ABSN Duke Fall 2010

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Hi All!

I have decided to take the plunge and leave my career as a mental health therapist to gain a BSN in Nursing and hopefully move straight into MSN program. Is anyone else applying to Duke in the Fall??:yeah:

Whew! Thank you for the advice! Some schools have been strict with length, so I never know what to expect. Bottom line is I got it done, and thankfully kept it at 2 pages! Does anyone know if they require in person interviews, or if they do both phone and in person? I just interviewed at UPenn for their direct entry BSN/MSN program and they had a similar "day" lay out with a morning of interviews, followed by lunch with current students, info session, and campus tour. As for what to wear, everyone was dressed nicely - most people had dress pants or skirts on, and kept it plain and conservative. I think that's the way to go!

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Hi Emmy! From what others have posted, Duke does phone or in-person interviews. Where do you live?

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Hi EmmyUp! I had more than one conversation with Duke about the personal statement because I had some "extra" information I was asked to submit. They told me there was no limit in length to the personal statement, but that I would be wise to keep it to 2-3 pages. I forced myself to keep it to two (which almost killed me), and then, as advised, submitted a separate addendum with the other info. Hope that helps all you 2+ pagers out there rest easy!

So, anybody get an interview yet? Hehe.

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Hi Emmy! From what others have posted, Duke does phone or in-person interviews. Where do you live?

I'm from Rhode Island but I went to school in Boston. I would definitely like to go in person if I could, since I've never been to Duke's campus! I wonder if most people go for the in person interview...I always feel like it's better to put a face to a name!

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Emmy you must go see Duke's campus. I went to visit in the Spring and it was beyond lovely. Stone buildings, parks, green space and tulips everywhere...of course now that is is winter it won't be quite so lovely but impressive non the less.

Anyone nervous? As of yesterday they did not have one of my transcripts but said it was no big deal. Whew.

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Duke IS gorgeous. And "winter," for those of you up north, lasts about three months down here, with generally one episode of snow. I thought it was ridiculous at first, coming from the midwest originally, but let me tell ya you get used to it FAST!

I'm impressed by how flexible the admissions dept. has been with (from my own experience and everything I've read) nearly ALL of their requirements. I think that, along with all the import they seem to place in the personal statement, shows what a holistic admit process they have. Still nervous, though. It felt so good to go drop off all of my transcripts and letters of recommendation yesterday. Added to that, my A&P professor is letting me skip his final. Not a bad week!

Was curious about all of your reasons for entering the field, especially those of you who came from another field. And wondering how many of you have already had some experience working in healthcare. I know some of you mentioned it already, but I'm really wondering about other folks' motivations for making the change, for perspective.

...time to cut my nails so I don't chew them all off ..

-j

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Was curious about all of your reasons for entering the field, especially those of you who came from another field. And wondering how many of you have already had some experience working in healthcare. I know some of you mentioned it already, but I'm really wondering about other folks' motivations for making the change, for perspective.

Not sure what I've posted yet, but my undergrad was pre-med biology. I graduated 13 years ago and knew I wasn't up for 8 more years of school, so I worked in ophthalmology for about 3 years as an ophthalmologist's assistant in Greenville and at Duke Eye Center. I did patient exams, testing, pre-op/post-op care, and assisted in the or. Then I got lured off chasing salaries and into sales at Cisco Systems. Left work to raise my two daughters who are now 6 and 8 and am ready to get back to it! I've volunteered A LOT in the schools and am also a volunteer crisis counselor for a suicide prevention hotline. When I was figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up, I knew that I still love medicine and love studying A&P. I get bored easily and nursing offers so many choices and directions that will entertain me! Of course I love patient interaction and helping others...Not sure what direction I want to take yet, but definitely heading into master's asap.

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Hey guys,

I had always known that I wanted to pursue a career in health care. I actually ended up with a degree in Spanish (unintentionally) and minors in bio and human behavioral development. I have been working at a hospital as an inpatient PT/OT aide since Sept. '07. I also definitely want to continue on to get my master's. I'm interested in the adult acute care NP specialty. Does anyone know more about the BSN/MSN pathway besides the 3.0 gpa requirement? Like which specialties require work experience first or have a separate admissions process?

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Hi Ya'll!

I have a Masters Degree and Clinical Licensure in Social Work. At this point I've worked as an inpatient mental health therapist at a hospital, a crisis therapist, an outpatient and school based therapist and most am currently a Clinical Supervisor at a Mental Health Agency along with seeing outpatients.

The mental health system in North Carolina is absolutely wrecked. I have endured major paycuts, agencys closing and hellish hours all in the name of helping others. After working closely with Doctors and Nurses over the last several years, I decided I wanted to combine the love of helping others with (through education, prevention and counseling) with my fascination with medication. Hence, I am on the pathway to becoming a NP, this being step 1.

It seems like a very diverse group is applying. I too really appreciate the holistic approach Duke seems to have with selecting their students. Best of luck to all of us. Can't wait to meet at least some of you during the interview process!

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I have a BFA in Acting with a Minor in Creative Writing. Moved to NYC after graduating in 2006. Lived there for a year... appeared on a SOAP OPERA (was subsequently murdered... funny, right? I guess I wasn't any good.:jester:) Decided NYC was NOT for me... decided to embark on something that more meaningful and stable. Started my own photography business and began to explore the other side of the academic spectrum- fell in love with A&P (not chemistry so much... or statistics for that matter. :angryfire). Volunteered with a Sexual Assault Responders network that put me in the ER at all hours of the night. Observed a lot of SANE nurses who seemed really stiff and uncomfortable with the patient/survivor... imagined what I could do in that role... wheels started turning. Thinking NP eventually- perhaps midwifery??

talk about random, right?

I'm sure the combo of folks they end up with will be absolute dynamite.

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Hey Jason, I am a career changer like you.

I have a BA in Sociology with a background in marketing and advertising, although I used to have a baking business as well. Nursing is something I had been interested in for a long while, but I assumed (incorrectly) that without a science background it would take forever to get a degree, and I never really looked into it. Then, sadly, my husband was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive terminal cancer. I was his caregiver for the nine months that he was able to fight the disease. As you can imagine, our lives were nothing but hospitals. I can't even begin to tell you what a blessing our nurses were. After my husband passed away, I was left with a broken heart, but a greater sense of purpose. Life seemed to be pointing me in the direction of nursing. I took some time for myself, and since then I've been doing alot of volunteer work and patient support as well as taking my prereqs.

That's the short version:)

Kspills - I don't know about all the Master's options, but I do know that Nurse Anesthesia requires 1-2 years work experience in critical care, so you can't go into that program directly. That's universal though, not just Duke. If anyone knows of any others, do tell!

Jason - You gave us your background, but what was YOUR motivation for making the change?

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kebunt (et al) -

Wow. My reasons are going to look rather petty compared to the rest of you.

As I worked towards becoming a chef, with all the necessary focus on the craft and its perfection, I always kept the overlying purpose of the service industry in mind; the real meaning of the job, at the end of the day, is serving people, making their lives better (if only fleetingly). I guess that I always knew I was capable of making more of a contribution, but the siren song of a bustling kitchen and working with one's hands kept me in the game. In the long run, though, it just wasn't satisfying. I tried to push further, by working with local farmers and food writers, but I realized that if I didn't have (and wasn't capable of saving on a chef's salary) the capital to open my own restaurant, then I needed to find a field that would serve--and be served by--me better.

I don't know what else to say, really. I know a lot of folks in the health care industry with whom I was able to talk about nursing as a career, I volunteered in the ED to make sure I felt comfortable in the field, and going back to school to do prerequisites proved to me that I've still "got it" academically, and that the human organism is intricate enough to keep me fascinated for the rest of my life.

Sound like I'm on the right track here? Not having doubts, but your honest assessment would be helpful.

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