Stony Brook Accelerated BSN Class of 2014

kaurg · Jan 10, 2013

How long before waitlisted find out?.....Do u think since they are giving people 10 days to respond......people will find out sooner?

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2013

*special thank you for Paco-RN, your info has always been so helpful, I can tell you make an excellent nurse just on you helping complete strangers with this whole crazy process!

Thank you :) ... Please pass that comment along to my unit's nurse educator, who for some reason likes to point out negatives more often than positives and sometimes leaves me feeling like I suck as a nurse (fortunately, she has a reputation of doing this to everyone, so I am not feeling singled out ... and she wonders WHY the unit has a high turnover, hmm?? )

... then there's capstone which Paco can probably tell you more about it since I have not gone through it yet, but I believe it is 12 shifts of 12 hrs.

Emer is correct about capstone with regards to shifts/hours. Capstone is your internship and it takes place after all your spring classes and exams have concluded and this is all you're doing for school for the month before graduation. You are assigned a preceptor and you work the same schedule he or she does for 4 weeks. You are basically "working" as a nurse in your chosen specialty (med-surg, OR, peds, NICU, psych ... wherever your interest lies) but you're earning "3 credits" instead of $$$, lol. Most people do their capstone @ Stony Brook Univ Hospital or North Shore LIJ in Nassau County, but others have been known to complete their capstone at other hospitals (I know some students in my class did theirs at Lenox Hill and NY Presbyterian in NYC, but I believe there was some extra legwork involved to get those, so if you really want to do yours out of Long Island, it's possible).

Capstone is designed to start transitioning you from student to professional nurse. From start to finish, you will be progressively given your own patients, starting from 1 and usually by the end you should be expected to handle 3 patients (because in the real world, 5-6 patients is the norm on an acute floor, 3-4 on stepdown and 2-3 in ICU). At all times, your preceptor will be there to guide you and sign off on what you do (because after all, they are still your preceptor's patients at the end of the day and this is all on their license) but you should start showing greater independence as the weeks progress, demonstrating that you are getting ready to start being a nurse.

Some capstones required daily or weekly logs to be submitted as part of the course requirements, while others did not (mine did not, so I never had to worry about doing homework ... all depends on your placement). I think most people get an A in this course as long as you don't screw things up royally somehow :)

ETA: Sometimes -- many times actually -- where you do capstone may turn into an interview and a job offer (as it did with me and many in my class). So it behooves you to choose these placements wisely sometimes. I used to think that nursing jobs would "run out" by the time I graduated. Don't worry about this, there will always be jobs! :)

lb88 · Jan 10, 2013

I dont know if anyone knows the answer on here but I may as well just throw it out there because everyone is so helpful!

Does anyone know if we can maybe take a class or two during this coming spring semester to maybe lighten our load for the summer?

marmaduke · Jan 10, 2013

Wow thanks for all of the really detailed, helpful and timely responses! Thanks for the tuition clarification; I also finally connected with someone in the student accounts office who knew the answers to my questions, and she said that Stony Brook only charges you up to 12 credits for the fall and spring (even though we take more), but they charge you per credit in the summer (and I think we take 18-19, so the summer is strangely more expensive than a regular semester), but all in all I think total out-of-state tuition should come to around $30,000-$32000 with fees (depending on if you need the school health insurance plan or not, and if tuition goes up for the fall). Not bad at all. I'm definitely leaning toward going to Stony Brook now based on the amazing feedback on this thread, that must say something about the kind of people that go there! :-) It really does help us prospective students get a sense of what the program is like to hear from current/past students so thanks so much Paco-RN and Emer1234, I will definitely have to post when I am in nursing school/done with nursing school to help future students out! And its also really great to get support from fellow applicants. After reading all this, I'm really excited to start (although also a little apprehensive because it does sound like a lot of work)! :-)

Last quick question- how are the faculty there?

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Jan 11, 2013

Does anyone know if we can maybe take a class or two during this coming spring semester to maybe lighten our load for the summer?

Unfortunately, no. The courses and the schedule are set in stone, everyone takes the same classes and starts at the same time. You basically register for what they tell you to, there is no pick and choose. 19 credits during a 7-week semester does sound like insanity .. but I and people like Emer1234 are living proof that it can be done. It's a lot of work for sure but once you have done it, you will end up saying, "Oh OK that was not as bad as it looked." The fall is actually a LOT more intense than the summer.

Last quick question- how are the faculty there?

Emer can chime in with a viewpoint here too. The faculty in general is very supportive and are dedicated to help you succeed. They are for the most part nurses that have years of experience under their belts and provide informative and oftentimes entertaining lectures. There are of course a few exceptions to this rule unfortunately, as there are in any school, but the good ones outweigh the bad. Thankfully, the good ones teach the more substantial courses you need to know for practice and NCLEX.

greeneggs · Jan 11, 2013

i was also accepted into stony brook's 1 year accelerated program, i'm so relieved, excited and nervous at the same time! like many has already said before me, thank you paco & emer for your helpful comments. i have a few questions as well, and hope you guys and others can help me out: 1. how hard is it to find off-campus housing (and what locations are most convenient/best for off-campus housing?) 2. how much is on-campus housing, and do we have the option of living in singles? are meal plans included in on-campus housing costs? 3. what are some differences between the clinical sites (in terms of friendliness of staff, support, convenience, etc...)?

thank you so much!

Emer1234 · Jan 12, 2013

Emer can chime in with a viewpoint here too. The faculty in general is very supportive and are dedicated to help you succeed. They are for the most part nurses that have years of experience under their belts and provide informative and oftentimes entertaining lectures. There are of course a few exceptions to this rule unfortunately, as there are in any school, but the good ones outweigh the bad. Thankfully, the good ones teach the more substantial courses you need to know for practice and NCLEX.

Couldn't have said it any better Paco.. :yes:

As far as housing, I don't live on or near the campus, so I am not much help in that department.... sorry

cupandcake · Jan 12, 2013

Wow thank you everyone for all the information that's displayed in this forum.

It really helped me a lot. Does any happen to know (been trying to contact admin haven't gotten a clear answer as of yet):

1. I see one of the requirements is STUDENT malpractice insurance. I have nooo idea what is that all about. Should we start looking into providers prior to starting classes or will someone go over with us when we get to SBU? And is so approximately when will it take place? (P.S. I heard from some of my friends from other schools that the professors usually take care of all that. They told me that their coverage was under the educators...)

2. I see that one of the required courses in the program is NUTRITION, I took nutrition as a prereq for another school.

Is there I way I don't have to go through repeating an additional class.

Thank you so much :smug:

owade · Jan 12, 2013

@ chele and all others not admitted...
I was also rejected today, but I had already accepted another offer to a great program and been admitted to many others, including other SUNY schools and some great private schools. So don't beat yourself up over this! Stony Brook seems to be the most competitive. I would definitely suggest looking into some other options, and please feel free to send me a private message if you want to chat about those other options :) I stressed myself out for quite some time with regards to getting into a nursing program and can definitely relate to how you are feeling.

Hey I am new to this forum but I wanted to know other schools you have applied to and gain admission. What was your GPA and prerequisites grades if you don't mind me asking?

owade · Jan 12, 2013

Hi everyone!
New to the board. Found out the other day that I've been accepted to the 1 year program. Couldn't be more excited! Does anyone know what the tuition is for a NYS resident? I tried contacting SBU but no one can give me a straight answer! I look forward to meeting all those accepted in the summer... Get ready for the craziness!!!

Hi if you dont mind be asking what was your GPA and prerequisites like? I know Stony Brook is so competitive and I was rejected this year...wanted to reapply next year with a better application?

lb88 · Jan 12, 2013

Hi if you dont mind be asking what was your GPA and prerequisites like? I know Stony Brook is so competitive and I was rejected this year...wanted to reapply next year with a better application?

I had a 3.6 undergrad gpa in marketing and business management. 4.0 gpa in prereqs however at the time of application submission i only had a&p1, a&p2, and chem completed. zero hospital experience at the time (currently a volunteer).I also had great recommendations from my professors. I feel like these letters are what really made my application stand out. I really got to know my professors well during the semester so they had more to write about rather than the generic letter im sure most professors write. I'm sorry to hear you didnt get in this year but BEST of luck in the future!

owade · Jan 13, 2013

I had a 3.6 undergrad gpa in marketing and business management. 4.0 gpa in prereqs however at the time of application submission i only had a&p1, a&p2, and chem completed. zero hospital experience at the time (currently a volunteer).I also had great recommendations from my professors. I feel like these letters are what really made my application stand out. I really got to know my professors well during the semester so they had more to write about rather than the generic letter im sure most professors write. I'm sorry to hear you didnt get in this year but BEST of luck in the future!

Thanks actually I plan too but what advice can you to someone with a low GPA like 2.9. I really want to stand out next year and I know letters of recommendation and personal essays are huge factors. In that being said, every applicant is going to write the same thing in essay like "love to help people" or "find great pleasure in assisting people". Do you have some ideas on standing out in essay? Stony brook is my top choice, and I plan to volunteer at hospitals and finish up my prereqs.