Olivet Nazarene University Reviews of Bachelor's in Nursing

"This is worst ABSN Program in the whole world. They are all about stealing your money. They make you run errands and waste all your time in this program. Almost all their faculty lack real world nursing experience and are completely out of touch with real world nursing. You should not be teaching core class unless you have experience as a hospital/clinic/nursing home unit nurse for at least 10 years. This faculty here just don't have it as many have not even worked full time on a unit for 5 years. Many got their MSN while working part time for 1 to 2 years so that they get cushy nursing faculty job and then they get in constant argument with students to relieve their ego and to make them look like experts. Worst school and program ever. Do not enroll here."

"Tabaka is so controlling. Same thing with Brooke Piper (just became MSN coordinator). They are running the ABSN program at Oakbrook to make money for the school and do not care about the students. Run from this school as they have no religious believes. They are trying to rob students of their money"

"I can testify to the fact that all the comments below are true about the ABSN nursing program in Oakbrook. Please read them thoroughly before taking the risk to enroll in this program. I graduated in Summer 2017 after bouncing through many hoops the school throws at students here. Someone below posted about a student in my cohort, Joee, getting arrested after a court order was filed against him by a Professor who went after him by making up an academic integrity claim. I know him personally and heard about what he had to go through over past two years.........so sad. Imagine a school making a student spend time in jail for trying to better himself and destroying his student life just for trying to become a compassionate nurse. This is ONU for you. Avoid this school at all cost!!!!!!!!!"

"Olivet Nursing ABSN Program is akin to the burning cross they have in their University logo. They want students to burn and die at this school and only interested in their money. Staff are faculty are unsupportive and always complaining about things rather than helping students. They will create reasons to get you out if they do not like you. A classmate in my cohort was kicked out of the ABSN program for a random reason and for complaining about a Professor here for unfair treatment. He is in ton of debt now, living with depression, anxiety, and without a nursing degree. He was the most compassionate and caring person that I have met in my life and would have become a great nurse. I recently heard the school also filed a lawsuit and had him arrested for reasons he was not involved in. Save yourself money and time and go to a different school. Please take this seriously. DO YOU WANT ALL THIS TROUBLE FOR YOURSELF?"

"I just want to start off saying that I have graduated this program and have gone through all 4 levels of the ABSN program. Often times on these reviews, I notice that the students who are saying that it isn't bad have not gone through the program entirely. The first two semesters are the easiest, which should be taken with a grain of salt because it is still very challenging. However, once you get to level 3 there are specialized classes along with Adult health II and 3 clinical's in one semester. Specifically for me, level 3 was challenging and because all of the professors and directors of this program always told us that this was the hardest level, I thought I had overcome the worst. But no, level 4 includes capstone, which is 180 hours and adult health III, which is the hardest class in the program. There are also two filler classes that include lots of busy work including essays due weekly. Level 4 is no joke, it is very difficult. I struggled with Adult health III, but luckily I was able to get the hang of it towards the end. This program is HARD and it is so rewarding when you finish, but there is absolutely no direction. The school will change policies in between semesters making it harder for the students who are currently in the program. Students who have terrible attitudes and make a point to constantly argue with professors never finish this program. Students who work while in this program are also more likely to fail a class or fail out of the program because there isn't enough time to study. The professors are not very helpful and it is important to read the book and really understand the material because there is no teaching in this program, there may only be some power points that are not very helpful. If you decide to come to this school (please don't), during orientation try to become friends with students who are in a higher level because they will give helpful tips on how to study/pass a class. If you fail a class in either level 1 or level 2, do not stay in the program, go somewhere else because it will be likely that you might fail another class. If you fail 2 classes, you are out if the program. Before you start any level, you will have to take a math test and if you do not pass with a 100% within 3 tries, you will have to sit out a semester while the rest of your class moves onto the next semester. I am not a student that slacks off, I was in the same boat as a prospective student thinking that the negative reviews from this program were from students who did not work hard at all, but I was wrong. This school sets people up to fail, it is not like other programs that will help students and ensure that they pass. I have seen some of the smartest people that I started off with have to retake a class because of one terrible exam that completely destroyed their exam average (77% or higher). Please consider this review when choosing an absn program, 16 months sounds amazing to get a bachelors in nursing, but out of the 50+ students that started out in my cohort, only 20 that I started out with graduated within 16 months."

"I did like everyone else, and I read the reviews. I did not have any issues with the professors in the first quarter. I do want to say this, Olivet is very very expensive, the make you buy a book package of 1,000 bucks plus in the first quarter, plus other books (mind you these books are only for the first 2 quarters). They also make you pay to take exams every week, and not to mention the cost of the,uniforms drug, background, and physical, The school is already extremely expensive I think books and uniforms should be provided. I honestly would like to tell people to go to their community college get the ADN, and then work on the BSN in order to save money because Olivet's ABSN program is a financial nightmare!"

"I first attended Purdue in 2016 to acquire my RN-BSN degree, that was a fail due to the program lack of assistance and grading system. I transferred to Olivet and graduated in 2018. The program was easy to me, I was irritated with the lack of consistency with APA grading. I graduated with a 3.3 GPA, and that was with doing the minimum or you can say a lack of really trying. I wish schools offered the opportunity to take more than one class at a time, to accelerate the program. Yes, I do work full-time and have children as well. I am currently thinking about Olivet in pursuing my FNP; since I'm already established there with paperwork."

"Do not go to this University. I am a student at the Main Campus. Professors are not clear with expectations. The administrators do not care about student success. Seems staff are openly prejudiced here. They do not like minority students here. The Dean of the program is openly prejudiced."

"Be careful with this school ! The admission office is a mess. I dropped a class because I was going through some personal issues, the office told me to stop any activities in the class, so I did, next thing I know they gave me a failing grand and disqualified me from the program, even though I sent all my paperwork not once but twice . I dont believe this is a Christian school bunch of liars"

"When I first started searching for ABSN programs, I read a lot of terrible reviews about Olivet. I won't lie. However, most of the reviews you see online are from people who have failed out and/or are ticked off, right? I thought maybe that was the case. So, I decided to get on LinkedIn and reach out to some people who had actually graduated from the program. After 2 phone calls, I was hearing many of the same things. Yes, it's SOOOOOOOO hard. Yes, it sometimes sucks. Yes, it can be annoying. No, they aren't going to hold your hand and baby you. But overall, these people had gotten through and recommended it. I agree with some of the comment above. It is very challenging. No one who works full time is making it through at the moment. It is what it is. Yes, some people drive far for clinical rotations. Yes, it's very expensive. That's all true. However, a LOT of things have changed in the program (from what I hear from other students who came before me). There are some new systems in place that allow for better studying. And genuinely, the teachers I have all care SO MUCH about every single student. Honestly, they do. I personally came to Olivet because it was close to home and because my GPA was a tad lower than most schools wanted, so I couldn't get into some of my 1st choices. With hard work and commitment, I have been getting almost all A's in this program. They also offer 16 month, 20 month, and I believe like 24 month or 36 month programs so people can spread it out. I am not saying this is the end all be all ABSN program. I have just had a good experience so far. If you want to succeed, realize that they aren't going to hand feed you. They treat you like adults. It's very strict, but I have kids and have had no trouble adhering to the "strict rules" that are in place. I also know that making some study friends in the program is crucial for success. Hope this helps anyone who was looking to sway their opinion 1 way or another."

"I graduated from ONU's ABSN program in Oak Brook, Illinois in the advertised 16 months, and I have what I think to be an honest and helpful review of the program for those who are wondering whether this program is meant for them. Cost: This program costs over $55,000 not including scrubs, books, and gas money. I put 35,000 miles on my car in the 16 months that I attended this program. Work load: The work load is INTENSE. I did school work and studied every single day of this program. I did NOT work at all during the program, but I am a single parent, and I still managed to graduate with honors. Clinicals: They are many and they are far. I drove no less than an hour for every one of my clinicals. Clinical locations are very difficult to secure (for any school), so if you live far away (particularly away from the burbs), do not expect (as I did), that your clinicals will be nearer to you than the school. Most of the clinical shifts were 12 hours, and, depending on the clinical professor, you could expect to work 8-12 hours of that shift. Clinicals ARE scheduled on weekends and days before tests. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I had mandatory clinicals on Saturdays two out of four semesters. Some people had 7 straight weeks of mandatory Saturday AND Sunday 12-hour clinical shifts during their last semester of school. The classroom: I hope you like your desk because that's your new classroom. Lectures are not taught on the Oak Brook campus. While some professors occasionally review material in class, the Oak Brook campus is intended for learning and practicing skills. Most classes required reading all of the assigned reading without any direction. Often, tests covered over 100 pages of textbook material. If you want to pass your tests, you HAVE TO READ THE TEXTBOOK. Some teachers offer Power Points, but they are outdated and not meant to replace the textbook. No PowerPoint ever helped me with a test. The book is what you have to study. Grading policies: You must receive a 77% average on your tests to pass any class. You could have a 95% in the class, but if your test average is 77.99%, you will have to repeat the class, pay for the class again, and complete all the requirements for that class again. If you fail a class with a required clinical, you must also repeat the clinical experience. For some classes, this may mean repeating 90 hours of clinical work. Teachers: Like any school, some are better than others. You do not have a choice in who your teacher is, as there is only one professor for each required course. Some teachers create tests that are nearly impossible to pass, and there is nothing that can be done about it. WILL YOU GRADUATE IN 16 MONTHS? Statistically, there is a better chance that you will NOT graduate in 16 months. Of the 43 students I started the program with, only 20 graduated on time. Several failed out, dropped out, or had to repeat classes and will graduate eventually. Why do people fail? EVERY SINGLE PERSON who worked full time either failed out of this program or had to cut back to a part time school schedule in order to keep up with coursework. Most who graduated on time did not work at all. EVERY SINGLE PERSON who had a crappy attitude failed out. If you have ever told a professor off, quit your job in the middle of a shift, screamed "IT'S NOT FAAAAIR" in your adult life, or been told you have problems with authority, this program is NOT FOR YOU. You will be pushed out one way or another. Is this program for you? If you cannot answer yes to the following questions, I would not recommend this program. Do you have a reliable car? Can you secure the funds needed to pay for the entirety of this program? Are you good at taking tests? Are you good at working independently? Are you good at learning by reading? Do you work less than 20 hours a week? Do you get along well with others? Are you highly self-motivated? If you have children, do you have a reliable person who can watch them any time you need to study? If you can't say yes to all of those, I'd choose another college, and here's why: Olivet is VERY expensive. The only way I could justify the cost was that I could start working 6 months earlier than I could have if I had gone to my local community college. Plus, I figured, I'd make more money off the bat having a BSN, and I wouldn't have to pay for an RN-to-BSN program (which are very reasonably priced, I believe). 6 months of RN work yields about 30,000, making this program seem much more reasonable. If it had taken me two years to finish, I could have done a different program and been in much less debt."

"Going to olivet Nazarene University ABSN is a nightmare and worst mistake of my lifetime. They are not supportive of student needs. Professors are barely available to help you succeed. Many professors here full of ego. They think of themselves as above everyone and highly qualified when they have barely worked as floor nurses and do not have enough experience themselves to teach kids. These Professors here are nurses who couldn't stand the rigor of the life on the nursing floor, so they decided to turn into full time educators. No sense of passion, empathy, or love that are hallmark to the field of nursing. Check the linkedin profiles of a lot of professors here. Apart from the lab coordinator and few others, very few of them have nursing unit experience. Many are straight out of school (less than 5 years of floor nursing experience and barely worked as an NP or FNP) yet them claim to know everything. This is the reality of this school. They just want your money and there lure you in through there various ads and convince you that they are faithful followers of Christanity. In reality, they give christanity a bad name. Do not attend this school."

"Looking back at how far I have made it, I wish I walked out the first day. The funny part is the very first day of orientation of level 1 a level 4 student told me and several peers that this program is complete trash. Staff and teachers literally could care less about you. There is absolutely no support and guidance from instructors once you hit level 3. If all the instructors were like the level 1 and 2 instructors then the class portion of the program would be great. Clinical situation is a hot mess so there is no way the program would be tailored to you. Literally made me drive 64 miles 1 way when there was a site much closer to my home. I would not recommend this money pit to my worst enemy. Good luck surviving if you plan on going here!"

"This is the worst school to attend; staff members do not care about you as an individual, its only about money.I was in an accelerated BSN program getting good grades until I entered into mental health, this Professor was not organized nor was the class structured. The class did not receive PowerPoints; tools or other materials to help pass the class, I was literally just told to read several chapters on top of chapters. I did not receive my first exam until 6 weeks into the semester which the exam was a nightmare. I Complained!! I was penalized for the Professor not being clear with assignments. I complained to the program coordinator and I was told things would get better, it didnt. after the third test I dropped the class and was told it was to late and Im responsible to pay 3 grand. It is sad to say this is suppose to be s religious caring school unfortunately its not this school does not stand for any of their core values. I am paying for school out of pocket. this incident really saddened me and prevented me from not wanting to continue my education at this school. Caring staff would have looked at my history and investigated the situation. This school done nothing but give me the run- around for a year."

"Where can i start?? How about complete garbage and evil? For most employed people including myself accepting a job means that we have to do the work that we agreed upon in the title and duties of the position. If we breech this agreement by either not working or doing a half-way job our employment is terminated. Olivet instructors seem to be able to get away with the impossible because they accept a paycheck that YOUR tuition funded and they sit back and do absolutely nothing that their job description requires. And guess what ?!? They still have a job!! Not all are like this but it only takes one awful instructor to either make your life a living nightmare or make you fail. Talk about a major feeling of being ripped off... Reading these reviews on here makes me sad because so many of my peers were highly educated and intelligent people who just had the short end of the stick by either getting rammed over by their clinical situation or instructors that targeted them. It is kind of hard to juggle reading 200 + pages per week for 2 exams in 1 day, homework, 2-3 clinicals per week that can be up to 2 hours away for 8-12 hours, all with no guidance or support from your instructors. Seriously I learned more from YouTube than I ever did from those "instructors". I literally sent an email for clarification on a topic and the instructor told me that she couldn't explain because no one would my hand for the nursing licensure exam. The ABSN program is not worth it 100%. Olivet has a reputation of being a horrible school so take that into consideration when you are looking for a program. 16 months is what they use to lure you in because ABSN programs are typically designed for people that are making a career change so Olivet takes advantage of that by targeting this population. They know people want a quick in and out all with a BSN vs ADN title and will go there with high hopes of success. Ir is a total waste of your time, energy, money, and effort. Do not go here."

"To the future potential students reading all these comments - take them seriously! I was once in your shoes where I said okay, maybe these students are mad because they are lazy or they are bad students. Let me tell you- I was 100% wrong. Olivets ABSN program is the most traumatizing experience of my life. You can work your hardest and give your 110% into studying and you will still fail exams. When I say fail I mean less than 77% because anything below that is considered failing on Olivets standards. Thats something that they dont mention until orientation day. Level 1 and 2 were a breeze because those instructors have experience teaching and actually want to see you succeed. Level 3 is a nightmare and level 4 is even worse. Please do not go here. It is a waste of your money and time. The stress is also not worth it. If you make it to level 3 you will see that certain instructors are just down right wicked and cruel and believe me - they are untouchable because so many students have complained and yet they still have a job. The program director, level 1, and level 2 instructors are angels and a blessing to that nightmare of an institution. Their hearts are in the right place and they sincerely want to see you all become successful nurses, but unfortunately there are too many problematic people and flaws rooted in the program. Please save yourself from this institution and go somewhere else where every single employed instructor will care about you and actually make an effort to help you become a successful nurse."

"All of the reviews about the ABSN program on here are 100% correct. This program is by far the worst decision I have made in my life. From the second you walk into the program they hound you for money and once they get it, they stop attending to you. The instructors in level 1 and 2 have experience TEACHING while the ones in level 3 and 4 do not. That is exactly why level 1 and 2 were a breeze. Since I started the program 3 teachers were let go because they were so incompetent and lacked all of the qualities of a teacher. Instructors have no problem lying to you and making life as difficult as possible. Since I started more than half the class failed out, transfered, or got held back and that says a lot about the integrity of the program because everyone in my original class had a bachelors, masters, or experience in the field. It is better for you to go somewhere else where teachers actually care about their students, are willing to teach, and do not scream at tutors for attempting to help you learn a topic. Do not listen to the advertisements of this legal scam- 16 months can easily turn into 20+. Another point to add is that this program does not have good relations with hospitals or nursing homes so their clinical spots are very limited- be prepared to drive 2+ hours 1 way from your home."

"Beyond horrible. Seriously cannot believe someone gave this place 4/5 stars. They must be delusional or a brown-noser which seems to be the only way to get through to the staff. Some instructors are really nice and willing to help you but once you hit level 3 and 4 it all changes. The profs could care less because they do not want you to succeed. I agree with the instructors and staff when they say do NOT work unless you are working behind a desk where you can actually study then go ahead and work. Much of this program is broken promises and dreams. They promise you that you will be done in 16 months so you start to dream about it. Next thing you know more than half of your classmates either failed or dropped out. No wonder they hide those stats from the public. Once your check from the bank clears they could care less about you and basically tell you that they can't help because when you sit down to take the NCLEX no one will help you. Those instructors should be so ashamed of themselves for claiming that they are apart of the church of Nazarene. Avoid this place unless you are willing to go to the depths of the underworld and be another victim of an expensive scam."

"I am only writing this review because I believe the only people writing reviews on this website have had a poor experience. I have loved my journey with Olivet but it does come with it's challenges. This is a web blended program which means everything is online expect exams and skills which you will go to campus for once or twice a week. This program is not for you if you cannot devote your time for 16 months. If you have to work full or part time, do not go to this program because you won't succeed. OR go part time, part time is a great option for those who HAVE to work throughout the program. If you cannot learn through reading and online lectures, this program is not for you. I have also had a great experience with the professors. Not all of them are great, but if you show you care, they will help you. If you want a nursing degree and can devote 16 months of nothing but studying and school, you can do it and this program is for you. Don't let all these other comments get to you because the only people writing these reviews are those who had a bad experience. I know a lot of people who graduated in 16 or 20 months from this program and are now nurses because they devoted themselves. Its all about how much you put into it."

"Future students, please avoid this school at all costs. I was once like you and read the reviews on here and thought maybe the people who wrote the reviews were lazy. Those people were not lazy because I lived a nightmare for almost 16 months. They promise that you will be done in 16 months but that is a lie for many people. My original level started off with around 50 people and we are now down to 30. I think that says a lot about this program. Staff encourages you to go part time in the 3rd level because its very challenging if you havent had kids. First off, we know that nursing school is not a walk in the park but they dont even make an attempt to give students a chance. They have no issue with failing people even if the issue is with the instructors. There were 22 people that failed OB one semester and Olivet did not care cause that instructor is still employed. You also will have instructors that do not respond to emails for 9+ days even though the handbook says that they have 24 hours to respond. The classes are all online and its pretty awful that instructors signed up for it but yet do not respond to emails. Level 1 is easy because they want your money. Once you are in the program and they received the tuition money from you they will send you down the drain. There are several instructors that do care and that do want to help but for the most part your instructors could care less because at the end of the day they are still getting paid. The clinical situation is also a nightmare. They will send you to places that are 2+ hours away from your home even if there is a clinical site 15 minutes away. Most people that enroll already have a degree and some even have a masters. This goes to show that the student population is educated and the fact that many of these people either failed or transferred is further validation that this program is awful. I would have transferred after level 1 had I known 2,3,4 were a nightmare. Future students please please avoid this school because it is not worth the stress one bit. Please look into other ABSN programs if you are trying to finish quick."