Which school is better in Dallas, Texas for LVN? Concorde,Platt, or Dallas Nursing In

wendy76248 · Apr 10, 2009

who is confirming the concorde arlington bridge program? i would defintely be interested in that. i am graduating from concorde in a few weeks(...yeah!!!!) and according to the academic dean, when i spoke with him a few weeks back, was told that the idea has been thrown around and they would like to do that, though implementation would be years away.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Apr 10, 2009

TheCommutter,
Are you talking about Concorde in Arlington, and what school are you doing your bridge program through if you don't mind me asking?

I'm completing my bridge at a private technical school in OKC.

wendy76248 · Apr 10, 2009

for the past 12 months i have heard rumors (on campus) swirling that the arlington campus was starting the bridge. the academic dean denied it would be starting soon and made the comment that they want the program, but it would be more in the future and would be at the new, still being built dallas campus location. i prefer the trade school route as it's a better fit and if there is a trade school bridge program in dfw area i want to make sure i don't miss the info so i can get signed up....especially if there is a waiting list as there was for concorde's evening VN program.

futurearmynurse25 · Apr 10, 2009

Since you are graduating from Concorde in a few weeks...CONGRATS on all that you've accomplished. I'm thinking about applying to their day program starting in June, and I just have a question about the clinical rotations. The counselor that I talked to I don't think that he has all the answers, but he was telling me that as far as clinicals goes they are not scheduled 2 days in a row. That you don't really know when your clinicals were scheduled at also. I just wanted to know was that true. I'm thinking that they have to at least give you a schedule or something. Since their are 5 levels was every level like 2 and a half months or so? Thanks for your help in advance!!

wendy76248 · Apr 10, 2009

i think it's great that you are going back to school. personally, i have liked concorde. is it perfect? NO, but what school is? it's a great option when you want to be a nurse without the pre-reqs and the long wait, i look at the huge expense as a convience for a quicker admission. i have done very well, and believe you will get out of anything what you put in. while, ultimately, i plan on going on for my RN, this was a good fit for this time in my life. i know that some doors will be closed for me as some hospitals are not "LVN friendly" though there are still more options than just home health and nursing homes. ironically, one commom complaint i hear from other students at school is this expectation because the private school charges the big bucks that they automatically assume that should mean they get straight A's. I told my boss this theory as his daughter is at a private university and he pays $30,000 a year that he should have her try that one! i am in the evening program which is a bit different than the day. the program is 22 months long and you go to school either mon/wed or tue/thur from 6 pm to 10 pm and then every other weekend, which is when you do your clinicals. level 1 you are on-site for the weekends and they have manequins that you practice your skills on (i.e. catheterization, trach care, wound care, NG tube insertion, etc.) the next level you go to a nursing home, and the rest of the levels are either a hospital or LTAC. they don't know exactly what site you will have because the class is broken into groups of 8-10 and will go to different sites. my class has 26 students left (started with 33) and we are split between 3 different hospitals/LTACs. a few weeks (seems like this part does tend to be last minute) before you start the next level the lists come out with the site, instructor, and students assigned. they let you switch sites if you want, just you and the person who want to switch sites both have to see the DON to verify you both really want to switch. i did that in level 2 because i wasn't assigned to the facility closest to my house and found someone to switch with. the schedules are hung up on the board, so i have seen the days clinical lists and they do non-consecutive days for clinicals. you will also be told (this only applies for the day program) that while you in the classroom the hours are 8 am - 5 pm that cliniclas will not be gaurenteed to follow those hours, and i know for a fact that they don't. you may have clinicals on tue and friday one week that are starting at 6 am or end at 7 pm. we were told that we take the hours the facility gives as it can be more difficult for an LVN program to get the hospital to accept us than if we were RN students. any more questions, let me know and i will try to answer.

futurearmynurse25 · Apr 11, 2009

Thank you! You pretty much cleared up a lot of answers that I had questions to. I have all of my pre-requisites completed I was having a hard time getting answers from the counselor about bridging over later. All he was pretty much trying to do was get me to take the pre-admission test which I took already, and to talk to financial aid. We'll see how things go I'm going to take the NET test on Tuesday, and see if I make it to the waitlist for the June class, and if not I guess I'll have to wait till September I believe he said that was the next class. I've applied to about 6 community colleges already for their LVN and RN programs so I'm just waiting for my acceptance letters. I want to go to Concorde, but since he is talking about a waitlist I had to seek other options.

JavaMama98 · Apr 18, 2009

I'm a Platt graduate and just so you know, it is accredited. Not trying to start anything but yes....it is accredited, always has been. No, credits may not transfer but that doesn't reflect poorly on the school; that's just how the system is set up. Going to a private school was a quicker "in" for me and already had 45 previous college credits. Where you decide to go to school depends as much on cost and location as what fits in to YOUR lifestyle and needs. Just something to keep in mind.

wendy76248 · Apr 18, 2009

[Where you decide to go to school depends as much on cost and location as what fits in to YOUR lifestyle and needs. Just something to keep in mind]

you are so right. that is why i choose concorde. LVN is a good fit in my life right now, and i choose Concorde because i live north of fort worth and Concorde was the only LVN program with a minimal wait, no pre-reqs, and (more importantly) an evening program in a drivable distance. it wasn't good reviews or word of mouth....pure convience of meeting my goal....which is ultimately how we have to make our decisions.

starsgirl78 · Apr 21, 2009

Congratulations Wendy! I'll see you on Saturday. I'm graduating from the day program. Just picked up my cap and gown today!

Regarding the Concorde bridge program, I have been hearing about that since I started the program. The ground breaking is always just around the corner! I'm skeptical. They told us when we started that they had secured a location and would be ready LAST December. I think that's the standard MO for Concorde, though. In talking to grads from years past, apparently they got the same story when they were in school.

Overall, I was pleased with the school. However, I do question the professionalism of the new administrators that have just come in during the last couple months. I'm not exactly a boat rocker, either. I came in, did my work, maintained my status on the President's List, and had a great rapport with my instructors. It wasn't until the last month before I graduated that I developed any sort of negative feelings about the program and all of that is due to the new staff. The level of training that I received was excellent and I feel well prepared to hit the floor. The faculty is excellent and my fourth level instructors were especially amazing, but these new admins have some issues. Once they work out their kinks and realize they are running a professional school for adults rather than a reform school for wayward teens, I think things will be fine. That being said, I think Concorde is at the top as far as education goes. But I would rather jam a 16G in my eyeball than have to endure the new admins any longer! :lol2:

GeauxNursing · Apr 21, 2009

DNI has been talking about their Bridge for a while now, too. Since I graduated I haven't heard anything more. But another year at DNI, another 23 grand? No thanks!

kat7ap · Apr 21, 2009

I attended Concorde in 2005-2006 and they were talking about starting a bridge program back then, so don't hold your breath.... I suppose it is promising that Concorde's Colorado school has had an RN and LPN-RN bridge program for a few years now.

JavaMama98 · Apr 23, 2009

I just got my first nursing job today and let me tell you...not one place that I turned in an application asked me where I went to school. They wanted to know if I was licensed and for how long. Of course you don't want to go to any old school that you nothing about but really and truly you get out of nursing school what you put in to it. Believe me, we had our fair share of trials and mishaps at my school but when in doubt, use your resources (other nurses on clinicals, other instructors, other staff as needed). You want to make sure that you get the information you need to pass boards because most of what you'll learn you'll learn on the job anyway.