Venting and Sub-par Programs

I've seen several bad grammar errors on this thread alone, which leads me to believe that way too many people are in college.

What on God's green Earth are you talking about?

OP, you are part of the problem. These schools wouldn't exist if students did more research and STOP giving them money!

Other posters have informed you to leave while you still can. I agree with them. Don't you want an outstanding nursing education so that you can pass the NCLEX and give safe, competent care? I certainly hope so.

Drop the program and find a worthier school. You'll thank yourself later...trust me.

I would get out of this program. If they are not already under their state BON's radar they will be soon.

What on God's green Earth are you talking about?

LOL completely agree. I'm a stickler for spelling and grammar, but it has no relevancy as to whether someone is a competent nurse or not, or any reflection on a nursing program, even. Now when that person goes on to become management or director of nursing at their respecting employment, perhaps that's when it's called into question.

MedicalPartisan, I had to almost do a double take on this post. Your situation is similar to my own, although mine doesn't seem to be as bad. This past semester, we didn't have a Psych teacher for 3-4 weeks due to the previous instructor quitting just before the semester started. That left half of our class in a lurch, and unfortunately I was part of that group. So instead of starting Psych clinicals the second week of the semester, we didn't start until the second month which left us scrambling at the end of the semester trying to fulfill the required clinical hours. We got them in but it meant that instead of concentrating on studying for finals, we had to study for finals AND complete our final clinical paperwork (care plans, process recordings, journals, med cards, etc.). It was extremely unfair to the group that was affected but there was nothing we could do. Of course, we did try to plead for some sort of leniency, to no avail. So we just buckled down and made it work. I'm still somewhat ****** about how we suffered from the schools faculty issues, but that's water under the bridge now.

I said all that to say that no nursing program is perfect. I fully believe they are designed to give you so much crap in hopes that the weak will drop and only the strong will survive. That aside, it sounds like your program is in danger, and so is your nursing education if you stay.

If you can, and i'm not sure how it works where you live, try to transfer out before you are adversely affected. I believe here you can move as long as you are passing and have not been put on probation or anything.

Keep your head up and do what you can to mitigate the damages. Do your research and good luck!

To the many people who said "transfer to another program", how easy do you think it is to do that? Serious question, no snark intended. I am in my 5th quarter and we have NO openings in my cohort, or most other cohorts either. We had just two openings last quarter (out of 40) but those were filled by this quarter, and only one was from an outside program (the other had to drop out for a quarter). So how does someone (or, in the case of this school, probably a lot of someones) just go ahead and transfer when they are more than halfway through the program?

To the many people who said "transfer to another program", how easy do you think it is to do that? Serious question, no snark intended. I am in my 5th quarter and we have NO openings in my cohort, or most other cohorts either. We had just two openings last quarter (out of 40) but those were filled by this quarter, and only one was from an outside program (the other had to drop out for a quarter). So how does someone (or, in the case of this school, probably a lot of someones) just go ahead and transfer when they are more than halfway through the program?

Honestly, it may be difficult for the OP to try to transfer but what would be worse? Transferring to another nursing program (as difficult as it maybe) or finishing out in his/her nursing program only to find out she/he can't sit for the NCLEX then has to go through another nursing program.

I personally would transfer. There may not be seats but it's not as big of a gamble as the one she/he is currently taking now. Because it's only a matter of time before the nursing program is shut down (from the sound of things).

OP, I've read through this thread, and honestly don't know why you are doing what you are doing. Truly.

You knew going into this program that the school's reputation was "awful"....yet you enrolled. The fact that you aren't paying the full sticker price isn't very relevant, IMHO, as SOMEONE is paying for this, and if they don't feel they are getting their money's worth, they may well pull future funding from someone else (or even you!).

Beyond that, you are saying that despite all the pitfalls and serious deficits in your program, you will be "sticking it out". What on earth for? So you can graduate from a program that may or may not leave you ineligible to take the NCLEX (the one exam that will determine if you can even become licensed anywhere). And if you are still eligible upon graduation, a student can expect about a 60% chance of passing the NCLEX...FAR FAR below what would be considered reasonable. Yet you are willing to disregard this, because you feel you will be able to study sufficiently on your own to pass the test. Ok....but then I'd have to ask what you are paying this school to do? If not educate you properly as an entry-level general nurse, then WHAT?

This school has ALL the warning signs any reasonable person would need to see to recognize that it may very well lose accreditation and potentially recognition with the State BoN. Actually, I don't remember if you said it was nationally accredited.....it sure doesn't sound like it....is it? And if it isn't, yet ANOTHER reason to run far, far away.

OP, you sound like a smart person, you sound like a reasonable person, but for the life of me I cannot see doing what you are doing and still considering any of it reasonable!

OP,

You don't say how long you have been in the program. Are you less or more than half way through the curriculum? Someone earlier posted that you should look up your school's NCLEX rate and that is good advice, but there is something you should know. Two years ago there were major changes in the NCLEX exam and grades tanked for many schools (even the "good" ones). A review of NCLEX pass rates back to 1983 indicated there had never been that large a decrease in successful NCLEX candidates. All that in mind, you do need to be a bit more proactive. . .call the BoN in your state and ask to talk to an educational consultant. Ask the educational consultant if the BoN has any action planned that might affect your ability to complete your education. If the BoN plans action, then carefully explore your options of transferring. As another poster said, there a few "empty" chairs in nursing cohorts and you may have difficulty finding a program that will accept you. Further, you may find curricular differences result in having to take additional courses or even retake courses. You will need to have copies of all the syllabi for courses you have taken so that the school where you hope to transfer can evaluate your educational preparation up to this point. If you want clarification of anything I said, contact me through my userid. Good luck!

The fact that I am being reprimanded for my schools competency is vexatious at best. I ignored the first few posts but they keep rolling in. And to call me the problem schools like this exist simply because I attend their program...? I find that exceptionally disrespectful, especially since you haven't the slightest clue about me or my obligations aside from what I've mentioned in this post. I am not a closed-minded person and am open to hearing the thoughts and opinions of others, but do not call me a problem and a cause to the existence of this program. I'm not sure what yielded the inane and irrational moral superiority in this thread but it is not appreciated.

Not that I am obliged to justify myself, but the fact that this school (and the other two proximal) have a two year wait for the program is just one of many more complex reasons that I can't just drop what I'm doing and switch to another program. One school is not accredited; another school is six times the price.

Obtain some knowledge before you speak on that of which you clearly know nothing about, please. Thanks.