Thomas Jefferson University - Fact 1 & 2 Program (Pre-Fall 2024)

incomingrn99 · Nov 10, 2023

Summerday28 said:

TJU sent an email out to students who recently enrolled in the Fact-1 2024 program on 11/8. I only know because I, myself have just gotten one. As for current students, it seems they were notified much sooner. For the 6 schools, the link primor shared has a website link to the Philly Inquierer. Sucks because I can't read it in full since I don't have an account, but the link they posted links to another allnurses forum where people were discussing it.

Same here I couldn't open the inquirer article. However, I placed a deposit for the Fact 1 Spring 2024 start and I didn't receive an email ? Could someone possibly upload a screenshot of the email they received about this

Summerday28 · Nov 10, 2023

incomingrn99 said:

Same here I couldn't open the inquirer article. However, I placed a deposit for the Fact 1 Spring 2024 start and I didn't receive an email ? Could someone possibly upload a screenshot of the email they received about this

Did you set up your school email? If you recently did all the steps, maybe you weren't placed on the email list yet. I'll post the dean's email below. If it gets censored and you don't see it, just DM me:

The Jefferson College of Nursing has a consistent history of exceeding the NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate requirement of 80% as mandated by the Pennsylvania State of Nursing. During 2020 and 2021, our NCLEX-RN pass rate for first-time test takers was 91.71% and 86.43%, respectively. However, during 2022, our pass rate fell to 79.60%, and, as a result, the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing has placed our program on provisional approval status.

We have identified a few significant contributors to this decrease. First, challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted delivery of our curriculum and the way our students learn. Importantly, students struggled with mental and physical health challenges, some of which manifested for the first time during this period. Further, many of the resources students relied on were disrupted in the wake of the global pandemic.

While our faculty were vigilant in implementing sound, evidence-based strategies to provide students with a quality academic experience in a virtual/hybrid environment, our pass rate for 2022 was nonetheless affected.

We are 100% invested in the academic and future career success of our students. The Jefferson College of Nursing has developed a comprehensive plan to improve our NCLEX-RN pass rate for first-time test takers. This plan was informed by leaders and faculty across the college and is designed to ensure that our current and future students are successful on the exam and in their careers.

To assist you in understanding the impact of this designation, please refer to the following specific questions and explanatory responses:

What does provisional approval status mean?
To return to full approval status, the Jefferson College of Nursing has two years to achieve compliance with the benchmark of an 80% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN for first-time test takers.

Does provisional approval status affect the School of Nursing's accreditation?
No, the Jefferson College of Nursing fully meets the standard for accreditation. The Commission on Collegiate Education (CCNE), the college's accrediting organization, allows nursing programs to meet the standard for licensure (NCLEX-RN pass rate) through achievement of an average of 80% for first-time NCLEX test takers. The Jefferson College of Nursing meets this goal with a 3-year average of 85.67% (91.71% in 2020, 86.43% in 2021, and 79.60% in 2022).

Does this affect my ability to take the NCLEX-RN exam after graduation?
No, the Jefferson College of Nursing is an approved (provisional) nursing education program in the state of Pennsylvania and its graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN exam.

How can I be sure that the Jefferson College of Nursing will improve its first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate for first-time test takers in the next two years?
The Jefferson College of Nursing has instituted a rigorous and well-informed plan and associated resources to ensure students are ready for the NCLEX-RN exam before testing. We will use course-level metrics and data from ATI NCLEX-RN predictor exams to identify students who may be at risk of failure and develop an individualized academic/NCLEX-RN Exam Success plan to include the advisement, coaching, support, and resources necessary to ensure their success. This is in addition to other approaches and methods incorporated throughout the curriculum to foster students' academic success.

Will the provisional status affect my ability to attend graduate school?
No, the Jefferson College of Nursing's accreditation status with CCNE remains unchanged.

Summerday28 · Nov 10, 2023

nursingstudent333333 said:

I know I am just so shocked. I carefully planned in order to avoid applying to schools that would even have a chance of this happening so hearing this news is so disheartening. TJU is one of the six schools that were moved to provisional status, which is so bad. I did look at other scores of the six schools placed on this status and schools like Lincoln were getting 50% for years until they removed their accreditation. The only thing really stressing me out is the time length from when we would graduate. There is a chance of the status being lost during the time we go there which is a big NO. I don't even want to risk that and put myself in that situation midway through the program. I feel like it definitely would put us in a difficult position whether or not we want to go to a grad program because it can affect our ability to sit for the NCLEX if the status is lost through our time there. Do you know if it affects our ability to just go to grad school at TJU or anywhere else for NP school? I mean I am sure it doesn't look good when applying. I am just so conflicted right now, and don't even know if I should take the chance. I would most definitely email the dean, I already have and she has replied. I think obviously they are going to support the school and cover up anything they can in order to get us to go but they seem pretty confident with the scores improving. It's like a gamble to take a chance midway through us attending. It is also annoying that most of us have already submitted our deposit so we would be losing that if our plans changed. I wish they notified us sooner, because they had idea of these test scores. At the end of the day we need to make the best decisions for ourselves and like the previous commenter said if there was any chance of the school risking accreditation I would not go. It would not be worth leaving a program midway and losing even more time to obtain the degree.

I misunderstood the email. So yea, you're right. It affects OUR cohort's ability to sit for the boards, not the class of 2023 or 2024 since they have 2 years to either lose or gain full approval status. If they lost it at the end of that 2 year period, the 2023-2024 class would be OK to sit but not us which sucks HEAVY. If the school lost accreditation, then not only can we not sit for NCLEX but we most likely cant pursue a graduate nursing program anywhere, considering MOST (if not all) grad programs require a BSN from an accredited program. If its not accredited by the time we apply to an MSN or NP Program, then I *think* everyone is f-ED.

I wish they had been more transparent sooner! Prim literally said they got the email in March LOL. I understand covid, but to be honest I'd figure that would only affect 2020 and 2021. But to see that they continued decreasing in 2022 is appalling. It makes you wonder what changed. Professor burnout? Lowering the acceptance rate? Change in curricula that made things more stressful? While it seems unlikely TJU would truly lose its accreditation status, it's a huge gamble worth 50k that nobody wants to take, especially without more information. At the infosession, my admissions rep mentioned that students were able to defer a year for personal reasons if needed (for ex losing a family member), they'd just have to communicate in time. I asked the dean if this still rang true because I do want to go to TJU, and if I'm able to defer a year to when accreditation is confirmed, I'd want to do that. But you're right, it'd be stupid to go and then get halfway through our education before the school said "sike."

primordiapichu · Nov 10, 2023

Summerday28 said:

I misunderstood the email. So yea, you're right. It affects OUR cohort's ability to sit for the boards, not the class of 2023 or 2024 since they have 2 years to either lose or gain full approval status. If they lost it at the end of that 2 year period, the 2023-2024 class would be OK to sit but not us which sucks HEAVY. If the school lost accreditation, then not only can we not sit for NCLEX but we most likely cant pursue a graduate nursing program anywhere, considering MOST (if not all) grad programs require a BSN from an accredited program. If its not accredited by the time we apply to an MSN or NP Program, then I *think* everyone is f-ED.

I wish they had been more transparent sooner! Prim literally said they got the email in March LOL. I understand covid, but to be honest I'd figure that would only affect 2020 and 2021. But to see that they continued decreasing in 2022 is appalling. It makes you wonder what changed. Professor burnout? Lowering the acceptance rate? Change in curricula that made things more stressful? While it seems unlikely TJU would truly lose its accreditation status, it's a huge gamble worth 50k that nobody wants to take, especially without more information. At the infosession, my admissions rep mentioned that students were able to defer a year for personal reasons if needed (for ex losing a family member), they'd just have to communicate in time. I asked the dean if this still rang true because I do want to go to TJU, and if I'm able to defer a year to when accreditation is confirmed, I'd want to do that. But you're right, it'd be stupid to go and then get halfway through our education before the school said "sike."

I want to be honest with you, this school isn't transparent about anything, so you just have to get used to it if you come here. It's bad.

Summerday28 · Nov 10, 2023

primordiapichu said:

I want to be honest with you, this school isn't transparent about anything, so you just have to get used to it if you come here. It's bad.

I'm honestly so jaded with all institutions at this point given my own undergrad experiences, I thought TJU would be the lesser of the evils LOL. It was also one of the shortest programs I found in the NJ, PA, and DMV areas. I wanted to get in and out, have a straightforward education, and not have to move across the country.

nursingstudent333333 · Nov 11, 2023

Summerday28 said:

I'm honestly so jaded with all institutions at this point given my own undergrad experiences, I thought TJU would be the lesser of the evils LOL. It was also one of the shortest programs I found in the NJ, PA, and DMV areas. I wanted to get in and out, have a straightforward education, and not have to move across the country.

I did receive an update from the dean that the pass rate for 2022-2023 has improved to a 90% and they are awaiting a notification from the PA board to return to full approval status, which will happen this January. This is before our start date in May and at this point most of us have made a deposit so it is a waiting game. It has gone up significantly after that from a 79.40% to a 90%. Now this is better news but the board reviews scores every year so if the score for October 2023-September 2024 falls below again, there is still risk of going back to provisional approval status for the second time. I am just not sure why she has not made an announcement yet on the improvement of a 90% score, I am assuming she is waiting to return to full approval status in January in order to send out an official email. It is reassuring to hear the last known recorded scores were better, but there is still that risk of that 2023-2024 year evaluation of scores and whether or not the score will be above 80%. If the school's score is looked at every year and they fall below again in October 2023-September 2024, I am assuming there will be two years again for the school to show improvement again and we would be the 2024-2025 cohort, which would have us in the CLEAR in order to graduate and sit for the NCLEX. I am sorry if this sounds very confusing, this is a lot to take in and I know everyone may be a little frantic on the next steps after hearing this news.

To make it clear, the score in Oct 2021- September 2022 was 79.40%. The score for Oct 2022-September 2023 was 90%. The dean is awaiting for the board to return the school to full status and will get the notification in January. If the score for Oct 2023- September 2024 falls below again, I am assuming there will be two years again in order to have the PA board reevaluate which would be October 2025. When our cohort ends it will be May 2025, which is before October 2025. I am not sure if I am getting the dates right and it is hard to assume because I am not aware of when exactly the evaluations are done and scoring is released. But this news is a little more on the positive side, considering our time frame on graduating because even if it falls that Oct 2023-September 2024 year, we would finish before that two year evaluation again. I hope that makes sense!

Is anyone looking into changing their plans or anything yet? I mean if we have placed a deposit it honestly will be dependent on any news we get in January before we start. Right now I feel like I may be looking into deferring my decision for TJU. It is just hard because I want to trust that the school won't fall in scores again but it is hard to confirm if we would be in the safe zone until we graduate. It is very tedious to know when exactly they evaluate and scores are released. I am not sure if this is worth the risk..Please let me know if you guys have any updates or are willing to share any next steps you have after this news!

Summerday28 · Nov 11, 2023

nursingstudent333333 said:

I did receive an update from the dean that the pass rate for 2022-2023 has improved to a 90% and they are awaiting a notification from the PA board to return to full approval status, which will happen this January. This is before our start date in May and at this point most of us have made a deposit so it is a waiting game. It has gone up significantly after that from a 79.40% to a 90%. Now this is better news but the board reviews scores every year so if the score for October 2023-September 2024 falls below again, there is still risk of going back to provisional approval status for the second time. I am just not sure why she has not made an announcement yet on the improvement of a 90% score, I am assuming she is waiting to return to full approval status in January in order to send out an official email. It is reassuring to hear the last known recorded scores were better, but there is still that risk of that 2023-2024 year evaluation of scores and whether or not the score will be above 80%. If the school's score is looked at every year and they fall below again in October 2023-September 2024, I am assuming there will be two years again for the school to show improvement again and we would be the 2024-2025 cohort, which would have us in the CLEAR in order to graduate and sit for the NCLEX. I am sorry if this sounds very confusing, this is a lot to take in and I know everyone may be a little frantic on the next steps after hearing this news.

To make it clear, the score in Oct 2021- September 2022 was 79.40%. The score for Oct 2022-September 2023 was 90%. The dean is awaiting for the board to return the school to full status and will get the notification in January. If the score for Oct 2023- September 2024 falls below again, I am assuming there will be two years again in order to have the PA board reevaluate which would be October 2025. When our cohort ends it will be May 2025, which is before October 2025. I am not sure if I am getting the dates right and it is hard to assume because I am not aware of when exactly the evaluations are done and scoring is released. But this news is a little more on the positive side, considering our time frame on graduating because even if it falls that Oct 2023-September 2024 year, we would finish before that two year evaluation again. I hope that makes sense!

Is anyone looking into changing their plans or anything yet? I mean if we have placed a deposit it honestly will be dependent on any news we get in January before we start. Right now I feel like I may be looking into deferring my decision for TJU. It is just hard because I want to trust that the school won't fall in scores again but it is hard to confirm if we would be in the safe zone until we graduate. It is very tedious to know when exactly they evaluate and scores are released. I am not sure if this is worth the risk..Please let me know if you guys have any updates or are willing to share any next steps you have after this news!

The dean gave me the exact same email and honestly, it slightly reassured me but pissed me off. I asked very specific questions as to when exactly does the recertification period end, would we be notified, would the deposit still be nonrefundable in the events accreditation is lost, would I be able to defer, etc. She just said "I want to assure you that the college has worked on this and I am happy to report that our pass rate for 10/1/22 to 9/30/23 has improved to 90%. We are currently awaiting notification from the PA State Board of Nursing that our program has returned to full approval status. Please know that all of our graduates are fully credentialed with a BSN, able to sit for the national boards, and that our college is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education for 10 years through 2031."

This is a very PR response to me and did not directly answer my questions. In other words, it read "we've never lost accreditation before so we'll be fine, don't worry! Hope this answers your questions!" Like... not really LOL. I would like to make plans and entertain the "what ifs." I emailed my admissions counselor instead my questions ? I was also looking into deferrment, just to have a backup, so we'll see.

nursingstudent333333 · Nov 11, 2023

Summerday28 said:

The dean gave me the exact same email and honestly, it slightly reassured me but pissed me off. I asked very specific questions as to when exactly does the recertification period end, would we be notified, would the deposit still be nonrefundable in the events accreditation is lost, would I be able to defer, etc. She just said "I want to assure you that the college has worked on this and I am happy to report that our pass rate for 10/1/22 to 9/30/23 has improved to 90%. We are currently awaiting notification from the PA State Board of Nursing that our program has returned to full approval status. Please know that all of our graduates are fully credentialed with a BSN, able to sit for the national boards, and that our college is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education for 10 years through 2031."

This is a very PR response to me and did not directly answer my questions. In other words, it read "we've never lost accreditation before so we'll be fine, don't worry! Hope this answers your questions!" Like... not really LOL. I would like to make plans and entertain the "what ifs." I emailed my admissions counselor instead my questions ? I was also looking into deferrment, just to have a backup, so we'll see.

LOL same. I asked a list of very specific questions and she basically gave me that same generic response. Literally think it would be fair for them to at least return the deposit back to us because we were notified of this just a couple days ago and NO where was it posted on their website that they were on provisional status. I feel like they literally will say that you need to ask the dean the questions but it's good to give it a try to email someone else. I want my deposit back LOL like that is such a waste. I think so many people may be looking into deferment too, like she can't expect us to just go off of her word on all of this being okay we need actual factual information on this.

Summerday28 · Nov 11, 2023

nursingstudent333333 said:

LOL same. I asked a list of very specific questions and she basically gave me that same generic response. Literally think it would be fair for them to at least return the deposit back to us because we were notified of this just a couple days ago and NO where was it posted on their website that they were on provisional status. I feel like they literally will say that you need to ask the dean the questions but it's good to give it a try to email someone else. I want my deposit back LOL like that is such a waste. I think so many people may be looking into deferment too, like she can't expect us to just go off of her word on all of this being okay we need actual factual information on this.

I mentioned to the admissions rep that I had already asked the Dean so hopefully she doesn't defer me back to her LOL. All day I've been trying to think of a reply to the Dean until now. I emailed her too and re-asked my questions. I didn't ask about the deposit, but I asked her if I were to consider deferment, how would I go about that route and is there a deadline to consider it. That's the LEAST they can provide us. I'm sure they don't want to lose any money since they're a big institution with partnerships all around the state and even in northern DE, so I'm not surprised they were tight-lipepd about it. However, its still SUPER sh*tty of them to conceal this. My hope is that they'll push more money into study prep like they said and actually invest in giving a f about the students, since all nursing programs really care about is boasting their NCLEX score.

I also started looking into Drexel and they have an 11-mo program. But tbh, theirs looks even more disorganized based on the reviews. It has good reviews and it looks like the education is strong, it just seems like a bit more rigor than TJU. But I'm keeping my options open at this point.

Summerday28 · Nov 11, 2023

nursingstudent333333 said:

I did receive an update from the dean that the pass rate for 2022-2023 has improved to a 90% and they are awaiting a notification from the PA board to return to full approval status, which will happen this January. This is before our start date in May and at this point most of us have made a deposit so it is a waiting game. It has gone up significantly after that from a 79.40% to a 90%. Now this is better news but the board reviews scores every year so if the score for October 2023-September 2024 falls below again, there is still risk of going back to provisional approval status for the second time. I am just not sure why she has not made an announcement yet on the improvement of a 90% score, I am assuming she is waiting to return to full approval status in January in order to send out an official email. It is reassuring to hear the last known recorded scores were better, but there is still that risk of that 2023-2024 year evaluation of scores and whether or not the score will be above 80%. If the school's score is looked at every year and they fall below again in October 2023-September 2024, I am assuming there will be two years again for the school to show improvement again and we would be the 2024-2025 cohort, which would have us in the CLEAR in order to graduate and sit for the NCLEX. I am sorry if this sounds very confusing, this is a lot to take in and I know everyone may be a little frantic on the next steps after hearing this news.

To make it clear, the score in Oct 2021- September 2022 was 79.40%. The score for Oct 2022-September 2023 was 90%. The dean is awaiting for the board to return the school to full status and will get the notification in January. If the score for Oct 2023- September 2024 falls below again, I am assuming there will be two years again in order to have the PA board reevaluate which would be October 2025. When our cohort ends it will be May 2025, which is before October 2025. I am not sure if I am getting the dates right and it is hard to assume because I am not aware of when exactly the evaluations are done and scoring is released. But this news is a little more on the positive side, considering our time frame on graduating because even if it falls that Oct 2023-September 2024 year, we would finish before that two year evaluation again. I hope that makes sense!

Is anyone looking into changing their plans or anything yet? I mean if we have placed a deposit it honestly will be dependent on any news we get in January before we start. Right now I feel like I may be looking into deferring my decision for TJU. It is just hard because I want to trust that the school won't fall in scores again but it is hard to confirm if we would be in the safe zone until we graduate. It is very tedious to know when exactly they evaluate and scores are released. I am not sure if this is worth the risk..Please let me know if you guys have any updates or are willing to share any next steps you have after this news!

Also I forgot to respond to some of this, the score mapping makes a bit more sense now, thanks!! Its just anxiety-inducing that they keep dipping into provisional. While it is unlikely they'll lose it fully, like you said, its a huge gamble. So if its still in provisional status, its also still fully accredited, correct? At least, that's what the Dean keeps saying. So even if we were to dip into that provisional status again sometime next year, I wonder if it would have any effect on obtaining an MSN or DNP? I had been planning to pursue one of the dnp programs afterward, especially since TJU has automatic acceptance into their programs following the BSN-RN. I don't even know who to ask about this that would give me a straight answer, aside from another current student or nurse.

nursingstudent333333 · Nov 12, 2023

Summerday28 said:

Also I forgot to respond to some of this, the score mapping makes a bit more sense now, thanks!! Its just anxiety-inducing that they keep dipping into provisional. While it is unlikely they'll lose it fully, like you said, its a huge gamble. So if its still in provisional status, its also still fully accredited, correct? At least, that's what the Dean keeps saying. So even if we were to dip into that provisional status again sometime next year, I wonder if it would have any effect on obtaining an MSN or DNP? I had been planning to pursue one of the DNP programs afterward, especially since TJU has automatic acceptance into their programs following the BSN-RN. I don't even know who to ask about this that would give me a straight answer, aside from another current student or nurse.

The dean has stated they have accreditation until 2031 but if they keep falling below that 80%, the average of three consecutive years will decline. The board factors in the averages of the past three years I believe. Accreditation until 2031 honestly means nothing if the school is not able to maintain those 80% above averages, because all boards will see the drop so there is risk of loosing that as well if it continues to go lower. I really gravitated towards this program because of that automatic acceptance to grad school which is why this is unfortunate as well. I think there is a specific counselor at the school that is for the DNP and MSN programs that could possibly help answer that question but then again their answers will be in the benefit of the school.

nursingstudent333333 · Nov 12, 2023

Summerday28 said:

I mentioned to the admissions rep that I had already asked the Dean so hopefully she doesn't defer me back to her LOL. All day I've been trying to think of a reply to the Dean until now. I emailed her too and re-asked my questions. I didn't ask about the deposit, but I asked her if I were to consider deferment, how would I go about that route and is there a deadline to consider it. That's the LEAST they can provide us. I'm sure they don't want to lose any money since they're a big institution with partnerships all around the state and even in northern DE, so I'm not surprised they were tight-lipepd about it. However, its still SUPER sh*tty of them to conceal this. My hope is that they'll push more money into study prep like they said and actually invest in giving a f about the students, since all nursing programs really care about is boasting their NCLEX score.

I also started looking into Drexel and they have an 11-mo program. But tbh, theirs looks even more disorganized based on the reviews. It has good reviews and it looks like the education is strong, it just seems like a bit more rigor than TJU. But I'm keeping my options open at this point.

I am as well and I am hoping someone has more information on Drexel's program. That program does seem very intense considering they do have an exit examination before you graduate. As you mentioned it is also 11 months which is intense. But to be honest all of these ABSN programs will be intense no matter what and Drexel has far better NCLEX examination scores. I also think there are obviously almost always reviews about disorganization for any ABSN program. Drexel's scores are almost always in the mid 90s ranges and for 2022 I believe it was around 87%. We really need to see which would not cause a risk for us being able to graduate and sit for NCLEX testing. While the Drexel program does seem harder and more intense I really think it does a better job in preparing students for the NCLEX examination which is essentially what we need. I am nervous though, again this is just a waiting game it's a difficult choice. One school is at risk of their status and the other is far more intense. I also think Drexel is way more expensive so I am also just keeping my options open and waiting for any new updates from the school.