companies.

Best of luck with your nursing studies,

A.R.

Thanks for this review, I am looking into Rasmussen myself & doing the research. How is school going so far with the accelerated program (that is what I am looking into). I have probable 2 prerequisites classes to take. You said they work them in your schedule...does this mean if I have A&P2 to finish I will be doing that with the first set of nursing courses?

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