What would you do?

aloha2you · Oct 8, 2009

There is a new program in south jordan utah. they are offering a BSN program. They supposedly don't have a waitlist and are still taking applications for January 2010 class. I called the counselor and she said she'll review my courses from SLCC and UVU to see if they transfer. I'm waiting to hear from them. THe school is called the University of Southern Nevada.

nurseman78, BSN, RN, NP · Oct 9, 2009

Yeah, I got that e-mail about the new program from University of Southern Nevada. I'm a little skeptical about it, frankly. For one, it's $30,000 a year, so you're looking at $60,000+ debt once you have your RN. They state that they can get you a BSN in 18 months. That would be realistic if it were simply an RN-to-BSN program, which typically takes that long. But they're proposing that you'll go from prerequisites to BSN in 18 months. Every RN program I know takes a minimum of four semesters, or 1 1/2 to 2 years to just get your RN. Plus, they require you to get 90% on every test. Not that that's not doable, but it'd be challenging to get that on EVERY test. And if you have a super compressed time frame (squeezing 3 years of school into 18 months), plus clinicals, that sounds really, really grueling.

Seems a little fishy to me. If you're going the private college route, I'd go with Westminster, Utah Career or Provo College. I know sometimes you get antsy to get into a nursing program, but as a current nursing student (at DATC), trust me, going the regular four-semester RN route is challenging enough. But, to each their own.

aloha2you · Oct 9, 2009

Actually the counselor said that it is 18 months AFTER completing the prerequisites. You need to have your prerequisites completed before you can even enter their program. So in actuality, you go to school for about 2 years to complete pre-reqs and then you can enter the 18 month program.

I'll check out the other schools as well..thanks.

nurseman78, BSN, RN, NP · Oct 10, 2009

Yes, but every school you go to you have to do two years of prerequisites. Every Associate's RN program has 2 years of prerequisites required (A and P, Patho, Microbiology, Chem, Math, English, Psych, Nutrition). What I'm wondering is how they cram the 2 years for the RN and the year and a half for the BSN into 18 months.

CPhT2RNstudent · Oct 10, 2009

Yes, but every school you go to you have to do two years of prerequisites. Every Associate's RN program has 2 years of prerequisites required (A and P, Patho, Microbiology, Chem, Math, English, Psych, Nutrition). What I'm wondering is how they cram the 2 years for the RN and the year and a half for the BSN into 18 months.

USN is an established school. They have been pumping out pharmacy students here for years. The PharmD is a 4 year program, but they go year round at USN and finish in 3 years. Being private they are much more expensive! Also their students do not have near as good of a name as those graduating from the U of U. There is a bias against their grads. That having been said I think they will have a better rep than UCC, S-H, etc. The program started in 1996 in NV, but the program is brand new to Utah. I would skip private schools as they are TOO EXPENSIVE!! If you have to do one I would pick USN, or Westminster.

This is from their about page "Graduates of the College of Nursing will be eligible to sit for the licensing exam and assume entry level RN positions, which will help to meet the community, state, and regional needs for registered nurses. The first class was admitted in April 2006."

"The USN Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. (NLNAC)."

nurseman78, BSN, RN, NP · Oct 10, 2009

You'll just have to weigh the pros and cons. Do a lot of research, as many private college programs aren't exactly upfront with you all of the time. Some things to consider are:

- Actual NCLEX pass rates

- Ability to actually sit for the NCLEX upon graduation (I know at one point Utah Career College graduates weren't able to do this after pouring out tons of money for school! I think this has been remedied now)

- Ability to take the LPN NCLEX / work as an LPN. I think personally this is very important. It was surprising to me how many RN programs DON'T allow you to do this (Stephens-Henager, Utah Career College, Westminster). Being able to sit for the LPN NCLEX has a lot of value. It lets you test on material that will be covered again in your RN NCLEX, it allows you to work as a nurse, helping you gain valuable experience and exercising critical thinking skills, plus you're compensated more than a CNA. Also, working as an LPN is often seen as valuable by employers, thus it will open more doors for employment.

- The reality of starting nursing salaries in your area. I had heard rumors of RN salaries in Utah starting around 60k / year minimum. After a quick perusal of the job listings from various healthcare institutions and making some phone calls, I found that figure to be grossly overestimated. IHC, Mountainstar and U of U hospitals were paying around $22-23 / hour last time I checked, which equates to about $48,000 / year gross income. Post-tax you're looking at around $39,000, so you can see how long a $60k+ school debt is going to take to pay off. Of course, LTC facilities, Assisted Living and Home Health pay more from what I've seen. The facility that I work for now pays case-managing RN's $30/hour. And if you're willing to relocate, other states seem to all pay more than Utah. Health care is a popular career choice among students in Utah.

aloha2you · Oct 13, 2009

I called USN to clarify and they said that the 18-months is NURSING courses ONLY. They do NOT have prereqs at the school. All students have to complete the pre-reqs at a different school and transfer them in. Its also a full-time program which allows them to have an 18-month program. Cool thing is that they teach ONE COURSE (which they call Blocks) at a time..so you don't have so much different material at the same time! You can focus on one area at a time. I'm going to check out their open house on the 21st to get more information.

nurseman78, BSN, RN, NP · Oct 14, 2009

First of all, let me say that I'm glad that you're excited about going into nursing. It's awesome, challenging, and exciting. I'm glad you've found a school you're excited about.

That's good that you called to clarify, but I think you're misunderstanding what I meant. I never lumped pre-requisite completion into the 18 months in which they claim to graduate nursing students. I figured, as you mentioned, that those would be done beforehand.

As far as I know, pretty much all ADN programs in Utah are full-time (Weber, DATC, OWATC, SLCC, U of U, BYU, UVU, Utah Career College), with four semesters to get your RN/ADN. Usually, it takes an additional 3-4 FULL TIME semesters to complete the BSN.

That is also neat that they teach one course at a time. I just wanted to say in my earlier post that completing the RN and BSN portions in the time it usually takes to complete a typical RN/ADN program is HIGHLY UNUSUAL. You're basically looking at doing something that takes 34 months of full-time school in 18 months. Most people find the typical nursing school schedule to be rigorous and challenging, so this program I imagine will be extremely compressed and demanding.

But if a person wants it bad enough, I believe they can accomplish anything. Me personally, the regular ADN program is rigorous enough .

tfleuter, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2009

It does sound like a rigorous program, so hopefully anyone considering the school will take that into consideration. Most certainly could not be done with a full time job (I dare say part time either). And the 90% requirement would have me looking the other way. Not that high grades aren't important to me. I'm in my first semester of nursing and making at least that in all my classes so far, but I don't like the idea that every test has that requirement. I would be curious to hear what their retention rates are.

Good luck for any that choose this program though! We all have different situations, so this school may be just what he or she needs. Nothing wrong with that!

nurseman78, BSN, RN, NP · Oct 20, 2009

Right, we all do have different situations. I would just be very cautious. I would hate to have someone spend 30-50k only to get an 89% (still not bad by any means) and be booted out of the program with no hope for a refund. At the nursing school I go to (DATC), they have a mantra that "80 is good". This isn't to say that they don't expect much out of their students, they do, but they understand the material and schedule are very challenging. Plus, they understand that getting A's in every class doesn't necessarily mean you'll be a good nurse.

Also, there are many in my class who are used to getting straight A's on every test in their entire scholastic career that are being humbled when, after studying all week, they pull scores in the mid-eighties. I appreciate a school who understands that sometimes, no matter how much you study, you don't always pull an A.

nurseman78, BSN, RN, NP · Oct 20, 2009

And for the record, DATC has a very good reputation and a 100% NCLEX pass rate.