Does it really matter where you go to school?

[njrodrig]

Hello All,

I am going to embark on journey into the field of nursing very soon. This summer I plan on taking my first pre-recs for nursing school, you know A&P, Chem, ect. I have a degree in accounting but I found it very hard to find a great job because I graduated from a state University with a average GPA. I was always told that no matter what accounting was a sure fire thing and the jobs will be lined up when I was finished with school. Well I'm done and all I can find was a decent bookkeeping job (which is too not bad in this current economic state).

I went the cheap route and obtained a degree from a state school for my first undergrad, and at a few interviews some of the interviewers asked "where is your school located?".

I want to get my BSN in an accelerated program and I am putting a lot of thought into it. I was thinking of going to RES U in Oakpark because that healthcare system is huge here in Illinois. But I feel like this might limit me to jobs at certain hospitals (i.e. resurrection). I was also looking into Loyola, which I am most interested in, but also UIC and Depaul. The total tuition is about the same for all these schools except Depaul because they have a grad program that helps you knock out some basics if you want to be an APN.

My question is, does it really matter which of these schools I go to? Will there be a big difference if my resume says Loyola, RES U, UIC, or Depaul? Or is it mostly based on passing the NCLEX and obtaining an RN license?

[PrayToTheUnicorn]

You have to understand that gone are the days of getting a good job out of school. The economy sucks, jobs are not as plentiful, no matter the field. A "decent bookkeeping job" sounds pretty nice for a recent graduate with LITTLE OR NO EXPERIENCE. What exactly did you expect?

Going to a state school does not make a difference. Hundreds of thousands of people do the same thing and find jobs. Other things factor in, such as experience, summer jobs, internships, as well as if you interview poorly or well.

Being a competent nurse is the most important thing. You need a quality education. All of the schools you mentioned have pluses and minuses. But they are all known in the area and having a BSN is better than an ADN. Some facilities don't even hire ADN RNs anymore. If life takes you somewhere else later on, people in another state may not know the first thing about how these schools compare, but instead you'll be judged on your degree, knowledge, work history, competency, referrals, etc.

Getting a job out of school in nursing will depend in large part on recommendations and the relationships you form during clinicals. That's the same for any school. But there is no magic bullet that will land you a job in nursing. Will you be happy with a "decent" nursing job when the time comes?