Vocational School for RN

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Thinking of attending Brown Mackie College in Miami to get my RN. My grades are poor so I will most likely not get into a nursing program at a traditional school, is this a good route to take?

Thanks

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It's $46,000 for an associates degree, that is insanity. I also see nothing on their website about being regionally accredited. This means if you ever plan to pursue your bachelor's, none of your credits will likely transfer and you will be forced to start from the beginning.

I recommend re-taking any pre-req classes you did poorly in, raise your GPA, and apply for an accredited ADN program at a local community college. I can't see anything from that school justifying that pricetag. No regional accredidation and only an associates degree for $46,000? No way.

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I dont need credits to transfer cause i will have my associates, will it get me started working in the hospital?

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Specializes in ICU.

Many hospitals prefer BSN nurses for multiple reasons, so if you ever want to continue on to a RN to BSN bridge, you may not be able to enter the program with the credits you earned from an unaccredited school. However, the BSN preference is very dependent on what area of the country you live in, so it would be to your advantage to investigate whether or not that's the case in your area, or the area where you plan to work.

Plus.... $46,000 is a TON of money - more than double what I paid for my private Jesuit university BSN. Do they offer significant financial aid? What are their NCLEX pass rates? Do their graduates have a good reputation with area hospitals and facilities? Do you have a plan to pay back these loans in case you can't get a job right away, as many new grads are dealing with? Lots of things to think about before shelling out that kind of money.

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Thanks for the insight, it got me thinking- Ill do some research and speak to the area hospitals.

I need one more math class to finish my Associates in Pre Nursing at Community college.

My GPA is a 2.75 I have a C in my A&P1 and didn't even pass my A&P2 lecture, I was planning on going to the for profit school to get my RN and then take my A&Ps over again to boost my grades while i'm working (hopefully in a hospital), this way I can transfer my community college credits to eventually get my BSN at a reputable four year.

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I would re-take your A&P's before beginning nursing classes. If you don't have a firm grasp of A&P, you'll drown once you hit nursing classes without a solid understanding of the body systems that are covered in those two classes.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Suggest you do a bit more research. Simple google brings this up:

Brown Mackie College Pissed Consumer

Seems like they are having major problems in many of their locations. This may not be the case in Miami, but I would advise extreme caution because most "franchise" commercial schools operate according to the procedures outlined by their mother ship.

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The info provided on the website indicates that it is accredited (only) by the national organization that accredits proprietary (private-for-profit) tech schools. That means that any courses you complete there probably won't transfer to a "regular" college or university later on if/when you want to further your nursing education and career.

Also, nothing is said about NLNAC or CCNE accreditation (the two national organizations that accredit nursing programs, specifically). While there is no state in the US that requires graduation from an accredited program in order to be eligible for licensure, most programs of higher education for nurses, and a growing number of healthcare employers, will only accept graduates of (NLNAC or CCNE) accredited programs. This includes some of the most desirable healthcare employers in the US, inc. the entire US military, the entire VA system, most academic medical centers, and lots of others.

Does going to a program without the preferred accreditations mean you won't be able to find employment? Probably not. But it does mean that you're closing the door on a lot of future professional and educational opportunities, before you've even gotten into nursing. IMO, that's a serious mistake.

Best wishes for your journey!

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Thanks for the Responses. Sorry for the late reply, Ive been hard at work. Got all A's and B's last semester in A&P1, Micro ect.. and am now a nursing candidate at Concordia College in New York. Just need to finish this semester up and take Statistics over the summer and then ill officially begin my nursing program next fall.

Thanks for the advice i'm glad I went the BSN route.

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Congratulations!

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A great example of not letting the past define you. Good Luck!

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