Bmcc Aas?

P_RN, ADN, RN · Feb 3, 2004

BMCC? Is that Borough of Manhatten Community College?

http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/fy02grants/abstracts/D19/D19HP40441-01.htm

I'm not sure of the time frame, but I think NY will soon be an all BSN state for RN license. -jt you here?

cola78 · Feb 3, 2004

Yes, Borough of Manhattan Community College. And..Gosh, I hope they don't change the requirements of being an RN in NYC. Knowing my luck I'll be in my last week of schooling and they'll change it! Does anyone know of a part-time evening/weekend program for BSN? I have a Bachelors, but not in a science field. I tried looking into Pace's program but it's very costly.

-jt · Feb 3, 2004

Yeahhhh Im here. And guess what? Im a graduate of BMCC too. 1982. Small world, huh? :)

I didn't get to go to the beautiful "new" campus next to the WTC though. The city ran out of money during construction and its completion was put on hold. It opened the Sept after I graduated. We had to have our classes in rented office space in skyscrapers and buildings all over Midtown. My English lit class was upstairs from the top-less Pussycat Lounge on 47th and Broadway. The girls would meet us coming in as they were getting off "work" in the morning and be so nice --- encouraging us to stay in school. :)

I know it was some time ago that I was there, but I really liked BMCCs program (especially as compared to the uppity one I got thrown out of on Staten Island).

Our professors and adjunct instructors at BMCC were also still working bedside nurses - and militant nurse activists. Throughout the program, they gave us the real deal about working in a hospital, and stressed the importance of nurses being politically aware and involved as active members in their state nurses assoc. They also required us to take the LPN exam as part of our final in the first year - for practice for the RN exam, which was similar in format, and to afford us additonal job opportunities while in RN school. We didnt have a choice. We HAD to take the LPN exam, whether we wanted additional job opportuinites or not. That requirement turned out to be very helpful to some of our students who then were able to work as LPNs and improve their financial situations. They wouldnt have done that if we were not forced to take to that exam as part of our final. BMCC instructors were culturally diverse, tough, no nonsense, real bedside nurses. I liked that.

After graduation in May, we were also required to return to school 3 days a week from 9am - 2pm all through June for the RN license exam review. We took old licensure exams in the mornings and went over the answers and reasons for them in the afternoons. Everyday. All day. For weeks. By the time we had to take the real RN licensure exam in July (over a 2-day period with pencil and paper!), we were soooo prepared that we had nothing to be afraid of. Some of the questions that had been used on the previous ones that we had been given for practice in the review classes even appeared again on our real exam. We breezed right thru that test ----- and we had a 99% first-time pass rate.

I also liked the diverse experience we got clinically. We used many of the citys public hospitals - Harlem, Lincoln, Metropolitan, the VA, Bellvue. You dont get exprience like that and exposure to so many different groups in the suburbs.

As far as being able to get a job now with an AAS, I havent seen any ads - except for Columbia-Presby - saying that you MUST have a BSN. There is an shortage of RNs who want to work at the bedside, so if you are an RN willing to do that - thats what counts.

In your application/interview mention that you are planning to return to school for your BSN. If they prefer BSNs, the fact that you are interested in getting that will count in your favor.

Once you get the job, use the union contract's tuition reimbursement benefit to have the employer pay for you to go back to school for the BSN. Eventually youre going to need the BSN anyway. Might as well let the employer pay for you to get it.

Pace is not the only school in NY that offers a BSN program to students who hold batchelors in other fields. But its more economical for you to get the AAS RN, get an RN job, and let the employer fund your advanced education. And there are more choices of colleges and accelerated BSN programs for those who already have their RN.

-jt · Feb 4, 2004

PS

Just saw this on BMCCs website:

Borough of Manhattan Community College has established an evening/weekend Associate Degree in Nursing Program for part-time students. The BMCC program is designed to be completed by the part-time student in three years and will articulate completely with the RN/Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing Program at Medgar Evers College. Both programs are intended to fulfill goals and aspirations of a large segment of New York City residents who have been denied access into nursing degree programs in the City University due to financial and/or family obligations that require them to engage in full-time employment during the day hours.>

http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/