the university of arizona will give you free tuition providing you with a free Accelerated BSN degree, for everyone who is interested in obtaining a bsn program and who has a bachelor degree in another health field!
the accelerated partnership bsn program for college graduates is designed for students who have already completed a non-nursing baccalaureate who wish to pursue a career in nursing. this is a 14 month entry level professional nursing program that leads to a bachelor of science in nursing and eligibility to take the national rn licensure examination. the program is sponsored by tucson healthcare agency partners who pay a predetermined amount to cover all teaching costs associated with the program.
the partnership program is tuition free made possible through the university of arizona college of nursing's partnership with tucson healthcare agencies:carondelet healthcare network, tucson medical center, northwest medical center and university medical center. all students will enter into an employment commitment with their sponsor agreeing to work as an rn for three years following graduation. if the student fails to meet the commitment then the student will reimburse his/her sponsor in accordance with terms established in an agreement between the students and healthcare sponsor.
That must have been really, really fun for you! Eeeew!
In my group, there was an undergrad biology and a psychology degree.
You poor thing! I have an undergrad degree (two) as well.
Wow! That would have phased me in an interview a little bit, I must admit.
If we all get in, I am buying the first round! :cheers:
or, if you prefer, :smilecoffeecup:
If it makes you feel better, the chair of my interdisciplinary committee for my second degree said that more degrees does not make you more qualified- it can even make you look like a weaker candidate to some schools. I can say this because I have the whole range, from BA to BS and it took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to *be when I grew up* so to speak.
What I'm trying to say without offending anyone here, is that it's about best fit for the program and the nursing profession. You may be just what they're looking for!
Are you in Tucson or an out-of-stater like me?
I really can't wait anymore, either. I'm tortured, grumpy, and turning into this guy:
:hlk:
And because my brain is so obsessed with getting into U of AZ, I am resorting to communicating through these little emoticons. By time time we hear, I will be
Congratulations on making it to the interviews. I can remember how stressful it was last year, then waiting to hear something. Last year it took about two weeks and we first got an email a few days before the official letter came in the mail. This year will be a little different since they have reduced the number of slots to 48 or 49 from 96. Carondelet is not sponsoring any students due to our current economic situation and another hospital(s) reduced the number of students for this incoming class. Good luck to you guys....and keep checking your email.
I was laughing as I read your message as I feel the same way! I want to know either way. It is torture! Thanks for the assurance that I am not the only one who only has a Bachelor's degree. I currently live in Tucson--have been here for about 10 years. My first degree was from the U of A as well. If you get in---even if I don't :wink2: I would be happy to meet up and show you around if you would like!
I don't think I have ever wished a weekend would go by fast! I can't hold still and wait!
I talked with another UA aBSN graduate the other day. He said he had zero choice of where to go when he graduated. He ended up on nights in a unit he cannot stand. Told me he's considering cashing in his retirement portfolio to pay off his tuition contract so he can bail early due to feeling sick on nights and hating getting up every day. He has tried to transfer to another unit, but the hospital is under an unofficial hiring freeze.
The program is an excellent opportunity to earn your BSN at a respected college of nursing, but go into this commitment with eyes wide open, folks. You will earn every penny of your sponsored tuition and be owned for three years unless you come up with the $$$$$ to buy out your contract. And you can bet with the current economy other hospitals are NOT going to offer up the money to buy out your contract if you want to go elsewhere.
I talked with another UA aBSN graduate the other day. He said he had zero choice of where to go when he graduated. He ended up on nights in a unit he cannot stand. Told me he's considering cashing in his retirement portfolio to pay off his tuition contract so he can bail early due to feeling sick on nights and hating getting up every day. He has tried to transfer to another unit, but the hospital is under an unofficial hiring freeze.
The program is an excellent opportunity to earn your BSN at a respected college of nursing, but go into this commitment with eyes wide open, folks. You will earn every penny of your sponsored tuition and be owned for three years unless you come up with the $$$$$ to buy out your contract. And you can bet with the current economy other hospitals are NOT going to offer up the money to buy out your contract if you want to go elsewhere.
Which hospital is he at? You can PM me if you don't want to make it public knowledge.
I am also aware that when you start a nursing career, you gotta start at the bottom. We all have to do the gruntwork-- not only to get where we want to be as a nurse, but to learn basic skills and lessons that can only be learned at the bottom.
That being said, I'm not yet a nurse- only a "wanna-be" so I have no idea what I'm talking about. I may eat those words later, but I am very confident that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
I was laughing as I read your message as I feel the same way! I want to know either way. It is torture! Thanks for the assurance that I am not the only one who only has a Bachelor's degree. I currently live in Tucson--have been here for about 10 years. My first degree was from the U of A as well. If you get in---even if I don't :wink2: I would be happy to meet up and show you around if you would like!
I don't think I have ever wished a weekend would go by fast! I can't hold still and wait!
Ajwildcat,
My husband slipped me one of his Heineken Lghts last night after my toddler went to sleep. I don't normally drink EtOH because I'm still nursing, so I have an incredibly low tolerance- like three sips and my head spins. So I told him this morning, friends don't let friends drink and-- post!
I will take you up on that offer to be shown around Tucson. My family will be moving there regardless next month. I am going to hit you up on information on local elementary schools, also, since you're the elementary education queen of this thread. I am looking for favorite coffee shops, REI, rocks to climb on, the best little locally-owned restaurants, the ski hill called Mt. Lemmon, Mexico, and anything else you like or think is great about Tucson.
waiting waiting. I think I will stare at the email before I open it.. I am sure that I will be shaking.. I really liked Tucson. This would work for me and I want to work med -surg and nights.... of course I may eat my words.. but I am game.... praying praying praying
I would love to show you around! What is bringing you to Tucson? Do you know where you will be living? I think posting here is the only thing that will keep me alive through the weekend
Which hospital is he at? You can PM me if you don't want to make it public knowledge.
I am also aware that when you start a nursing career, you gotta start at the bottom. We all have to do the gruntwork-- not only to get where we want to be as a nurse, but to learn basic skills and lessons that can only be learned at the bottom.
That being said, I'm not yet a nurse- only a "wanna-be" so I have no idea what I'm talking about. I may eat those words later, but I am very confident that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
Anybody else have thoughts on this matter?
I'll tell you what...the first year of nursing is so very, very painful. It will be the worst year ever. The mistakes you make, the people that find them and flaunt them, the cliques, the sheer amount of things to remember, and then do--it will blow your mind. And I'm not even remotely kidding.
And then, it gets better
But...to be in a non-supportive environment, bad shift, poor managers, or in a unit that's not your cup of tea magnifies things 1000 fold.
Even when we find our niche, and we like what we do, that first year breaks us. I can't remember the stat, but it's something like 60% of new grads leave their first job within that first year. I'll look it up because I did a paper on it for my BSN.
You will be utterly amazed how the wrong unit/shift can break you.
Even with a simple monetary contract (like I had) it was torture. Being under the thumb of my workplace for my 2 year contract was horrible. I planned out how many shifts I had left, calculated how much I"d have to pay, reviewed the paperwork, etc.
I'm still here, at the same place. But the contract period was suffocating. Suffocating!
Of course, a free BSN is worth a lot. Like multi said though, it's not really free.
. So I told him this morning, friends don't let friends drink and-- post!
Lol!
I have unfortunately been the victim of drinking and posting.
I used to administrate a fertility message board and I'd review my postings and think "huh? What the heck did I say??"
On this board, I'm REAL careful not to drink and post. I might get myself banned!
thanks for the advice.. It is so sad to me to think that there are environments when people don't want to help each other. Especially when there are newbies around. I am sure it can be annoying when you are in a hurry but everyone has to start out new. I think some people forget what it was like when they were new... It just would be so much better if people worked as a team... We all work together I have always wondered why there are so many places when people just don't get along...but I can see your point. I am glad that things got better for you....I know the worse is still to come for me.... ahh one step at a time....
I'll tell you what...the first year of nursing is so very, very painful. It will be the worst year ever. The mistakes you make, the people that find them and flaunt them, the cliques, the sheer amount of things to remember, and then do--it will blow your mind. And I'm not even remotely kidding.
And then, it gets better
But...to be in a non-supportive environment, bad shift, poor managers, or in a unit that's not your cup of tea magnifies things 1000 fold.
Even when we find our niche, and we like what we do, that first year breaks us. I can't remember the stat, but it's something like 60% of new grads leave their first job within that first year. I'll look it up because I did a paper on it for my BSN.
You will be utterly amazed how the wrong unit/shift can break you.
Even with a simple monetary contract (like I had) it was torture. Being under the thumb of my workplace for my 2 year contract was horrible. I planned out how many shifts I had left, calculated how much I"d have to pay, reviewed the paperwork, etc.
I'm still here, at the same place. But the contract period was suffocating. Suffocating!
Of course, a free BSN is worth a lot. Like multi said though, it's not really free.
Lol!
I have unfortunately been the victim of drinking and posting.
I used to administrate a fertility message board and I'd review my postings and think "huh? What the heck did I say??"
On this board, I'm REAL careful not to drink and post. I might get myself banned!
That's a good point. I could see how that could be a bad idea.
I stopped drinking when I had my kids- babies and EtOH just don't mix. My three sips last night were my husband's attempt to get me to relax a little and think about my admissions status less. Of course, it didn't work. :wink2:
I really think you are making a substantial point about the first 1-2 years of nursing. My motto is: I know so much, yet I know nothing at all. This is what I think the first year of nursing will be like. I am prepared to be overwhelmed, humbled, bullied, and worse. But I don't believe in fear-based thinking. I guess I have that talent for seeing the opportunity in rough situations and staying positive and upbeat.
I do take your comments to heart and I realize that finding the right niche is key. I am aware that the possibility may be slim as a contracted new grad- but I have spoken to many graduates of the program who are contented with their placement. I have also spoken to a few dissatisfied graduates. I am happy to say that most of them did not find themselves in the nightmare you've described. I plan to work nights so I can see my kids in the morning and after school, so there will be no surprises there. Even with all the risks, it's more than worth it to me. I also believe that the sponsoring hospitals will try to accommodate placement requests- but there has to be a space available and that one space may have several applicants.
The bottom line for me: I want a free, fast BSN with guaranteed work in a busy hospital after graduation. This program has everything I am looking for. We all have to go through the first year or two, I realize it's part of a new nurse's initiation into the field- an opportunity to thicken the skin and learn, learn, learn.
I really appreciate the banter and discussion.
I can relax for two days now that the weekend has begun.
I would love to show you around! What is bringing you to Tucson? Do you know where you will be living? I think posting here is the only thing that will keep me alive through the weekend
The sun brings me to Tucson (and hopefully the ASBSN program). My husband just landed a great job in the northern part of the city and that's where we'll probably live- I hear the Catalina foothills have great schools.
We checked out Sabino Canyon while we were there and even found a little snow runoff stream that was nice and cold in the 90 degree heat. Very cool.
I am going to do everything I can to stay busy and distracted this weekend. It will fly by for us all! I almost feel like this thread is becoming my lifeline (oh, the drama!) .:uhoh21:
chinook
72 Posts
Oh my....
That must have been really, really fun for you! Eeeew!
In my group, there was an undergrad biology and a psychology degree.
You poor thing! I have an undergrad degree (two) as well.
Wow! That would have phased me in an interview a little bit, I must admit.
If we all get in, I am buying the first round! :cheers:
or, if you prefer, :smilecoffeecup:
If it makes you feel better, the chair of my interdisciplinary committee for my second degree said that more degrees does not make you more qualified- it can even make you look like a weaker candidate to some schools. I can say this because I have the whole range, from BA to BS and it took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to *be when I grew up* so to speak.
What I'm trying to say without offending anyone here, is that it's about best fit for the program and the nursing profession. You may be just what they're looking for!
Are you in Tucson or an out-of-stater like me?
I really can't wait anymore, either. I'm tortured, grumpy, and turning into this guy:
:hlk:
And because my brain is so obsessed with getting into U of AZ, I am resorting to communicating through these little emoticons. By time time we hear, I will be
this guy *wine
or this guy:flmngmd:
I just need to *not* be this guy anymore:
:plsebeg: