Why did you pick the nursing school you did?

Joe NightingMale, MSN, RN · Jan 18, 2008

I got a couple of reasons for choosing which NS I did:

1. Recommendation from a retired NS professor. She told me which programs were good and which path would probably be best.

2. Location, as I didn't want to have to move.

3. Prerequisites, because I didn't want to have to take many.

4. Acceptance, because I applied to two and one accepted me and one didn't.

There were other factors as well, including both the terminal degree and the time involved, which will vary depending upon your goals. Also money may well be a factor for many.

Jules A, MSN · Jan 18, 2008

I applied to all of the programs that were within my driving range of 1 1/2 hours each way. I was fortunate to get into several and picked the one that was closest to me. They were all about the same price and I'm not too worried about their NCLEX passing rates as I believe passing the boards is a solo sport. :)

Kevin RN08 · Jan 18, 2008

Location, Location, Location!

Seriously, this being a career change and since I'm doing very minimal work to concentrate on school, location was a big consideration since the next closest program (same school) is about 20 miles (vs 3 I am traveling now) and the next option is 40+.

Things to look for:

1. Accreditation, schools must be properly accreditted (NLN).

2. NCLEX pass rate- can be found on most State Board of Nursing websites.

3. Word of mouth, not only from students but nurses in your area how do the students perform after school- are they prepared?

RNMom2010 · Jan 18, 2008

Location! It takes only around 10 minutes from my door to the school parking lot!

Music in My Heart · Jan 18, 2008

I applied to only one school and got in. The reasons I applied there included (in no particular order):

Location - It is close enough to my home to work for me.
Timing - I decided to become a nurse in October. This program took applications in April, admitted in July, and began in January. In other words, it was the shortest cycle for me.
Prerequisites - They did not "stale date" the prerequisites so I was able to apply my anatomy and chemistry classes that were ten years old. I therefore completed my prerequisites in only one semester.
Cost - It's a public university and the program is state subsidized. The equivalent program at the local private school costs about five times as much. I simply couldn't afford that.
Terminal Degree - It was desirable to me to earn an MSN. This is a generic program which is important to me.
Program length - The program runs 18 months. With the application cycle and program length, it was the fastest way for me to become an RN.
Connection - I pursued my second degree there. I was able to secure a recommendation from an Emeritus Professor which I thought would be very helpful.

MB37 · Jan 18, 2008

1. I was only interested in schools that offered ABSN programs, since I already have a BS

2. I wasn't willing to commute over an hour.

3. I wasn't willing to pay private school tuition.

The only school left is accredited, 30 minutes from my apartment, has a >95% 1st time NCLEX pass rate, and a great reputation in the area. I'll graduate in August, and I've had great professors and clinical experiences so far.

srun21 · Jan 18, 2008

I researched my area for all the nursing schools and what kind of programs they had. Since I already have a Bachelors in another field, money was a deciding factor for me. The diploma program I applied to provided tuition assistance in the form of a work commitment after I graduate. This worked out great for me, because I planned on working in my area anyway. Also, I was told that it was a great school by students that go there and the NCLEX pass rates were high. It was the only school I ended up applying to and I got in.

WDWpixieRN, RN · Jan 18, 2008

Time & money.

I have a previous BS in Business and it was suggested by a friend who's a nurse and who I've known for 30+ years that I do this the quickest and cheapest way possible. I was well qualified to enter accelerated BSN programs, but honestly, at this point in my life, did not want to be all-consumed by my education while in school (Ha!! Little did I know!!). Additionally, I still owe on that BS from my former life and wasn't interested in adding to it.

My ADN from the local CC will have me graduated with no added loans and the ability to get the same basic pay as a BSN would've given me. They have a great rep, have had a nursing program for years, and a good pass rate for the NCLEX.

I plan to pursue my BSN and eventually my MSN when I find an employer to help subsidize it!!

bailey728 · Jan 18, 2008

1. Most important factor for me: I wanted a school connected to a respected teaching hospital. This narrowed it down to 2 for me in my area. The other reasons were then secondary.

2. Cost: How much was tuition for entire program (#3 relevant in this consideration)? Also, did school offer tuition in exchange for work commitment?

3. Length of program (I was only interested in accelerated programs; one school offered a 12 month program; the other only offered 2 years.)

4. Clinical vs research (I've worked in research for past 10 years and was sick of it; I wanted a program that was mostly clinical with less research/theory.)

catzy5 · Jan 18, 2008

I haven't picked a school to apply to quite yet but I wanted to know why everyone who was or is in nursing school choose the one they did?

mine was the closest to me, I can't go too far for clinicals I need to be home when my kids get out of school or soon there after, so I really only had one choice. Also I wanted to get in quickly I didn't want to be on any wait lists my CC chooses canidates on GPA alone. Worked out pefect for my situation.

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 18, 2008

It's been many years since I went to school, but I have always taken a very different approach than the previous posters. As a single woman, location didn't matter to me. I was free to move to go to school both for my undergraduate education as well as for my MSN and then again for my Phd. I

In all 3 cases, I focused on the same factors:

1. The curriculum. Did it make sense to me? Were these courses that I wanted to take? Did they sound interesting to me? For my undergraduate program, I didn't want to have to re-apply after taking pre-req's. I wanted a school that would accept me into the nursing program as a freshman. I chose a major university in which I got a good general liberal arts education for the first year ... then took more liberal arts plus a couple of nursing classes in the sophomore year, then took mostly nursing classes (with a few liberal arts electives) in my junior and senior years.

2. Quality of program -- academic strength for going to grad school later -- good reputations -- high NCLEX pass rates, etc. Would be respected by future schools and future employers.

3. Quality of life. Was the school located in a region in which I would be willing to live? Would I meet people that I would want to get to know and do things with? etc. Actually, that was a big part of my undergraduate decision. My father insisted that I go to an out-of-state school so that I would meet people from different walks of life and a different area of the country than the one I grew up in. He wanted me (and my siblings) to use our college experience as an opportunity to expand our horizons a bit.

I got my education at 3 different schools -- all major known schools on the national scene -- alocated in 3 different areas of the country. Each had its own "flavor" that has added to my perspective of nursing. I don't regret any of the decisions I made in choosing schools.