Traditional BSN UMKC & Research (RCON)

[velveteendinos]

I'm interested in UMKC's and Research's Traditional BSN option. I would be a transfer student for the school. I know UMKC is three years and Research is 2 1/2 starting in the spring.

I was wondering if any of you had experience with these schools or had opinions about them or had heard anything.

Unfortunately, I am not able to send PMs yet so just let me know as much as you can in a post.

Thanks so much!

[MoreThanAJob]

Hi,

I have done a good amount of research looking into both of these programs. At first I thought I wanted to go to Rockhurst. I would be able to do the tuition reimbursement program that they offer to save on tuition. I really liked their staff and the coordinated effort they put into tours or answering my questions. They also seemed very flexible at making my entrance to the school work with an unusual situation (my husband arriving home from over seas). The last thing I did (and which ended up changing my mind) was to talk to as many students that had gone there as possible. This is, as you may be finding, harder that it should be! I did manage to speak with some graduates of the program. They all said some of the same things you'd hear about any nursing program. "It's hard. You might get a good teacher you might get a bad teacher. It's hard. I graduated. I'm not sure I would do it over again."

But, in the end when I compared the general experience of those that went to the Rockhurst program to those that did the three year program through UMKC, the ones that attended UMkC just seemed...well, lighter and happier, for lack of a better description. The ones that attended Rockhurst were honest about their experiences and most of them had done the tuition reimbursement program and were now working for one of the ACH hospitals...they had a good deal of frustration with the ACH system. They were also disappointed that in the end not ALL the students that "received" the reimbursement program were able to get a job with an ACH hospital and thus not able to fulfill their end of the reimbursement program. There were varying opinions on the hassle of this situation. It's not entirely clear to me what happened to the students in those cases.

The UKMC students seemed to also have worked very hard and had their share of difficult teachers but they also seemed to not have as much apparent bitterness over the whole of their experience. That was a highlighted factor in my decision.

The final reason I ended up choosing to go to UMKC rather than Rockhurst (I'm still doing the pre-req's which are different for each school) is that in doing the three year (four or five year total program length depending on which you choose to do) nursing program is that I am married and have to work at least part time through school. The three year nursing program allows me to not have to take more than 12 credits a semester, sometimes only 9 per semester, which allows me to handle my work schedule as well as family schedule.

I hope this helps. The best thing you can do is ask, ask, ask! I hope and pray that you find the best school for you!!

[shoegalRN, RN]

I am a graduate of Research College of Nursing/Rockhurst University. I attended the Traditional option due to only having an Associate's Degree.

I will not say much here, other than yes, I am bitter about the situation I was forced into by the school's "tuition reimbursement" plan, or lack thereof.

In the end, it all worked out because I was not FORCED to pay one red cent back to HCA. I would NEVER work for an HCA hospital anywhere in this country as a RN.

I would choose UMKC because that third year is all spent doing clinicals. As a new grad, you need to be exposed to more clinicial time as possible, which RCON does not provide. My Adult Health clinicals were two 6 hour days a week, which most of the time, we left early. I was in for a real reality shock when I first started working as a RN.

Good luck to you!