Which nursing school for my daughter

kateee · Apr 11, 2015

I am looking at nursing schools in mass as well! Right now I am between worcester state and elms college. I looked at endicott and it was really a great school! Nice dorms and the nursing staff seemed really great! They also do a nursing internship in whatever specialty you choose senior year, along with regular clinical a which is cool! I did not like that they cut their child birth section of curriculum short to have an extra class in critical care, only because I was to do l&d. Also,It was a little too far away from where I am, too expensive, and the people there were kind of stuck up, so I decided not to go there. I really like elms because it is small, the nursing program is excellent and I hear great things about it, and everyone there seems really nice! Including the staff who are really interested in helping their students! Also got a great scholarship so I probably will end up there! Hope this helps!:)

kateee · Apr 11, 2015

Another thing..I looked at westfield state but didn't even consider it after finding out I would have to take 12 credits of foreign language:no:

NurseKatie08, MSN · Apr 11, 2015

I am a huge advocate of state schools for nursing programs...the price is right and we all sit for the same boards in the end. I'm a graduate of Salem State for both my BSN and MSN in Nursing education. Has your daughter visited the schools? That made a huge difference for me in deciding where to go. Good luck!

Editorial Team / Admin · Apr 11, 2015

Some of the best things to look at when considering schools for nursing include accreditation by either ACEN or CCNE as well as NCLEX pass rates. Other things I would look at would include services offered near/after graduation, such as interviewing and resume workshops, grading policies (passing at some schools can be in the 80% range), retention rates (how many students drop out/fail out of the program), and other statistics about the program.

Christinajoannne · Apr 12, 2015

Agreed with one of the posters above. ^

I'm a huge advocate for in-state schooling. I believe the things you should be focusing on when choosing a nursing school is 1.) the accreditation 2.) the passing rate of the school - what percentage of the students in that nursing school pass when they take the boards 3.) the cost - cheap tutition, being a commuter = less debt and potential money for a masters in nursing or just nice savings when she graduates 4.) the nursing ranking of the school in the state

:)

In the end, the name of the school, doesn't really matter in my opinion. Everyone takes the same boards. And in the end, a license is a license.

It's also good to check out the grading policies, whereby some schools being strict with grading policies (ie. less than a 80 is a fail) and also to check, how many people get "kicked out" of the programs. That way, you can have an idea how a nursing program is like in terms of grades.

johsonmichelle · Apr 12, 2015

Agreed with one of the posters above. ^
"the passing rate of the school - what percentage of the students in that nursing school pass when they take the boards "
THIS! , thats very important to look at because some have great nclex pass rates but when you look at the retention rates, their horrible. Now its expected that schools lose people over the course of the program, but if there is a significant loss then thats a red flag. Go to a school that is good and affordable. With their student loan crisis in this country, one has to be very careful about going into debt especially for schooling.

scaredsilly, BSN, RN · Apr 12, 2015

First-go to the state BON's website and check NCLEX pass rates. I would stay away from any school with out at least a 95% pass rate.

If there are schools that are equal on that, then move on to checking the grading scale, and then the clinical sites. Most schools do well on that, but some schools do most of their clinical sites at nursing homes and you want her to be able to do her clinicals at hospitals to both learn more and start building contacts that will help her get a job after she passes her boards. I strongly suggest for that reason that she go to school in whatever state she is going to want to work.

If you narrow it down and still have a couple that are equal, think about things like money (tuition costs will vary) and distance. It is going to be cheaper if she can live at home, but you don't want to saddle her with an extremely long commute.

The fact that she was accepted to so many schools is awesome! Best of luck!