The University of Colorado - Denver

Date: Jan 20 2015
Major: Nursing (This Major's Salary over time)
The University of Colorado Denver's College of Nursing is often hyped as the best nursing school in the state and frequently makes top 20 national rankings. While the school may be regarded as deserving of these titles by outside reviewers, my experiences of have not been representative of this acclaim. The professors are often unprepared for class, give misleading or contradictory information in lecture and frequently bristle defensively when questioned or challenged. Students are regarded as incompetent, incapable, and slow. The staff frequently insult you with passive aggressive statements about your lack of ability while making a point to highlight their own superior knowledge and experience. No credit is given for your prior life experiences or work background. The clinical experiences are extremely limited. Previous classes of nurses would spend weeks in the hospital, learning how to become proficient, well educated nurses with hands-on learning experiences. This is no longer the case at UCD. My clinical experiences have been limited to, at most, 4 days in the hospital. Instead the college of nursing has moved to simulation experiences where students practice their skills in over-simplified scenarios where fellow students or mannequins act as the patient. I have been extremely disappointed by the education I have received at UCD College of Nursing. I do not feel as though I am being prepared for real world clinical situations. If you are a hands-on learner, looking for an education based on authentic hospital experience I would strongly recommend looking into another school before you subject yourself to the extensive and highly competitive application process and the frustration of such a limited education.