Hello-
For any nursing majors/nurses/nurse employers:
How skeptical would you be about entering a nursing program in its second year of existence? I am a high school senior and one of my top small, private schools has just launched their School of Nursing. I would be in the second graduating class. Like everyone else, I’m looking for job security and decent pay, and I’m also hoping to go to grad school and become an NP sometime in the future. Is getting started at a little school in a brand new nursing program a bad idea, or should I be fine as long as I maintain a high GPA (which I am confident I will) and have a bachelor’s degree? Any advice is appreciated.
IMO you want the least expensive route into nursing possible. A small new private would not be my choice for my kid, what solid state schools could you get in as in state with your stats? How about entry via non all 4 yr methods?
A new program needs more questioning than a well established program. It takes time for a college to build up a good nursing faculty, because there are a shortage of qualified nurse educators. Has the program been fully accredited? Do they have a full set of clinicals lined up?
If there are many nursing programs in the immediate area, a new program may have a harder time getting clinical spots for their students. There may not be as many quality opportunities, or you may have to travel further for them. Because of a shortage of nearby hospitals, one university uses state prisons for their clinicals.
Florida de-regulated their nursing education regulations, and opened the door to a whole bunch of new programs, including many by for-profits. The results were not pleasant.
Thanks for your response, Alfonsia and Charliesch. Going off Charlie’s answer, what are the specific points/questions that I need to cover before deciding if this nursing program is worth my time? Such as whether they have a full set of clinicals lined up. I would appreciate so much if someone could help me with a list like that.
The only thing that I would worry about is how well they teach… You will get the degree but if you cannot pass the NCLEX you cannot practice. With an established nursing program you can see the pass rate.
You want to ask the same questions you would of any other college, but be more suspicious of the answers. A college may show you plans of a fancy new nursing building that they plan to build - but it may not be completed while you are attending. See if they have a modern simulation lab. Ask where the majority of the clinicals take place.
One of the most critical issue with a NEW Nursing Program is: Is it Accredited? Most new programs takes a few years to get accreditation and with the proper accreditation, the it might be difficult to get your credits transfer to other Institutions for your NP or if you decide to transfer to another University to complete your ADN/BSN. Most Employers will not recruit graduates from unaccredited Nursing Programs. Since this is a new nursing program, it is unlikely that it is accredited by the appropriate Nursing Accreditation body. I would avoid this School at all cost, especially if they are telling prospective students that they will get the accreditation before they graduate. Typically, the Nursing program would need to graduate one or more classes and these students pass the NCLEX for the accreditation body to access their “readiness” to received accreditation. Could you tell us the name of the school and is it a For-Profit Private School?