I got in!!!!!

Published Jun 6, 2008

1,041 Posts

... to the UTHSC-H Psych/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program :yeah: :yeah:

Although my acceptance is no surprise, I am still unbelievably stoked because I really really had to fight for this program.

I don't think I've shared this entire story on here (although I've slept since my last post so maybe I did) so please bear with me.

I moved to Houston from the beautiful Monterey Coast in CA in 2005. I wanted to continue my career as a crisis responder, but there were no opportunities for an ADN; I'd have to be masters educated So at the time I interviewed for my current job (as a research nurse in the medical campus) I spoke with a PMHNP who graduated from the program a few years ago, and he told me a bit about the program and how this job would allow me to go to classes during the day. So I was offerred (and accepted) the job even though the pay is quite low for a RN in this area; and and even though I work for UT, I don't receive a penny of financial assistance or tuition discount :sniff:

Days after I started my job I applied to (and was accepted) to a 1 year RN-BSN program where I would earn my BSN and be able to take a few MSN level courses in preparation for entry into the MSN program. :) At the interview, one of the faculty also happened to be the coordinator of the PMHNP program and from the very beginning of the interview she was recruiting me for that program. By the end of the interview I was pretty much told I'd be accepted to the BSN program, so I was way fired up.

On Thursday, April 26, 2008, I attended an orientation for the program. At the end of the orientation we all had to introduce ourselves and say a little something. I stand up and tell a bit about me and talk about how excited I am to be working towards the PMHNP etc. I sit down and my buddy (a student who was about to graduate from the program) who I happened to know because he precepted in my clinic for a semester, says to me: "You do know that program's been suspended? UH No; No I didn't; It can't be :stone He asked other students in his class and they all confirmed and the final nail in the coffin, so to speak was confirmation from the instructor I interviewed with who was the coordinator of the program.

Now begins my trip through the 5 stages of grief, starting with denial as indicated above.

I was devastated. I took a low paying job that wasn't my ideal job, entered a program to get a degree I didn't really want (I already had a Bachelor degree in psych) nor could it be used to get the degree I really wanted, and was just disgusted in general (anger) :angryfire I was so bummed/annoyed/frustrated that I dropped to a PT student status, but I didn't give up; I really wanted to, but knew if the program would have ever returned I wouldn't have much of a chance of re-admission into the BSN program.

And now, let's talk about bargaining and depression. :crying2: I went to the assistant dean, emailed the dean, emailed my Congress people, my Mayor and begged everyone under the sun to do the same. And every semester I spent the first week or 2 as depressed as I've ever been even though I really really loved the classes; but still I was doing this for naught. :crying2:

By the end of my 3rd semester in the BSN program I came to accept the fact that I probably woudn't be able to get the MSN so I started looking at other programs; unfortunately, as I considered all options I realized there was no way I'd be able to afford taking classes away from my home. It was what it was. However, I also started to hear grumblings coming from the school that there was a pretty significant backlash in response to the program's suspension and that folks were looking at ways to get the program back. Call me cautiously optimistic because there are some individuals in powerful positions who are absolutely against this program, taking the Tom Cruise mentality. :banghead: Nonetheless, I continued to encourage others to email and make as much ruckus as possible.

Finally, in January 2008 (which I recall mentioning on this MB) the program's return was approved starting Fall 2008. :yeah: :yeah: :yeah:

This is in many ways the final step in completing my childhood dream and combining it with my greatest academic interest/passion. As you can tell (if you managed to make it through this dissertation) I fought for this program. I didn't give up even though it would have been easier and fincancially wiser to do so in the short term. And now after the year+ of all the stress, crying, depression, and frustration I'VE SUCCEEDED!!!!!!!!!!

:roll:balloons::balloons::clpty::dancgrp::hpygrp: