Soon to be student Questions!!

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Sep 26, 2002

Is $$ a problem? You have some great universities down there. I'd reccomend FSU, but only 'cause I have family that works there. :)

nolenurse · Sep 26, 2002

Thanks dawngloves- no, money isn't a problem, my parents just want the best for me. Does FSU really have a good nursing school? That would be good to know..I have family and friends up there. Thanks...do you know if they have good "hands on" labs and good clinicals? I hear that is very important.

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 27, 2002

Hi! Congratulations on your decision- only you know where your heart lies, so tell your family they'd better support you or else they'll have an army of nurses out there who will get your back if they are ever sick or hospitalized! Some nursing schools can be competitive, but with a 3.2 gpa I'd doubt that you'd have a problem getting in. It's not all about GPA, as you'll soon discover. I've known many excellent students who not only made horrible nurses, but couldn't even pass the NCLEX after graduation. My family lives in florida, and I was *thisclose* to moving there to complete school, and my two cents goes to University of Florida in Gainesville. It may not be a hot bed of excitement, but the nursing school is through Shands Hospital, which is pretty famous for a number of different things. It is a huge, fairly cutting-edge teaching hospital, and you would surely get a ton of experience there. When my husband and I were considering a move to Florida, there were two places I wanted to work: Either Shands in Gainesville, or Arnold Palmer Hospital near Orlando. You should definitely check it out- I've heard nothing but good things about the hospital and the nursing program there. I did my clinicals in a teaching hospital here in New Orleans, and I LOVED the environment- very conducive to learning as much as you can, VERY hands on, and relatively low pressure, considering that many of the doctors and other people (pharmacy, med techs, respiratory, you name it) are learning as well, whether undergraduate or post-grad. 'Hands-on' clinicals are essential in nursing, because the more you do, the more competent you will be. Volunteering is a great idea- fantastic way to learn about the environment you're considering without all of the pressure of actually working there. OB and NICU are very different, and from what I've seen, it probably won't take you long to figure out where your preference lies, but either way, good luck and let us know if you need help with anything! ;>) As far as Phys. Ther. vs. Nursing, remember that nursing in Florida is coming along- my mother works in Deland at a hospital there and is getting paid very close to what she was making here. Both jobs can be extremely rewarding, but they are very different, and though nursing certainly has it's drawbacks, so does Phys. Ther. I wouldn't trade my job for anything in the world, drawbacks included... I feel totally fulfilled and go home feeling proud of myself every day, even if I worked a shift from hell. I knew right away that NICU was where I wanted to be, despite my original intention of becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife. Perhaps you know someone or there is someone on this board who lives in your area that could take you on a tour of both areas and answer your questions. Just remember that people love to *****, and look beyond all the kvetching at the meat of the matter. It's a very personal decision, but money isn't everything, which is why I'm not a stripper. Or something like that. ;>P

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Sep 27, 2002

The school (FSU) overall has great facilities, I can't speak of the nursing program but the entire campus has benifited from the Seminoles $$$ LOL!

Have you talked to your guidence counselor?

nolenurse · Sep 27, 2002

Krisit2377 ~ I am actually volunteering at Arnold Palmer Hospital. I just started today!

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 28, 2002

Oh, lucky! I LOVE that hospital. It has gotten national recognition as one of the best places for women to work, and it is my dream place to work!! I have watched their video clips for maternity/newborn info more than once, drooling and wishing I was there instead of where I currently work. ;>) Let me know how it goes for you, I'd be very interested to see how it stacks up in 'real life'.