West Coast University DALLAS 2018 NEED INFO

U.S.A. Texas

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Hello! I am considering West Coast University for the BSN program. I am having a difficult time finding anyone in the Fort Worth area that has even heard of this place. I want to know how the hospitals feel about this school. I've heard some places wont even hire from Dallas career colleges. I am a military spouse and have very limited time in one location. I want to be an oncology nurse but am very concerned about credits not transferring out of this school. Also, if the accreditation is from the west coast, will I get a job on the east coast? So many questions, so little time! Haha! Any other military members have any experience here?? Any WCU graduates here that can answer some more questions? :)

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I did not go to West Coast University but have seen people who have, for their RN to BSN program. I can tell you that accredited is accredited. It does not differ from coast to coast or region to region. The accrediting bodies, such as CCNE, are a national accreditation.

West Coast University is not a career college. It is true that career colleges like the Dallas Nursing Institute are not well thought of.

Thank you so much for getting back to me. There is so much to consider.

Specializes in PICU.

Howdy! This is actually my first post on here. I'm currently a student at WCU, so hopefully I can answer some questions for you. In terms of accreditation, WCU is CCNE accredited for nursing and regionally accredited by the WASC for the general education classes they offer. The regional accreditation will come in handy for grad school. Given the regional accreditation, I wouldn't really classify WCU as a career college. DNI and Concorde (which both have abysmal NCLEX pass rates) are two career colleges that offer nursing whose programs are neither regionally accredited (which usually means their credits won't transfer), nor are they accredited by the ACEN or CCNE. In terms of how WCU grads are received, I haven't heard anyone complain of not being able to find a job. As a matter of fact, I've been there since last June and each term has had a 98-100% employment rate. And the program has rotations through several major hospitals in the area like the VA, Children's, Parkland, etc...If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask me. I've lurked here a long time, so I know that I won't be able to reply to a PM just yet, but feel free to ask away on this post. I'll try to help if I can.

Thank you so much for getting back to me! It is so great to finally touch base with a student! I hear they kick people out a lot. Is that true? Also what is your schedule like? I am trying to figure out a way to go to nursing school while getting my littles to and from school.

So many questions!! Ha! I just took the TEAS and passed with 75%. Do they take that or do I need to study more and retake it? How hard are the classes? By hard I mean are they actually being taught or is it just some teacher reading power points and then you figure the rest out on your own? Do you happen to know any military members/ spouses in the program? I would love to get their opinion on the GI Bill process. Thanks again!! I really appreciate you!

Specializes in PICU.
Thank you so much for getting back to me! It is so great to finally touch base with a student! I hear they kick people out a lot. Is that true? Also what is your schedule like? I am trying to figure out a way to go to nursing school while getting my littles to and from school.

In regards to kicking people out a lot, I haven't heard that to be the case. Most of the people I started with are still there, and the ones who are gone are the ones who didn't put in the work in the program. But they don't look for reasons to kick people out. A common misconception is that WCU is an easier program because it's a for-profit school. That couldn't be further from the truth. Nothing is handed to you. You have to put in the same work as any other nursing student otherwise you won't be successful.

Schedule: Since WCU is accelerated, each class meets 9 weeks. The class times are from 0700-1200 or 1230-1730. You don't get to pick your schedule. Once in the program, your classes are scheduled by the registrar, and you'll find out by week 6 of each term what your next classes will be. 2 nine-week terms make up a semester, so you'll usually take 2 classes a term, which adds up to full-time hours after 2 terms. Because the classes meet in blocks, you only go once a week. So if you have fundamentals, it may be on Monday from 1230-1730 and that's it. Because of the fast pace, it's CRUCIAL that you study. The professors tutor during office hours, and there are peer tutors available through student services who have already taken the class and passed with an "A" so there are resources. I also understand that when the next term starts April 2, there will be a nights and weekend program that you can do in 44 months (if you don't have any transfer credits) as opposed to their accelerated program which is 39 months (with no transfer credits).

Specializes in PICU.
So many questions!! Ha! I just took the TEAS and passed with 75%. Do they take that or do I need to study more and retake it? How hard are the classes? By hard I mean are they actually being taught or is it just some teacher reading power points and then you figure the rest out on your own? Do you happen to know any military members/ spouses in the program? I would love to get their opinion on the GI Bill process. Thanks again!! I really appreciate you!

Hmm...I don't know about the TEAS score. I took the HESI, and since last June, the admission requirements have changed, and I'm not sure what they are. You can look in the school catalogue online to find out. As far as class difficulty goes, they're pretty hard. Again, 9 week terms makes it really fast paced. You'll have to study a lot. I put in about 40 hours a week on top of working and my kids. You're reviewing chapters of material in one class period, so it's important to read ahead and come to class with any points you need clarified. This is not a school where you are someone stands at the front of the class and regurgitates information while you take notes. Because the classes only meet once a week, they streamline the lectures, and a lot of the professors post in-depth lecture videos on blackboard for you to watch at home and take notes from. Class time is more like a teach-back session where the instructo lectures on concepts that people are struggling with. As far as military goes, about 50% of the people in my classes are veterans. I can't really speak to their experience with the GI Bill, but I haven't really heard any complaints.

My best advice about WCU is to take whatever you can before you get in, especially since they don't accept transfer credits after you start the program. This is mainly because once you're admitted, they set up your degree plan from admission to graduation. So you know what classes are up next, you just don't know what days/times they will be. Even though the overall price tag seems overwhelming, I haven't taken out any private loans. I've only used federal aid and scholarships, both private and through WCU. So my debt won't be any higher than anyone else who went to college and utilized FinAid.

Again, easier to get in doesn't mean easier program. You have to work your butt off to stay in, and fall behind on reading? You're screwed. Just like any other program, have a support system. That helps a LOT.

Personally, I like WCU. I've had a great experience there so far. I had a 92 on my HESI and a 3.75 GPA. I could have applied to a traditional school, but I chose WCU because of the accelerated pace and the block schedule. Being able to work and go to school was crucial for me.

I really appreciate your info! I have a 3.75 also, but it does scare me to think of being kicked out. I saw that there were some nursing support groups on FB and even online tutors. I am fortunate enough to stay home with my kids but because we move so frequently I do not have a huge support group. It is really hard now to get through A&P with a little person following me around the house asking a million questions all day! :p Due to limited time in TX and only going into Dallas one day a week, WCU is definitely appealing.

Specializes in PICU.

Do you think you'll be around long enough to finish the program? Also, I should add that while each class meets once a week, if you have two classes, you'll be in Dallas twice a week because it's not guaranteed those classes will meet on the same day. For example, you could have microbiology lecture Wednesday from 7-12 then have the lab Friday from 7-11. And if you had another class like Philosophy, you'd have that class on Tuesday's from 7-12. So you'd be on campus 3 days a week, but you'd only come to each class once a week. Also, don't worry about being kicked out. I've seen people fail out, but again, those are people who either just had a fundamental issue understanding the content, or they thought that because the school is expensive, they were buying a degree so they didn't have to try. WCU also allows you to retake a failed nursing course once before dismissing you academically for failure, which is more than a lot of other programs. Definitely stop by, take a tour, see what they have to say! Please don't hesitate to ask me anything. I don't mind helping if I can.

I am definitely here until June 2020. I have most of my pre-reqs done, so if I had to stay here for 6 months to finish school while my husband moved to his new duty station I could probably make that work. I really appreciate all the info. I'm sure I'll have another question soon. Now I'm off to take an exam in A&P. I'll be happy to get some hands on experiences in the future. Memorizing, memorizing and more memorizing! Ha!

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Going to pipe in here and state that no matter where you to go nursing school, you will need full time childcare. Even if you aren't in class all the time, there are lots of requirements outside of class that eat up time. Homework, group projects, mandatory volunteer work, studying studying studying.....it is not possible to teach everything you are responsible for knowing, so you will have to do a lot of work on your own, outside of class, to truly know the material. Nursing schools everywhere are famous for this. Having little children and going to nursing school can be a real challenge. It is doable, but you need plan A, B, C and D in place in case a child is sick or you have something big coming due and you need someone to take care of them while you get it done. Generally most nursing schools have very little leeway for absences to care for kids, sick or otherwise. I had friends who had to drop out and start again the next year because of the need to care for kids. One had to do this because her own leg was fractured in a motor vehicle accident, making attendance at clinicals impossible in terms of being able to do the work. A certain number of clinical hours are required to sit for the licensing exam. It makes it crucial to know what you will do if your little one is ill.

You can definitely do it, but make realistic plans.

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