Duke ABSN Fall 2014 Hopefuls

U.S.A. North Carolina

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I applied to the Duke SON ABSN program for the Fall of 2014. Anyone else out there who is applying for the same cohort? I saw that last year, the applicants got their interview/Duke Days letters at the end of January... hopefully we'll hear back soon! Good luck to everyone!

Specializes in Child & Adolescent Psych.
Hi ND_Irish!

Glad you had a good Duke Day! Question for you: How did most people dress for the day? Are most the events indoors? Trying to plan appropriate attire :). Thanks so much!

Most people were in business casual, some bordering on business very casual. I wore a silk long-sleeved blouse, dress pants and flats because I knew we'd be walking. A few girls wore dresses that seemed a little too short for business casual, IMHO. Girls, wear tights or sheer hose if you're planning on going with a dress or a skirt. Guys wore dress pants, a nice shirt and ties, I know some wore suit jackets as well.

Everything is indoors except for the campus tour, but we only went outside once to get from the shuttle to the Duke Chapel. The events will either be in Hanes House (I think that's the name) or Pearson, which is two buildings away! Not too much outdoor time or walking at all, so girls could wear heels if they really wanted! :)

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Hi all!! Congrats on receiving interviews. This Friday is going to be pretty chilly so I would bring some layers. You will be going on a tour so you don't want to be freezing all day. I'm a first semester student and I love it already. I'm sure I'll see all of you on Friday as I have lab that day. Just relax and remember that the professors are really there to help you and support you, they are not going to try and trip you up and they are not testing you. Be genuine and convey your passion and drive. As for the price, it's a very personal decision but I feel like I'm getting my money's worth. The new building is going to be amazing, the simulation lab is top of the line, and the tools are top-notch. As the other students have conveyed, I am always open to questions/messages. I was in your shoes about 5 months ago so I know the amount of questions you all must have. Good luck, you will be great!

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Specializes in Child & Adolescent Psych.

Have a great day today at Duke Days! You all will be great!

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I had a great time at Duke Days. Not only were the faculty and staff nice but the students were really nice. It was nice to hear their perspective on the program.

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I had an amazing time at Duke Days too. The people were great and the day went smoothly. Hope to hear good news from everyone!

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Does anyone know when we will find out if we are admitted? I had a phone interview and everyone was really nice!

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Juanmartin from previous page said first round would be march 12 And second round mid april 16th ish

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Specializes in Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Hi all!

Congratulations on receiving interviews, I hope everyone's Duke Days went well! I graduated from DUSON in December 2013, and currently work at Duke Hospital. I am available to answer any questions you all may have regarding interviews, acceptance, the program, the hospital, etc!

Coming to Duke was the best decision I ever made, and I absolutely loved the education I received and felt extremely well prepared to sit for (and pass!) the NCLEX.

Again, congrats and I hope that some of you will be calling DUSON "home" very soon :)

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Hi all!

Congratulations on receiving interviews, I hope everyone's Duke Days went well! I graduated from DUSON in December 2013, and currently work at Duke Hospital. I am available to answer any questions you all may have regarding interviews, acceptance, the program, the hospital, etc!

Coming to Duke was the best decision I ever made, and I absolutely loved the education I received and felt extremely well prepared to sit for (and pass!) the NCLEX.

Again, congrats and I hope that some of you will be calling DUSON "home" very soon :)

For students transitioning into the nursing program, what do you think is the biggest challenge and what can a student do to sort of "prepare" for the program?

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Specializes in Cardiothoracic Surgery.
For students transitioning into the nursing program, what do you think is the biggest challenge and what can a student do to sort of "prepare" for the program?

The hardest part for me was definitely adjusting to being back in school and having so many responsibilities and yet so little control over it! You will come to find that each class requires things outside of school time (clinical hours, group projects, guest lectures, not to mention studying and preparing for class). The hardest part for me was giving up control, as I have (like most nurses) Type A personality, and I like to plan things way in advance! There will be times when an assignment is added on to your class, or you are required to attend a computer training session that you only found out about yesterday, or when clinical has to be re-scheduled. It was frustrating at times, but I soon came to realize I had to be flexible and adapt. It is an ACCELERATED program - so things move quickly, and you have to be ok with that.

Another big challenge I noticed with my cohort is that you have to be ok with being wrong! We are all coming from other degrees, fields, and areas of expertise where we were the best - and it's hard for some people to adjust to the way of nursing school and nursing tests. It's ok! Getting questions wrong, or not quite understanding a concept does NOT mean you will be a bad nurse. Stick with it and know there are always faculty and staff willing to help if you feel behind. I found that some of my best resources were my own classmates! You will survive, and will be very proud of all that you can accomplish in such a short amount of time :)

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Do you happen to know how many students take advantage of the "early decision" option that allows absn students to be considered for admission to the MSN programs prior to regular applicants, and what percentage of those students who apply get in? Also, do you have any comments about the future of MSN trained nurse practitioners given the fact that some years ago the recommendation was that MSN programs be replaced by DNP programs by 2015?

My long term goal is to be a nurse practitioner and I am currently admitted to a "direct entry" program that would allow me to do this a little more easily than if I were to go to Duke. As of right now this is, really, the one advantage that this other program has over Duke as it pertains to me. But it's still a consideration that I ought to weigh before I make a final decision.

- Thank you!

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Thank you southeRNgirl185, you were quite helpful. I am learning more about being flexible and adapting to new situations (not always easy). Lol. Now...what do you think of the nursing program and what is Durham like (lol)?

@ JuanMartin...I think that the Nursing Admission department might have the answer to some of your questions. I think they would best know the percentage of their BSN students apply "early decision" and get in that way. I do remember on Duke Day, that they said some of their MSN programs required experience before you can apply and right now the only MSN program that has already transitioned to DNP is the nurse anesthesia program (starting Fall 2014), but I am not sure about their other ones.

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