Testimonials

“UCCS was a perfect fit for me. I was looking for a local program who had a strong reputation for educating experienced RNs. Also, I have been impressed with the 4-year BSN RNs I helped to train on my floor at Memorial Hospital. As a proud Coloradan, I have always been impressed with the educational institutions in my home state. My experience with the RN-BSN program was heavily influenced by my peers who were in the UCHealth Cohort Class of 2020. The bond we all developed through the 21 months of studies was beyond what I had experienced with a mostly online education. The instructors were very helpful and really wanted us all to succeed. The BSN I earned with the UCCS/UCHealth Cohort class has vastly improved my nursing knowledge as I was exposed to all of my peers specialties. Their projects and discussion posts were full of information in areas of nursing I had never experienced. Education did not only come from my instructors, it came from my peers who were all RNs with my employer, UCHealth. My knowledge of my specialty expanded as well through my elective selections and my Capstone Project. This will further my career at UCHealth as I plan to take my advanced education in my specialty of Palliative Care to the new RNs at my hospital. I highly recommend the challenging RN to BSN program at UCCS. For those RNs who are already employed with UCHealth, the Cohort opportunity was amazing. It was an honor to have been in the first UCCS/UCHealth Cohort class. Go Mountain Lions!”

“I chose UCCS because it is a local school, and I could have hands on help if necessary. I know the excellent reputation of USSC and proud to be a "Mountain Lion". The RN/BSN program through UCCS/UCH cohort was a program I was interested in when I heard Joel Yuhas, CEO, speak of the program and the scholarship program to go along with this opportunity. I applied aware of the competition and was hopeful to get accepted to this program. My boss, Jennifer Chacon, Manager of Printers Park had me come in under the pretense of having my yearly evaluation. Kay Miller, CNO (at the time) came into the office and handed me an envelope with the "Golden Ticket". I was thrilled, but also apprehensive thinking of what the next two years would bring. I work full-time, have a husband, and my son is grown and own his own, but still the work involved and the dedication that was needed to succeed. I started a couple of months later and the classes were only eight weeks long so I knew I could handle that, and fortunately I only had two electives yet to complete which just had to be done by the end of the two years. I learned many different aspects of nursing that I had never encountered in my 40+ years in the medical field. I started out as a surgical tech and worked in this field for 32 years before I decided to return to school to obtain my RN degree (ADN). The nursing instructors have been very receptive to emails and responding in a timely manner. I feel the BSN will open up doors in the future. I am planning on continuing my work in the OR at Grandview Hospital. In the future I feel the BSN will open opportunities in different types of nursing, i.e.: office nurse, working for an insurance company, actually the options with a BSN are endless.”

"As a rural resident, I receive rural scholarship funding and enjoy the small-school environment combined with University-level education." Amanda participates in the dual enrollment RN to BSN at UCCS and does her clinical work at Fort Morgan Community College. The flexible RN-to-BSN helps students, like Amanda, fast track their nursing careers.

"I've been to a total of 3 universities now (SDSU, CU Denver and UCCS) in addition to my FRCC [Front Range Community College] program and you guys by far are the most responsive and easiest to work with and let me tell you that being pregnant and being a student, I am so appreciative of anyone who helps make the process easier! You guys are great. I appreciate your help, and I have to say, one of my favorite things about UCCS is how timely every department has been in responding to students. It's SO refreshing!”

After experiencing several education settings, Corrine found her home at UCCS. The flexibility of the RN to BSN program allowed her to advance her education on her own terms while managing her growing family.

My peri-op nursing manager graduated from Beth-el and told me about the BSN from UCCS. The campus is only 5 minutes from my hospital, which allowed me to conveniently stop by the Library, Writing Center, or Math Center after work. Since the program is all online, I was able to work full-time and earn my BSN.

My experience with the UCHealth Cohort was unforgettable. There is a great amount of support from all the instructors, tutors, librarians, and academic advisors. When I had a question, I could communicate with someone and receive feedback almost immediately. It really made a difference because we are busy, full-time nurses. We needed a constructive program to help us succeed and this program really met my needs.

My UCHealth classmates also impacted my success. We are all in the same boat and understand each other very well. For example, during these last few months in the COVID-19 pandemic, we all had uncertain work schedules. My group project members, who are working in different hospitals and departments, found ways to collaborate and complete our project. I also received support from my classmates during hardships which pushed me to finish the first class, Patterns of Knowing, with A- and 100% on my final group project.

I want to thank all the tutors and librarians who diligently supported me through the program. This is one of the most important points I want to share - know your limits and utilize the university’s resources to reach your full potential. I graduated with 3.91 GPA and proved that working full-time, being an ESL student, studying (plus an extra 3 general education classes including Statistics, Pathophysiology, and Nutrition) can be done in 2 years.

I gained a lot of skills in leadership, research, community health, presentation, and public speaking. I believe the BSN degree will open many opportunities. I will be eligible for promotion to charge nurse, I can continue to graduate level education, and I will be a quality RN for a future Magnet status hospital.