Alverno College Nursing Students Out There?

Student179 · Jan 20, 2008

Can anyone out there please reply by giveing me some insight on how you are doing in Alverno? I am interested in applying to the program, but would like some feedback from current students such as the grading, teachers, etc. Thanks!

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Jan 20, 2008

moderator's friendly reminder:

please do not mention specific teachers by name. use the pm (private message) function for this. thank you.

Nurseintraining77 · Jan 20, 2008

Hi,

I started Alverno Spring 2007, but had to take some time off due to illness. From my experience the teachers were much more helpful than I expected. I fell extremely ill half way into the semester and my teachers gave me more than enough time to catch up with classwork I had missed. Not to mention before my illness there was always extra help available and teachers were willing to help you if you were not understanding something.

The atmosphere at Alverno was much more friendly and supportive than any other school I have attended. I am looking forward to returning once my health has improved.

About the grading...As you know Alverno doesn't give grades but feedback on whether or not you've met certain "abilities". It seems very unusual when you first start, but on the whole I feel it gives a more adaquate description of how capable you are in different courses. They really don't like to convert this to grades, but will for the purpose of applying for scholarships where a GPA is needed. However once you're used to the feedback, you'll be much happier with that than just a number.

Student179 · Jan 20, 2008

Hi,
I started Alverno Spring 2007, but had to take some time off due to illness. From my experience the teachers were much more helpful than I expected. I fell extremely ill half way into the semester and my teachers gave me more than enough time to catch up with classwork I had missed. Not to mention before my illness there was always extra help available and teachers were willing to help you if you were not understanding something.
The atmosphere at Alverno was much more friendly and supportive than any other school I have attended. I am looking forward to returning once my health has improved.
About the grading...As you know Alverno doesn't give grades but feedback on whether or not you've met certain "abilities". It seems very unusual when you first start, but on the whole I feel it gives a more adaquate description of how capable you are in different courses. They really don't like to convert this to grades, but will for the purpose of applying for scholarships where a GPA is needed. However once you're used to the feedback, you'll be much happier with that than just a number.

Thanksfor your prompt relply! Did you start there your freshman year? Just wonderin b/c I am transferring in & I want to start my clinicals right away &I am looking on the coursesequence outlined &Idon't know what requirement will meet some of the classes like Interpretation of Human Experience, Foundation for Natural Science II, I ask my advisor when I will be receiving a transript evaluation &she said not until mid summer.

confused_student · May 13, 2008

I am also considering attending Alverno College this fall. But I am very confused about going to a four year school or a technical college. I work with a couple of girls who go to Alverno, and they love it. They especially talk about how unique the grading system is. The tuition is on the high side, but there is no waiting list. All the technical schools in the milwaukee area all have at least a 1 to 2 year waiting list. If anyone has any suggestions on what to do it would be really appreciated. :banghead:

cjdanielson · Jun 11, 2008

I just graduated from Alverno and take my boards VERY soon. I think it is a great school. Once you actually get into the nursing classes its still pass fail however you need to get an 80% average on your nursing exams. I think going there is great choice as opposed to a technical school. The reason I say this is because it is going to take quite a bit of time to get your pre-reqs taken and then you have to wait and petition to get into the nursing programs. Then its another (I think) 1 1/2- 2yrs for clinical. Ya you can get your LPN but I think its pointless. If you go to a 4 yr college youre in and out and you have your bachelors. If you plan on going further in nursing in the future youll have to have your Bachelors to do it anyways. I love the teachers at Alverno (most of them) Peg, Patti, Kathy, Betsy, and Brenda to name a few :) good luck!

olympia · Oct 27, 2008

I am currently in the nursing program at Alverno College. Alverno's School of Nursing has just notified all of the nursing students that their program has been placed on probation by the Wisconsin Board of Nursing for their graduates having a low first-pass rate on the NCLEX. The dean and director of the SON held a question and answer session to address the issues of the probation. Not many questions were answered and the SON's response to the situation is that they are going to start requiring entrance and exit exams into the nursing program. That was about it. It is very disappointing to the students since many of us had started the program under the guise that the school was known for its excellence. The college's priority at the moment seems to be getting more students enrolled, and they are succeeding. The student/faculty ratio has gone up considerably since I began at the school two years ago. The staff is underpaid (from what they have said), and the clinical nursing resource center (CNRC) is short staffed and short on supplies making it difficult to practice and validate on required nursing skills. For spending around $10k per semester, I would highly suggest looking into other schools where you might get more for your money. I am in my junior year and have already started my clinicals, it will be tough to leave but given the circumstances it is pretty tough to stay with that particular school.

SydneyJo · Nov 5, 2008

I recently took a CNA class with a few girls who had gone to Alverno. They did not have positive things to say at all. Two of them had flunked out--I know that one said she got a 79.4% in a class that she worked extremely hard on, but to pass you had to have an 80% and her instructor would not work with her at all even though she knew it was going to cause her to be removed from the program after three years of hard work. She said the "grade" was based entirely on tests, and she wasn't good at taking the exams even though she excelled at all the other class work.

They seemed like very bright, dedicated girls who really, REALLY want to become nurses, so to hear what they had to say about Alverno was disappointing. I had considered going there but opted for Cardinal Stritch instead.

Trusty24 · Jan 16, 2010

Here is the literal scoop on Alverno's nursing program.

There should be a huge WARNING label on the nursing building and any materials that get sent out. The school itself is full of a bunch of run aroundsto get started and then once your in it, you realized how unprepared you are for it. I'm about to start my last semester in my 3rd year. I transfered into this school 2 years ago. THe nursing teachers are almost all too stressed out to help you and don't really work in the field any more and have no clue what's going on. Alverno has an 80% pass rate for everything in the nursing program. But only your online multiple choice exams count towards that, and yet you will have to write plenty of pointless papers that almost repeat themselves every semester and then do group projects that take up so much time outside of class and leave you to work with others schedules and of course the pointless homework assignments outside of the 300+ pages a week of reading, and all that, does not count Towards your grade, YET if you don't do all that extra work, you will fail even with an 80%.

Ultimatly they raise their tuitition every semester, their teachers are very out of touch, busy, rude, and not helpful (except for a special few) and the school itself if very disorganized as a whole. There is not one thing I actually like about this school and wish so badly i'd never moved here to finnish nursing school because now, their credits DO NOT transfer anywhere!!! I sugest to find another BSN program and save your self all the grief of this school!!!

olympia · Jan 16, 2010

Just to follow up on my last post and to echo the person above, she is absolutely correct: Alverno credits do not transfer anywhere. I did decide to leave the program since I just could not justify paying their outrageous tuition to attend a program that is so lacking in quality. I applied to a top nursing program in the area, was accepted, and given an academic scholarship only to find out that the new school would not recognize ANY of the nursing classes that were completed at Alverno. That being said, the fact that the work done in these classes goes unrecognized by leading universities just reiterates the poor quality of the program. What a huge disappointment, not to mention a big waste of time and money. If I could turn back time, I would have avoided Alverno like the plague. :crying2:

Nursesomeday0211 · Jul 25, 2010

Hey guys- I am interested in Alverno but am wary of the poor quality of teaching that has been discussed here. Are the professors just totally inadequate? Poor teaching and testing? Bad clinical instructors?

Thanks for any specific insight you can provide!