Duke ABSN Spring 2011

U.S.A. North Carolina

Published

Hi there-

My name is Sandy and I am applying to the Duke ABSN for Spring 2011, just wondering if there is anyone else out there applying? Only 2 months till the deadline and I am trying to get my personal statement finished, as well as spiffy up my resume!

I think I am anxious already! This may be a long ride!

Anyway....a little about me...

I have a BS in Environmental Management with a 3.73 GPA, didn't take the GRE, still working on the prerequisites but so far have a 4.0 in those classes.

I spent 10 years in the Navy, working as an aviation electronics technician and supervisor. Also did hazardous material control and other environmental stuff for my command. I also taught CPR for 5 or so years, as well as blood drive coordination. I was able to travel to a lot of neat places, and some that weren't! All-in-all it was a great experience for me. After leaving the military in late 2007, I worked for a semi-conductor company in RTP, doing research and development (not my favorite job). So, I decided to go to school for massage therapy, and I'm now a licensed therapist. So, that makes me something like 34 years young.

So, here I am....wanting to pursue a dream that I have had for long time! Thankfully I have the world's greatest husband! He is my rock and has encouraged me to take this leap! So let's do this!

I'm waiting for you! Hopefully someone will be here soon to go crazy in anticipation with me! :)

Sandy- that sounds really cool! Have you looked into UNC's NP program at all? I was checking out their website the other day and it looks like they actually have a master's degree with a focus in adult oncology. http://nursing.unc.edu/degree/msn/anp.html I suppose they have a pretty great nursing school in spite of being tar heels :).

My nursing interests are mainly in critical care...before I go back to school for a master's I'd love to spend some time in peds CVICU since I've shadowed down there a bit and the pace seems faster than the NICU, where I am now. The itsy bitsy ones are cute and all, but I miss working with kids that talk :). Anybody else interested in peds?

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Specializes in Neuro ICU.
Painted- I plan on starting my NP as soon as possible, not sure if I will go directly into it, but I'd like to within a year. Right now I'm thinking Oncology, but I want to explore as much as can throughout the program, so we will see...What are you thinking of doing?

What are everyone's nursing interests? Maybe some chit-chat will help us pass the time! :)

Right now I'm leaning towards oncology, but I also have an interest in orthopedics and geriatrics. There are just so many possibilities in nursing! One of the things I absolutely love about the field!

Something to think about with the direct-to-NP thing... first of all, Duke does that fantastic ABSN tuition reimbursement, and I'm pretty sure it only applies if you start working full-time straight out of school. That's like, $40k you don't have to pay back, which is huuuuuuge. Second - it's very, very hard for an NP without any floor nursing experience to get a job. If you do a little bit of searching on NP's in your specialty preference and see how many you see that require some experience vs. those that don't... and know that you'll be at a big disadvantage in the job search without any nursing experience.

I've been talking to a bunch of nurses and NP students lately and it's been eye-opening. I never considered just how beneficial a few years of working between RN and NP would be. Luckily Duke does offer part-time NP programs, so you can still take a class or two per semester while you're working full-time and not be completely out of school. (I plan on going immediately into part-time NP studies at a very decelerated rate. :)) Just something to think about!

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I actually have no desire to do peds! I am aiming for a general family NP, but I think the clinicals may open my eyes to a more specialized area!

I am considering the CRNA or maybe the Oncology specialty, but I really just need to get my feet wet and go from there!

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Twois- Thanks for the advice, I've heard that too but I wasn't sure if it was just NICU-related (since NICU NP programs tend to require more experience than the rest, usually 2 years rather than one or even none). How are you liking the Duke program? What did you think of the first semester courses and do you have any suggestions for surviving them (provided we actually get in :D)?

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ncemt-

Thanks for the info...I have definitely considered UNC for my NP, as it is much cheaper and is a great program as well!I will definitely explore all the great options out there. I really love living in Raleigh. There are so many great educational opportunities, as well as awesome places to work!

twois-

Great advice! I am definitely considering the part time option and it would be crazy not to take up the opportunity for tuition reimbursement (hopefully they will be actively recruiting new grads when we finish up). The new Duke Cancer Center is supposed to be opening in Spring 2012, so we would be finishing up the program at the perfect time. I hear they are hiring around 400 oncology nurses. Could be an amazing opportunity!

So, does everyone have medical experience? What did you guys do before nursing? I feel a little inexperienced here. I'm a massage therapist (lymphatic massage was one of the things that peaked my interest in oncology nursing) and I taught CPR/First Aid for 5 years but I don't have a lot of "nursing" experience. I spent 6 months caring for my mother-in-law through her cancer treatments and hospice care, but haven't had extensive experience otherwise.

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I have no nursing experience. =/

I spent time in a dental office for a little over 3 years and learned to interact with patients in a "health" field. haha

I've been on two mission trips to Romania, where we provided free healthcare to children and adults. I'm waiting to hear back from Duke, if I get in I won't need any more prereqs (that other schools require), and I will be free in September to go back to Romania!!!

and I also spent time with my Grandma while she went through chemo and radiation for around 8 or 10 months

I'm interested in CRNA, but I know I could change my mind several times between now and graduation. I'm pretty open to anything

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Specializes in Neuro ICU.
Twois- Thanks for the advice, I've heard that too but I wasn't sure if it was just NICU-related (since NICU NP programs tend to require more experience than the rest, usually 2 years rather than one or even none). How are you liking the Duke program? What did you think of the first semester courses and do you have any suggestions for surviving them (provided we actually get in :D)?

I'll let you know in 3 weeks when I start. ;) Right now I'm just exploring Durham and talking to everyone I can find about nursing and the industry and the things I need to start thinking about for after graduation. I felt like I focused for so long on getting into NS, now the reality is that in 15 months, I need to find a job and figure out what I'm doing about further schooling! And those decisions have to start now... or at least, I need to be aware of them now... ya know?

And yes, the cancer center is exciting. Oncology is one of my interests - one of the reasons I chose Duke was because of the adult onc NP program - and boy, do I hope they're on schedule to start hiring shortly after our Dec '11 graduation! Even for those who aren't keen on cancer, it will probably open up some spots other places in the hospital if nurses want to change units to onc. Good timing all around, you know?

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Haha, my bad, I was thinking you started in the Spring! Three weeks works, then :). Good luck with starting classes!!! I've been thinking more about nursing jobs, too...obviously it's still a long way to go for me, but the reality is that there are definitely no guarantees after school, even with a Duke degree. I'd love to get into critical care right after graduation, but I don't know how realistic that is. Cross that bridge when I come to it, I guess!

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Hey guys, I just got off the phone with M. She told me that the admissions committee isn't meeting til Friday (BUMMER!!) and that decisions should be out the week of 16th. Looks like there is no chance of finding out this week.

Oh, the torture! :eek:

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Specializes in Neuro ICU.
Haha, my bad, I was thinking you started in the Spring! Three weeks works, then :). Good luck with starting classes!!! I've been thinking more about nursing jobs, too...obviously it's still a long way to go for me, but the reality is that there are definitely no guarantees after school, even with a Duke degree. I'd love to get into critical care right after graduation, but I don't know how realistic that is. Cross that bridge when I come to it, I guess!

Yeah, longest three weeks EVER! We have orientation on the 24th and 25th and then we start classes on the 30th. It's like I'm in some sort of time warp hole... the closer it gets, the slower time goes... :)

Durham is a fantastic little city though. I'm loving the time to explore and enjoy it... you guys are gonna dig it, I'm sure. Coming from a pretty small college town in the middle of rural North Florida, it's fun to have so many neat local/independent places to eat/relax/have fun/shop. I chose to live up by campus, and I think I was here for 2-3 weeks before I finally saw a Chili's, and I still don't know where the Best Buy is. (All the big chain commercial stuff seems to be down by Chapel Hill... it's kinda hard to find in the middle part of Durham!)

Anyways, good luck with the wait... I remember how utterly torturous it was earlier this year. I don't envy you guys this week, but know that the numbers are good. We had 140 interviews for our 70 spots, so at that point it was 50/50, and a LOT of people decide not to accept the admissions offer. (We had one girl rescind just this week.) Funny story... when the emails came for our class, I was in the middle of microbiology class - trying to sit still and pay attention for the rest of the two hours was nearly impossible. I just sat there like this: :-D and had to get a classmate's notes from that day.

And re: nursing jobs... it's going to be so very hard to know what the situation will be when any particular class graduates. It scares the bejeezus out of me, but I'm just going to work my tuchis off and get myself in the best position I can be in and hope like crazy that things are a little better and we can all find work! It's GOTTA recover at some point in the next two years... right? :uhoh3:

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Hey guys, I just got off the phone with M. She told me that the admissions committee isn't meeting til Friday (BUMMER!!) and that decisions should be out the week of 16th. Looks like there is no chance of finding out this week.

Oh, the torture! :eek:

I have a good feeling that we will know on Monday!!

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I wonder how long it takes them and what the process is like =/

It must be clear cut if they could do it in a day

I had my last lecture exam today in HAP II. I have my last practical tomorrow...then I'll almost be free!!!

Our final is on Monday, but I'm not too worried

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