UH MEPN 2012

bluecloud · Mar 9, 2012

@christymel, just curious where else u applied. I have received incredible scholarship offers for some highly ranked mainland programs so may attend one of those, also.

nursestudent1978 · Mar 9, 2012

PLU accepted me and I'm waiting to hear back from SU. Waitlisted at most other programs. I'm using my GI Bill so it'll go the farthest at SU and PLU, so I'm leaning toward them. I've talked to a lot of nurses and it seems that experience and you personally being good at a job outweighs the school name on your diploma. So I'd rather go to a good school then the best school ever if it means not having college loans I'll pay back for 10+ years.

bluecloud · Mar 9, 2012

I agree

nursestudent1978 · Mar 9, 2012

Yeah I got into Johns Hopkins only for the accelerated BSN and waitlisted for the MSN and I had friends that thought I was crazy for turning it down but 70,000 for just one year of nursing school and then you're spit out into the employment pool with a huge loan doesn't seem like a good choice to me.

Anyway, for me Hawaii falls in that category too, it's too expensive, cost of living and tuition even for me and I'm in state. But I will tell you some of the things I'll miss horribly about this place to get you guys amped up about moving.

Year round farmers markets everywhere! And the food is so ono. You can head down to the beach to relax whenever although it's windy so unless you're working on a laptop I wouldn't bring homework. You'll end up chasing all the pages or having the wind turn them for you.

The food is amazing (except Mexican, there's decent mexican food but not amazing). However, surprisingly there's great soul food. And lunch trucks here are fantastic. They even have this thing called eat the street once a month where all the food trucks get together.

Okay and the number one thing I'll miss. The locals here have this great grasp of team work. They don't have the idea that they want to be number one in the class at anyone's expense. They want their whole group to be number one. So there's always tons of study groups around and other students are really good about taking the time to help you if you're stuck. This includes students who took the class before and aren't even in it currently.

My anatomy classes while not a breeze were at least less stressful because of all the study groups available and the fact that the kids in the class ahead of us were always giving us tips about the teachers. Like these ones focus more on the book or these prefer you study mostly from their lecture, etc. You really will feel like you have a family here. And even if the program is erratic the students will help give you the support you need; you know, as long as you're willing to go that extra mile for them too.

bluecloud · Mar 9, 2012

I definitely agree with you 100% on the money aspect.

Why spend $100,000 on a degree when you can get the same license

by spending $5-10,000 when rank of school doesn't really matter that much...

As for reputation of DE graduates, I have read of this a LOT

(people feeling that they are not prepared). Sometimes it could be true...

only because a LOT of nursing is learned on the job through each unique

and challenging circumstance that presents itself, and I think RNs learn a LOT

through those experiences. Traditionally, NPs would be trained only after years

of RN work. SO......I have definitely read lots of essays about how DE trained

students are lacking in a lot of the hands-on needed experience to perform best.

Do you all agree?

Even if that is true, also, I will say that within 3-4 years of work it all evens out and

we will have the experiences that will make us stronger, just like the others.

bluecloud · Mar 9, 2012

Also, PAs often frown at NPs' education (that it lacks enough training especially with pathophysiology),

and esp they sometimes frown at DE NPs.

Again, though, this just reflects the things I have read - not necessarily anything more. Not sure overall.

I will tell you that I have thoroughly researched PA vs NP and the education is quite different!

PA education really does include SO MANY more hours of diagnosis/pathophysio as well as over five times

more hands-on training during school...

so it may be valid points.

However, there are so many preferential reasons to choose NP over PA that I chose NP with joy.

Aloha...

nursestudent1978 · Mar 10, 2012

They don't seem to have the patient centered care aspect that nurses have. PAs and MDs for that matter seem to see the patient as a set of symptoms. NPs seem to take a big picture approach. I've been treated by all three and been an MA for all three. I liked NPs the most. They listened to what I said not just the symptoms I listed and were able to find underlying causes that might be causing all the symptoms like stress, rather than just treating each symptom.

I really think if you're going to help someone you need to treat them with humanity. If they feel worse after having seen you because you treated them like a number then they won't want to come in as often as they should and they may not even follow your advice since they'll feel it's just generic. I have a lot of friends that could tell their provider was rattling off a speech they'd said a million times before and rather than taking it as being memorized because so many patients before were in the same situations, they took it as something out of a book that they just spit out, so they felt it might not necessarily apply to their situation and then either changed it themselves or didn't follow it at all.

I think it's really important to care. And I think nursing emphasizes that better than the other programs. Actually there's sociology studies that have been done on it. Patients reported finding MDs/PAs too clinical and not at all approachable. Makes you think...who do you think the patient is going to be honest with and confide in? And if you're getting the entire story as a nurse who do you think will be able to provide the best care?

bluecloud · Mar 10, 2012

Yes, excellent point! That is one of quite a few reasons that I gave up a seat at Duke PA program and wait an extra year in order to pursue NP education. Difficult to make that choice but I knew in my heart it was right FOR ME.

There are other reasons also:

1. I've been told that nurses have greater protections than PAs (nursing unions)

2. No recertification needed every five years

3. You can (if desired or needed) study nursing part time (note: not first year of DE programs usually, but all others u can)

4. Holistic care model rather than medical model

(Note: However, I DO believe that there should be a lot more pathophysiology training and more hands-on training...but I am a beginner going in and that opinion is totally based on internet research......so maybe it is all good :)

5. Certain states prefer NPs, and certain states prefer PAs ---- and the states I love happen to tend to prefer NPs.

6. Sometimes NPs have more legal abilities than PAs for example having one's own clinic eventually (PAs CAN do that if a MD supports it and monitors it...but more difficult)

7. With the RN degree we can always fall back on that for jobs and Very diverse jobs at that, if we need to.

etc etc etc

many reasons ....... :)

Aloha!

hilife808 · Mar 10, 2012

You guys need to relax. RN and NP are totally two different scope of practice. PAs were never nurses and they practice under physician collaboration. I've been trained by all NPs, PAs, DOs, and MDs we all do the same thing in primary care. I don't find any difference between PAs and NPs, in fact I feel comparable to them as a student. No one has ever told me PAs are better than NPs or vice versa. MDs have more education, so I am going to respect them for their knowledge. If I wanted to be a doctor, I'd go to medical school. Don't go to NP school because you can't become a doctor, you'll regret it. Be an NP because you want to become an NP. I chose it for the lifestyle. In terms of training and pathophysiology, my dear we all have training. I had three years of patho (prereq, nursing, and advance nursing), so don't tell me I don't have enough. Doesn't matter where you attend school, at the end of the day are you going to pass your board exam that everyone takes from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner. Your experience is what matters most, your schooling only helps you to pass your exam and be good entry NP.

bluecloud · Mar 10, 2012

Thank you so much for your feedback. I really appreciate it.

Also, I didn't mean any offense and I apologize if my words seemed offensive.

As for one being "better" I personally have no idea just repeating the crazy debates that I see online sometimes esp on PA forums.

I've CAREFULLY chosen the NP path with MUCH research, and I will be very proud to be one!!

Aloha and mahalo.....

hilife808 · Mar 10, 2012

BTW there are many great RNs. Some are extremely knowledgable and some are... Just because someone has been RN for many years that doesn't mean he/she knows everything. Some of the experienced RNs in my classes are quiet scary. They all come from different specialty... whereas some have strengths in cardiac others may have strenghts in neuro. Some RNs can't leave the nursing model to adopt the NP model, hence, many don't want to become NP and are happy being RN. The point is only you can train yourself what you want to become so don't stress yourself out too much on these issues. Worry about getting into school first and the logistics of all these issues will make sense later.

bluecloud · Mar 10, 2012

Mahalo :) !!