What's the Best Way of Rating Nursing Schools in CA?

NurseMM · Feb 12, 2013

Ask on here! What programs are you looking into? Most make you pass a bridge type class before entering their programs. Good Luck to you!

barcode120x, RN, NP · Feb 13, 2013

I'm sure you can do a google search on ratings for schools as everyone's personal opinion is well, there own opinion. I've been told from my program director and instructors that the LVN-RN bridge program is not really the way to go in terms of educational grades. Although my school has the bridge, they recommended LVNs to apply and start the RN program from the beginning instead of starting a semester or two in as they have noticed a fairly large drop rate/no-pass rate from LVN-RN bridge students. Just what I was told a few weeks ago at my nursing orientation. A couple of the new classmates I met as well as some of the 2nd semester students were LVNs and chose to start at the beginning and was approved of starting the program from the beginning because of the content LVNs miss.

I'm sure that this doesn't apply to all schools, but it's something to think about.

barryantler · Feb 13, 2013

I origionally applied to 14 community college RN programs in CA that used the lottery system. All totaled, I was accepted to three schools. I visited each school, went to their orientations, snooped around, going to the hospitals where they held their clinicals--asking former and current nursing students what they thought of the program. I tried to research on the Net, but did not have much luck finding out any info on the nursing programs of those schools. I wish I had read the rateyourprofessor.com comments beforehand on one teacher in particular of the school I eventually did choose, Merced College. We butted heads BIG TIME! When I called him on his inappropriate behavior, it was "suggested" that I transfer over to the LVN program. I encountered some rather difficult hardships in the LVN program as well. An irate instructor that intensely pressured me to administer a medication to a pt. without allowing me to look at my med. sheet, which turned out to be a med error--then carefully covering it up--the consequences could very well have been fatal. The same instructor's attendance fell off so dramatically in the third semester that she was nearly absent from the classroom more than present. She also violated my First Amendment civil rights by bringing God into her lectures on a regular basis.

I just want to try to avoid some of these totally unnecessary pitfalls and find a RN program where I feel I can concentrate on my studies and not have so many obstacles in my way.

barcode120x, RN, NP · Feb 14, 2013

Regardless of the school, you have hardships and obstacles of all kind no matter what AND the program will be hard. But yeah, now that you know about ratemyprofessors, you should be able to get a gist of what kind of instructors to expect at a school.

As far as LVN-bridge programs, the only one I know of is my school Mt. SAC, but as I posted earlier, LVNs are recommended to start the RN program freshly new. Good luck in finding a good bridge program and don't forget about RMP!