Valparaiso University 2019 ABSN program

[Gerome]

Anyone going to go to Valparaiso for the 15 month Accelerated BSN program beginning May 2019?

any past students have any suggestions? How to do wel? How are Professors?

What was your overall experience?

I'm from California and plan to move back after I get my BSN.

[frank001]

Hi, Have you started progarm with them? I am also looking to apply with them.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, frank001 said:

Hi, Have you started progarm with them? I am also looking to apply with them.

Are you an Indiana resident? If so, check out Indiana State University ABSN. I went through ISU ABSN and my niece went through Valpo ABSN at the same time. I spent around $20k for the degree and she spent $64k for her degree (state school vs private).

[frank001]

Thank you. WOW!, that is quiet a difference in tuition! I am from California. How did your niece like the program? I will look into indiana state university too. Thank you. Can you please tell more about your program?

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

It was 15 months (Summer/Fall/Spring/Summer). Only nursing students during the Summer sessions are the first semester ABSN students and the final semester ABSN students. I do not know the current stats, but I was in the third cohort (5 yrs ago) and the ABSN program had a near 100% NCLEX pass rate. My cohort had a 100% pass rate with half the cohort passing at minimum questions (Pre-Covid/ pre format change) 75 questions. The nursing school has access to a state of the art simulation center that is co-owned by the school, the hospital that it is located in, local community college, and IU School of Medicine. During the final semester, you do a Capstone placement which is a 135 hour preceptorship in a specialty that interests you. Since the Capstone is during the Summer, you are not competing with any other schools for Capstone placements. I got placed at Riley Children's Hospital's Level IV NICU, which was beneficial to getting a Level IV NICU job at another hospital out of state as a new grad.

I had some unique experiences in the program. During the Community Nursing class, we held a Men's Heath Fair in the gymnasium at the Maximum Security Federal Penitentiary on the south-side of the city for the well-behaved, non-violent inmates. We also participated in Mass Casualty Simulation each of the summers. The first one was a simulated bomb explosion on the 6th floor of an abandoned education building on campus that was scheduled to be demolished later in the Summer. My cohort was the victims and the last semester ABSN cohort were the rescuers along with the Indiana National Guard Search and Rescue. National Guard brought 2 semi trucks full of equipment for the simulation. It was a fun experience. The last semester simulation was a simulated airliner crash at the airport where we triaged the "victims" and first semester students were the victims. That involved the Airport fire department, city fire dept, local ambulance services, and both local hospitals. It helped test the city fire dept and both hospitals' Mass Casualty response.

[frank001]

Thank you for your detailed response.. Was your university located in terre haute?

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

Yes