Roseman University ABSN (didactic online)

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jan 25, 2012

Moved to Nevada nursing programs forum for more of a response.

Nursing Student ABSN · Jan 27, 2012

I am currently a student in Roseman University's ABSN program and have been very happy with the program. I am in the second cohort (cohort means the group which are going through the program together). At the beginning there were some organizational issues, but they have been worked out by now. I started last February and will graduate in April. Cohort 5 is set to start this February, and the program is not going anywhere. The accreditation is all good, and the last group which graduated from the BSN program had 100% pass rate on the NCLEX. The school also has a succesful pharmacy and dental program. I am confident with my nursing skills and I have taken many practice NCLEX tests, and they all say that I should pass the NCLEX. I am now just working on getting my first job lined up, but the school has a good reputation in this area and it should not be a problem.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions.

sugarscrubs · Jan 29, 2012

I am also in the nursing program at Roseman, and a LOT of my classmates complain about the program...but people are always gonna find something to whine about if that's what they're looking for. The program is still pretty new (the accelerated 14 month program) so of course they haven't ironed out all the "bugs" yet. We have to score a 90% on everything - anything less (even an 89.5%) is considered a "No Pass" grade...so that's kinda brutal, but if you can handle the stress of needing a 90% or better to pass, then I think its worth it. It really forces me to make sure I know this stuff backwards and forwards - which is only gonna help me more when I take the NCLEX. The hospitals around the Vegas area really do seem to love Roseman students when we do our clinical rotations...so it only reinforces the notion that the program is respected within the local healthcare community (no matter how much crap disgruntled students might be talking). It's a good program and I've had a lot of awesome instructors at Roseman. I've also gone home crying and wishing I knew how to construct voodoo dolls that would actually work....but those days are pretty rare. If I had it to do all over again, I'd probably pick Roseman again...especially if I already knew which idiots to stear clear of in advance. Even though I've seen some drama go down with other students, I have to be honest and admit most times, they brought a large portion of that storm down on themselves. This place isn't much different from anywhere else - ultimately you get out of it what you're willing to put into it...I've worked my A$$ off and I'm over halfway done and I haven't flunked anything yet (I've come darn close once or twice though...)

The point is this - in 14 months, you could be done. Work your ass off and stock up on coffee and No-Doze pills. Be on time to lab. Don't walk around thinking anything worth having in life is ever gonna come easy. Maybe stock up on some Red Bull, too.

Whatever you decide....good luck and I hope wherever you end up, you have a positive experience. Hopefully some of that made sense or maybe even helped. I'm sleep deprived right now anyway...time to get back to the books!

Tex201 · Feb 1, 2012

Hi,

I'm not sure that Sugar Scrubs and Nursing Student ABSN have portrayed a totally accurate picture of ABSN Roseman program. They repeat what I thought to be true prior to attending, that all you have to do is study hard and everything will be fine. To begin with cohorts 1-2 are allowed 5 points to be added to every test score,( if they get group points.) Starting in cohort 3, if group points are achieved, they only get 5%. This may not seem like much difference, until you figure out that 5 raw points equal 5 questions and 5% equals between 1 and 2 questions, depending on whether the tests were actually the correct number of questions to achieve that number.

You take a mid-term and a final. Each one is done individually and then immediately afterwards you take the test again in your assigned group of about 6 students. If your group achieves 90% or above you are allowed to add group points (5%) to your individual score. we started with 42 in our cohort. We picked up about 5 more from past cohorts (that failed their original cohort) and we now have 19 students left. We lost 13 in one module alone.....and it took a virtual "sit-in" in order for them to be allowed to transfer to the 18 month program...that's a story for another day. We are now half way finished. I only know of a very few that failed out due to lack of studying. Some very fine, dedicated students failed out because of one question, (they would not have failed if we were allowed the 5 points that earlier cohorts are allowed)...... If you fail the mid-term you have to wait until after the final in order to re-take it (allowed one more chance). The tests are generally given on a Friday and the remediation for the final and mid-term is taken the following Monday....so you have 2 days to re-study. Generally the second exams have been harder than the original ones.

We all study extremely hard 24/7 but I find that many times it is still "luck" on what exam questions are challenged and thrown out. It amazes me that some students who originally get in the mid-70's will eventually pass (after questions are thrown out) while those who originally get in the mid-80's end up failing the exams...... go figure! We all are determined to finish our program even though we have found that we basically teach ourselves without much guidance and the amount of study does not always equal a passing grade. For example......I find it a little disingenuous that anyone can totally grasp the entirely of Pharmacology in 9 study days. As for the instructors, so many have resigned, we never know who will be around to teach the next modules.

Online "lectures" for the most part have been "instructors" reading from the book and often times they will say "For more information read the book......". Not what I would call a "lecture" or even further clarification of specifics and details. Labs have been contradictory and often a waste of time. The lab monitor has recently changed, so I can't speak for any new person. Most of the time when we asked the lab "instructor" to clarify steps or points, we were met with the question "How did the videos show to do that?" If the videos were clear, we wouldn't have asked the questions to start with....... etc etc. Our best labs were the days when an instructor from the 18 month program "filled-in" for the day.

As for the school having "worked out" all the organizational issues, I find that most of the same things keep repeating over and over.

The first cohort had 17 finish the program in December and 2 failed the exit exam (don't know about you, but we were never informed about an exit exam until we were already in the program....) Don't know how many passed the NCLEX.

Most of my cohort are from California, due to the schools being so impacted in Cali. I haven't talked with one person from Cali that wants to remain in Nevada after graduation. I intend on going on for my NP so the 4.0 will be great and definitely earned!

I have read other posts from "disgruntled" students and I find what they have to say is absolutely true. I only wish that people had been more honest with their experiences and posts early on, so more people could have made more informed decisions about their school choices. No school is perfect and new ones definitely have growing pains, but there is still a long way to go before I can truly say the education here matches the price of tuition.

Best regards,

CAK-Nurse · Feb 3, 2012

I am from the fourth cohort and I tend to agree with Tex201.

Positives:

-You take one class at a time (they call them blocks)

-You will graduate with a 4.0 GPA

-Takes 14 months (as long as you don't fail out and have to join the cohort that started after you)

-The lab instructors (or at least the new ones) are very helpful

-My fellow students are all amazing and supportive people. Without them I wouldn't still be in this program. We really rely on each other to learn all this information.

I haven't had enough time in clinicals to know about the clinical instructors or how I would feel about my skills after that portion of my training. I had 3 twelve hour shifts after Fundamentals. That was plenty since all I was able to do was give bed baths and take vital signs. Our next clinical rotation for Adult Health 1 will have 7 twelve-hour shifts over 2.5 weeks (and some exam that I just found out about at the end). Our clinical rotations are done after all the didactic is completed instead of simultaneously like more traditional schooling.

(this has it's good and bad points, we have a harder time with the didactic because we haven't actually seen anything that is being talked about, but when we get to the hospital we already have a more complete understanding)

Now the down side:

-Most importantly, you teach yourself. I was assured that there were lectures and a teacher to teach me. This is not the case. As Tex201 said above the "lectures" are a waste of time. And one of my instructors told me that it's not her job to teach us, but to act as a facilitator: grade our work and answer our questions. You are literally given (well, told to buy) a book and a reading list and expected to figure it out for yourself.

-90% or Fail. We lost one person after our first block, two more people failed out of the program in the second block (one got an 89% on both the final and the remediation final), lost two more in the third block because there were the only two people remediating. So between them they didn't get a 90% on the group test so they didn't earn the additional 5% that would have given them both passing grades

-I am in my 5th block and I have yet to see an accurate syllabus. Sometimes they don't update the calendar from the last cohort, there are conflicts with lab (we were scheduled lab on the day of our midterm), reading assignments aren't updated to newer editions of the books, the reading assignments in the syllabus and online conflict, assignment descriptions are completely different

-They recently switched the order of classes. It was Adult Health I then Pharmacology. My cohort took Pharmacology first but we were still tested on information taught in Adult Health I

-We are tested pretty much every week whether it's an actual midterm or final or a skills assessment. Going through this program is like living in a pressure cooker.

-You don't get days off. We have discussion post and other assignments that are due on the weekends. And if you want to keep up with all the material that is being covered it's a 24/7 job.

-You are expected to be available for anything at any time. You don't find out what your schedule for the next block is until the night before it starts. I spend a few hours organizing, making sure that I know what's expected of me and when it's due (at this pace, the only way to survive is to have a checklist and follow it religiously) and by the time I'm done, I'm a lesson behind. As a rule we aren't given advanced warning, we were told to meet at school on our first day with maybe 24-36 hours notice, the time and location of a test was given with 12 hours notice, we were told that the lab for those who needed to remediate their skills assessment was mandatory with 24 hours notice

-If you do have to remediate exams you get no days off between blocks. The final is on Friday and those that pass now have Sat, Sun and Mon off before the next block starts. For those who have to remediate they have to study all weekend, take the exam on Monday morning and if they are lucky enough to pass and continue on, the full weight of the next block starts the following morning.

-If you have to remediate a skill, that is usually done before the final exam so while your classmates are continuing to study new material you are forced to go back and review so that you don't fail the skill assessment and are now behind for the written exam

If I could go back I would probably still go to Roseman for their BSN program but I'd stay very far away from the ABSN program. There is too much for them to work out and as a student it doesn't look like anyone is actually working to fix these problems.

The sad part is that most of their problems stem from a sever lack of organization and communication. The student's experience would be drastically improved if things were better organized for us.

My friends who moved here (mostly from CA) feel trapped, they're not big fans of Las Vegas in general, they're tied into year long leases, the classes they have taken won't transfer, and we've all already spent a minimum of $20,000 just for the first 3 months (tuition, books, uniforms, ect.) on top of moving and living expenses. We're just trying to make the best out of a bad situation and become the best nurses that we can.

If, and only if, you:

1. feel good about book learning

2. do not have test anxiety or are really good at test taking

3. are able to let the "growing pains" of this new program roll of your back

Then by all means, continue to consider this program. Otherwise look to the regular BSN program or another school for your education.

Nursing school is hard but it shouldn't be this hard.

Tex201 · Feb 5, 2012

Good job CAK-Nurse ..great summary. Sorry to hear your cohort is going through the SAME organizational problems, ie: incorrect syllabus, reading assignments that don't match the books, being tested and held responsible for material that has not been covered yet..... Glad to hear that your labs are better. We finished our labs with our last module so we don't know any of the new lab personnel.

Your explanation of "trapped" is spot on and the explanation of "teachers" .....

Had we had this information prior to up-rooting ourselves from our lives, jobs, housing, families, et al, most of us would have made a different decision... but since we are here, we are determined to make it through and become the best nurses possible. It is just sad to see so many very qualified, hard-working, caring individuals fail out because of technicalities...it doesn't reflect (for the most part) what the students have learned, but rather in many cases, pure luck, ie: the misfortune of too few remediating exams to gain the advantage of more brains to come up with group points, or even the challenge procedure itself is often arbitrary and unexplainable.

There are different standards for the BSN and the ABSN (just compare the remediation process for example...ABSN has 1 weekend to study before the exam is retaken. The BSN program has a lot more time and more actual number of "re-takes"...with actual instructors that direct students in the right direction. Plus, not all the modules are "required" passed in the BSN program..not all modules are equal....those that are not as "important" are not counted in the 90%.... None of us feels "safe" no matter how much we have studied or how well we know the material. It is a daily "pressure cooker" that culminates with exams that may or may not reflect what we have learned....

So I just wish each and every one the very best and Thank You CAK-Nurse for your input It's good to see if the school is making progress in the areas we have brought up before the administration and what other cohorts are experiencing...

PS... Clinical experiences vary in every school. Just the fact that you are assigned to different hospitals and clinical instructors every time, ( as well as patients with vastly different needs), will result in varying experiences even within your cohort. They do get more interesting as you are able to perform more procedures and take over more of the patient's care.

CAK-Nurse · Feb 5, 2012

Thanks Tex201. I've seen what your labs were like. We had the same teacher for the beginning of Assessment and I was horrified that I was actually being taught by the ATI videos. Ridiculous. It is SO much better now. I feel good about the skills I've learned so far. Still nervous to do them on a patient, but that's everyone. =)

Hopefully in time the rest of the program will improve as well, because I don't think that it's a bad concept. It's just been implemented before they were really ready.

I don't know why the ABSN is put at a higher standard than the BSN. If we were able to take a 2nd remediation with a week to study before being kicked out, there would be less stress and good people could continue and graduate. If we had that I doubt that people would be as upset by this program as they are.

I just wanted to add for those who are still looking at this ABSN as an option I would highly recommend taking these classes before your cohort starts:

1. The NV constitution and/or US constitution class that's required to graduate from a NV university. You want to be able to focus 100% on your nursing course work.

2. Pathophysiology because the basics of disease aren't really taught, they're just thrown in with other subjects. We had to try and figure out how the disease processes worked while learning pharmacology all in two weeks. So already having that knowledge will make life easier, less stressful, and you'll have a better understanding.

3. Medical Terminology. At least for myself, I usually understand a concept before I know the right word for it and that's a big part of how you're tested. "You notice your patient is suffering from severe diaphoresis, what is your best course of action." If you didn't know that diaphoresis means excessive sweating you'd just have to guess on this question.

Anyway, that's my two cents. I'm just trying give the advice that I wish I had been given; help people set themselves up for success. Good luck to all you future nurses.

Tex201 · Feb 6, 2012

Thanks Tex201. I've seen what your labs were like. We had the same teacher for the beginning of Assessment and I was horrified that I was actually being taught by the ATI videos. Ridiculous. It is SO much better now. I feel good about the skills I've learned so far. Still nervous to do them on a patient, but that's everyone. =)
Hopefully in time the rest of the program will improve as well, because I don't think that it's a bad concept. It's just been implemented before they were really ready.
I don't know why the ABSN is put at a higher standard than the BSN. If we were able to take a 2nd remediation with a week to study before being kicked out, there would be less stress and good people could continue and graduate. If we had that I doubt that people would be as upset by this program as they are.
I just wanted to add for those who are still looking at this ABSN as an option I would highly recommend taking these classes before your cohort starts:
1. The NV constitution and/or US constitution class that's required to graduate from a NV university. You want to be able to focus 100% on your nursing course work.
2. Pathophysiology because the basics of disease aren't really taught, they're just thrown in with other subjects. We had to try and figure out how the disease processes worked while learning pharmacology all in two weeks. So already having that knowledge will make life easier, less stressful, and you'll have a better understanding.
3. Medical Terminology. At least for myself, I usually understand a concept before I know the right word for it and that's a big part of how you're tested. "You notice your patient is suffering from severe diaphoresis, what is your best course of action." If you didn't know that diaphoresis means excessive sweating you'd just have to guess on this question.
Anyway, that's my two cents. I'm just trying give the advice that I wish I had been given; help people set themselves up for success. Good luck to all you future nurses.

These are all very very good points..thanks again for your helpful suggestions and insight

happiness520 · Feb 8, 2012

I was in the program but dropped out 2 weeks into the program.

Nursing Student ABSN · Feb 23, 2012

To both Tex201 and CAK-Nurse, I cannot disagree with many of your statements especially since we are in different cohorts. In some ways we have had different experiences, but I am sure that is consistent with different student in any program. It is too bad it has not been the best experience, but at least you would not change your decision to come to Roseman if you could.

If you would like more help I would urge you to go to the main campus and speak with some of the permanent staff who teach for the BSN program. I have found they are very willing to spend some time helping with any concepts I have found difficult. Also, if you need help with any lab skills the director of the lab department is very willing to open the lab and work with you individually until you feel comfortable with the skills. You both seem like positive people and I hope you make it through the rest of the program without any problems. I am just finishing my community health clinical...then leadership, practicum, and back to California. I am sure you both will be succesful...Good luck with everything.

nursealias · Mar 5, 2012

As a 1st cohort graduate of the ABSN program, I did pass my exit exam and NCLEX on first try. I attribute my success to myself because the professors and facilitator's did not teach me, I taught myself.

ABSN is learn on your own!!

My advice to those in the program is to find additional learning tools. There are many additional books that are more too the point and give a clearer idea of disease processes than the books we are assigned. You don't have the time to do assignments, read, review, and learn what you need to pass the test.

Practice how to become a great test taker!!! Do as many practice tests you can find and learn rationales.

Be organized, get all your homework done and assignments out of the way so you focus on passing the test.

Look at each disease process in terms of what would I see if it were happening in front of me (I.E. would they be cool, clammy, pale, etc...) Know top 3-4 Classic (distinct) Signs, symptoms, what the treatment is, labs you would see, meds that are use. Do this for each disease in the study guide.

Don't listen to all the negative...you already know what those are...Just focus on passing each test. Practice taking tests daily...its a way of thinking and it will help you on the questions that catch you off guard. Always figure out what the question is actually asking..is it an assessment or intervention, is it a priority...(priorities questions...is there an ABC answer that applies) DON'T SECOND GUESS YOURSELF!!!

If your are thinking about attending Roseman, just know if you do, you will be living in a constant state of impending doom! You will have no life and you are spending a ton of money to be treated this way. If you are not able to be an independant learner...do not attend this school.

Good luck, I am relieved I made it through this program, but I would not ever recommend this school to anyone I know.

Roseman University ABSN (didactic online)

Do you recommend this program?