Success is something that can be earned by anyone and everyone in our diverse world. This is achieved not just by hard work, but by having heart and passion towards whatever you choose to do. Sri Sai Krish Institute (SSKI), a nursing school located in Orange County, is a place that compassionately fosters this type of success for their students.
During the last few years, the pandemic has made clear that more than ever, nurses are a crucial part of maintaining the health of our society. “There is a shortage of nurses so the one difference we (SSKI) can make for society is producing good nurses,” said owner and director VJ Bhaskar. SSKI is therefore the ideal place to start or even continue one’s journey towards a fulfilling career in nursing.
The Sri Sai Krish Institute was founded by VJ Bhaskar in 2012. While initially only offering Nursing Assistant and Home Aide programs, in 2013 the school gained approval from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education in the State of California to include other programs.
SSKI currently offers two programs. The first is their Vocational Nursing program, approved in 2015 by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. The second, is their Associate Degree Nursing (RN) program, which was established after approval from the Accrediting Bureau for Health Education Schools just this year. Each program spans a total of 19 months, ensuring that students get the best quality of education all the while preparing them for their future in nursing.
The Vocational Nursing program equips students with basic nursing skills in order to prepare them to care for real-life patients. Students enrolled in the program attend classes and are required to participate in clinical experiences that will prepare them to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). SSKI provides students with the following resources to ensure this comprehensive and thorough education: full Elsevier package, video clips, skills performance checklists, and review questions with answers.
The cost of this program is $29,900, which many students have felt is a fair price compared to what other schools tend to offer. “When you are an immigrant you don’t want to spend that much money. I already have my masters from India and I have two little ones so I said let’s try this (attending SSKI), it’s affordable,” said Balinder Chahal, current RN student, when asked about what makes the school stand out.
Many students, like Chahal, enjoy the affordability of SSKI, however it is not the only reason that keeps them attached to the school. After finishing the Vocational Nursing program, students have also returned to SSKI to continue their education through the Associate Degree Nursing (RN) program.
The Associate Degree Nursing program, which costs $70,000, allows for students to earn their Associates in nursing as well as gain additional skills that will aid them in their ultimate goals of a career as a nurse. Provided with the same resources given within the Vocational Nursing program, students enrolled have additional access to biology equipment, lab and clinical equipment, a global nursing glossary, Care Plan Creator, and many other valuable resources that are listed on the SSKI website.
“SSKI likes to give an opportunity to students who cannot afford it. Our program gives them a low amount to pay compared to other schools. $70,000 in comparison to $110-120,000. It gives them a chance to fulfill their dreams,” said SSKI Director of Nursing Maimoona Qadeer. She goes on to describe how SSKI is a school with excellent resources and how each student is even provided with their own personal Chromebook and supplies to ensure a quality education.
“I feel that SSKI is very pro-student. The students that come here, many times, are lower socioeconomically. Most of them pay for college themselves,” SSKI consultant Judy Corless added. No student at SSKI is truly left behind.
While SSKI provides an abundance of resources for students enrolled within their programs, the staff themselves are just as valuable. “Through SSKI, you’re able to contact instructors immediately and they come back to you with any questions you have as soon as possible,” student Serena Zarate spoke on the supportiveness of SSKI staff.
“They expect you to exceed the standard, which is good because you’re not just at a minimum while being a nurse. This helps you assess the patient better,” Zarate continues, noting that the supportiveness of the staff directly influences how the students learn. Not only is the curriculum important to the staff, but how the students will apply it in caring for future patients.
“The instructors encourage and push me to study. Even when I am going through hardships, they encourage me not to give up,” student Kyeong Lee said, expressing how she was told that they have faith in her. “I never heard those words before. I graduated a long time ago in my country so I was not sure if I could make it. And she (my instructor) told me that one day I would,” Lee continued. Compassion and care is a core component in how SSKI runs and can be seen in how passionate the students are to pass, which is additionally reflected in their exam scores.
“I took the NCLEX and passed the first time,” student Julieta Smith described how SSKI had prepared her to pass with ease. Not only do students who graduate from SSKI pass the NCLEX for the first time, many also go into their board exams more prepared than most students. “They (SSKI) were there every step of the way. I felt that I was overly prepared and confident for my board exam. I finished and knew I passed because I felt prepared,” Zarate expressed.
According to Corless, SSKI has a “zero percent dropout rate” in both new RN program cohort. “I think when you make the student first, their success speaks for itself. We don’t lose anybody because we want to make sure that when they come, they have a passion to be a nurse and we’re going to help them succeed at that,” Corless adds, reflecting on what makes SSKI different from other schools.
SSKI is not only different through their student success, they are also unique in how the owner and director, Ms. VJ connects with the students. “She wants us to know the duties of a nurse and she wants us to have empathy and good behavior in how to help people,” Chahal describes Ms. VJ’s intentions with SSKI’s ways of teaching its students. While the students may know how to be a nurse and can earn a degree, their compassion and care for their patients is what makes them good nurses.
Ms. VJ, who was a nurse herself, understands what it takes to become one. SSKI puts care into how they treat and teach its students, resulting in them having the same priority of care towards their patients as nurses.
While SSKI is currently one of the top three nursing schools in Orange County, the reward is not the accolades, it is the students themselves and their success in becoming compassionate and competent nurses. “They (the students) are the real reward for us, especially when they are happy for the education they received here,” Ms. VJ expressed.
As a smaller school, students and staff, find themselves having a sense of closeness to one another at SSKI, almost like a family. They are a diverse group of people, all striving towards the same goal of success. “Students are treated as individuals and unique. We know them by name. I keep track of their attendance, academic performance, and clinical performance. Students at SSKI are like family,” Ms. VJ described SSKI’s views of its students.
As SSKI looks towards the future in creating more compassionate and hard working nurses, a third program is currently in the works, one that is testament of the success of both the school and its students. SSKI intends on the new addition of a program that allows for students to work towards receiving a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree. Students who are alumni or currently enrolled plan to join the program so book your spot soon!
If interested in any of the programs described above and attending the Sri Sai Krish Institute, please contact the school via the following details:
Sri Sai Krish Institute
Bhaskar Prabhakar & VJ Bhaskar
(714) 890-7023
(Advertising Supplement)