Info needed on Diploma Nursing Programs in PA

oramar · Mar 20, 2002

Western Pa diploma grads are highly respected throughout the state and the hospitals LOVE to hire them. Currently average starting salary around here is around $35,000 give or take a few thousand. By the time you graduate it will be higher. As far as I know all Diploma schools are currently associated with a university and the credit transfer very easily. Where you going, Mercy, St Francis, Shadyside or West Penn? I have friends that have graduated from all of them. Seems like they got a lot of encouragement and support. My niece is a Shadyside grad, she been ICU for 5 years now. She is one of the best nurses I have ever met. She sure handles the pounding better than I ever did.

KellieRN · Mar 20, 2002

Thanks so much for your info.......its very much appreciated, I am trying to get into UPMC St. Margaret.....its in pittsburgh as well. I am glad to hear that diploma nurses are respected! Being from Texas, we only have two programs in our whole entire state, and I dont care for them! Have you ever heard of St. Margaret.........its associated with UPMC like shadyside is

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Mar 20, 2002

St MArgaret is on approved list of schools. Here is a link to state board approved schools.

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/nurbd/nurprograms.htm

Check out:http://www.discovernursing.com I saw on that sight some PA schools that were offering free tuition in exchange for employment and some grants to Diploma program.

Pa is one of the top three states in educating nurses. Good Luck!

Corrected links.Karen

oramar · Mar 20, 2002

Ah yes, St. Margaret, how did I leave them off the list. Can think of the names of several St. Margaret grads, fine nurses everyone of them. Yes, I think I did hear somewhere that St. Margaret now was associated with UPMC. You probably have no idea how big UPMC is, it is a big state of the art healthcare orginization. They will recruit you heavily, you will have your choice of everthing from the most advance transplant units in the one of the biggest hospitals around to small med/surg units in little community hospitals. I have not been to St. Margarets in a while but I always thought it had a homey, family feel to it in the old days. That is if you decide to stay in Pittsburgh. You won't be sorry you are coming here to study.

KellieRN · Mar 20, 2002

wow thank you soooooooooo much for the positive information about this school, .............what is the estimated cost of living in pittsburgh, etc.........anyone know about that?

oramar · Mar 21, 2002

I just know what people tell me. I have aquaintences who live in Dallas, San Diego and NY who tell me the cost of liviing is 1/4 to 1/3 less than bigggg cities. I am not sure about that. I can't speak for certain because I have not traveled much. My son lives in Charlotte NC and he says cost of living is same there as here.

KellieRN · Mar 21, 2002

Is the area that Western Penn Hospital School of nursing located at a good area of pittsburgh? I am applying there as well, they have on campus housing, of which i need! Does anyone know about this?

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Mar 21, 2002

Found this info at the discover nursing site:

Josephine Roseta Educational Fund Nursing Scholarship

Sponsor: Pittsburgh's Ohio Valley General Hospital

Pittsburgh's Ohio Valley General Hospital (OVGH) School of Nursing, via community donations to the Josephine Roseta Educational Fund, is giving all incoming nursing school students free tuition, plus a job when they graduate. This effort is in response to a national nursing shortage and the Hospital's commitment to maintaining a high quality medical staff.

Must be PA resident.

Tons of scholarship info here, click on PA state to pull up:

http://www.discovernursing.com/scholarship_search.asp

I also corrected link above to site. Karen

Zee_RN, BSN, RN · Mar 22, 2002

The West Penn School of Nursing is EXCELLENT! And associated, obviously, with The Western Pennsylvania Hospital which has a stellar reputation. It is a major teaching hospital in the Pittsburgh area. It is in a little section of town known as Bloomfield which, traditionally, has been an Italian neighborhood. Although considered "town" by many, it is still a safe area. I know many nurses who work there who walk to their cars at night.

Diploma nurses are wonderful, skilled nurses. You still earn college credits too. The starting wage in Pittsburgh for graduate nurses averages $17 to $18 per hour...some places a little less, some places maybe a little more. The cost of living is less than Houston but I don't know the exact comparison. I may be able to get that information for you from a realtor I know (he produced a cost comparison between Toronto and Pittsburgh for me once). Couldn't hurt to ask! From what I have heard, Pittsburgh's cost of living is less than Houston's.

West Penn's starting GN rate is, I believe, $17.20 an hour. I have been at the hospital I work at for over six years. It's only 20 minutes from my home, a community hospital. If I had to pick any other hospital in the area to work at, though, it would be West Penn (which is about 40 minutes from my home; I'm really spoiled with my suburban road commute).

Feel free to message me if you want any more information; I can probably look some up for you. Congratulations on your upcoming new move; Pittsburgh is really a great town.

Here's the website for the West Penn School of Nursing...

http://www.wpahs.org/education/undergraduate/nursing.html

*******

(My sister used to live in the Kingwood section of Houston...is that far from you?)

KellieRN · Mar 22, 2002

I live in a little city outside of Houston called.........."Kemah"......its about an hour away from Kingwood.........thanks for the information about West Penn, I am deciding between that one and St. [email protected] seems west penn is a little harder to get into though!

pattyjo, MSN, RN · Mar 24, 2002

Hi Kellie: Congratulations on your upcoming move north! There is another diploma school in the Pgh area at Sewickley Valley Hospital. You can go to http://www.heritagevalley.org and follow the links to the school of nursing.

HOWEVER!:) As a *very* proud graduate of St. Margaret's, lo these many years ago, I have all good things to say about my experience there. You can't go wrong with that choice.

And Zee is right: Pittsburgh is a great town.

Best of luck to you.

Patty