Theoretical Vs. Practical

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 6, 2011

We would need a lot more information to give you an intelligent answer. The key pieces of information relate to the quality of each program. Size is not an indicator of quality. Neither is the number of so-called clinical hours. For example: a school can say they offer a lot of clinical -- but if those hours are of poor quality, they can do more harm than good.

I know some schools count hours spent in the lab as "clinical" even though half of those lab hours are spent talking about the activities rather than actually doing them. What's the difference between being in a lab and talking about physical activities and being in a classroom talking about physicial activities? Nothing.

Small class size doesn't equal quality either. Many small schools don't have enough students to support several facutly members. So the faculty members end up teaching topics they have no expertise in. Being in a small class with a faculty member who knows very little about what she is teaching is not a quality education. You'd be better off in a big class with a faculty member who is an expert at the subject she teaches. See what I mean?

I assume the both schools are regionally accredited as well as accredited by either CCNE or NLNAC. If not, don't go to the one that is not. Don't go to any school that is not fully accredited.

How many of the students who enter each program actually graduate and pass the NCLEX on their first attempt? Those 2 pieces of information are important to know. Which hospitals accept their students for clinical rotations? Will you get to do clinical rotations in the types of places that interest you? Do the major hospitals in your area have a preference for the graduates of one program or the other? Do the graduates of one school have a better chance of getting accepted into graduate school than the other? These are the types of questions you should be investigating to help you make your decision.

Finally ... what about the costs? Don't ignore that. Make sure you get appropriate value for your money. Expensive doesn't necessarily mean better, either. A lot of really bad schools charge a fortune.

loveofnature · Jul 7, 2011

Thanks for taking your time to reply. I really appreciate it :) I'll definitely put the questions you've stated into consideration. In regards to both schools I have to say that they're both accredited where I live and I believe hospitals accept from both schools equally. So both schools are academically sound. However. I would like to get to know what a good nursing school has to offer in general or what you think a good nursing school is. Thanks again. :)

TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP · Jul 7, 2011

This may not be relevant, but a distinction between a college and university is merely that a university is comprised of a group of colleges and/or institutes. It really doesn't have much bearing, if any, on the quality of the nursing program. Follow up with the questions IIg raised to get a much better idea of the distinctions between the two schools.

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 7, 2011

However. I would like to get to know what a good nursing school has to offer in general or what you think a good nursing school is. Thanks again. :)[/quote
To add to my previous post ...
A good quality school has faculty members who are experts both in teaching ... and in the subject matter that they teach. Upper level faculty members (most graduate school faculty, program directors, etc.) should be doctorally prepared and actively involved in the nursing profession -- either through being active in professional organizations or through scholarly activity (research, publication, etc.) It's OK for other faculty members (such as clinical instructors) to have just Master's Degrees -- but it's a good sign if at least some of those folks are working on doctorates. All faculty should be actively involved in whatever it is that they teach, whether it be a clinical specialty or something like research, theory, or issues. So, go to the school's webpage and read about the qualifications of the faculty.
There should be a healthy dose of liberal arts courses and general science courses included. The curriculum should require courses in the humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences. Such courses provide a foundation for critical thinking, professional decision-making, and assuming the responsibility for the well-being of others. They should not be "fluff courses" or considered as such. The school should be taking those foundational courses seriously and a nursing student should have to work hard on those courses.
There should be a good balance of theoretical and clinical courses. Neither should dramatically over-shadow the other. Theory without skills is useless. But skills without theory is blind. You need both. Theoretical coursework should be rigorous and require hard work. Clinical courses should include lots of actual "hands on" patient care with a variety of patient types.
That's off the top of my head. ... I gotta go now.

loveofnature · Jul 7, 2011

thanks you all, I'll definitely take what you've suggested into consideration!