guidance needed!!!

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Hi. I will be graduating this May with a BS in Allied Health from UCONN. I would like to pursue a nursing degree. I have looked into the ACL program at SCSU, GWCC and St. Vincent's. Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with any of these programs? Does anyone have any advice they can offer? I appreciate any feedback you can give me.

Thank you!!

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Oncology.

Just out of curiosity, are you not considering UCONN CEIN? Seems like that could be a soft transition for you.

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No, I am not. Main reason is cost. I can live home while I attend Southern, GWCC or St. Vincents.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Oncology.

Oh, OK. Well, I really don't know much about GWCC or St Vincents, but I did start the application process to SCSU - did not finish as I got accepted into CEIN. SCSU ACE seemed like a strong program, it is very inexpensive (comparing to private schools) and they seem to be very "plugged in" with Yale New Haven. I got the feeling that graduates had a good shot at getting jobs. The only downside to this program is that they have so many prerequisites and many of them are different from what's required for other programs. But with your degree this should probably not be much of an issue. They also have a weird multistep application process: you have to apply to school first and there is only ONE day in April you can do that for ACE. Then apply to the ACE program specifically in Nov. If you get accepted you start in the Summer. So lo-o-ong lead time.

Good luck with the decision.

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Specializes in medsurg, progressive care.

I know you said, for cost reasons, you weren't considering UConn but I would reconsider if I were you - this sounds shallow but reputation is important, and UConn has a great reputation as a nursing school. And yes, sadly, this matters - I went to a great school out of state and I've had multiple recruiters ask why I didn't go to UConn and chose some "random" school - it's one of the top nursing schools in NY but they didn't seem to care. If it's not a possibility I would say St. Vincent's because they are associated with a teaching hospital, and that's where the majority of new grads get hired. No matter what you choose, good luck and do a bunch of volunteer work!

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Specializes in Tele, Med/Surg, Geri, Case Manager.

St. Vincents is an associate degree program. I took my prereqs there but got into Capital. It seems like a great program.

I was in a similar situation as you, having graduated from UCONN with a degree in Family Studies then going back to get my RN. The direct entry programs were just starting up then.

You should def look into an entry to practice degree and get the RN certificate and then the MSN. Yale is probably the best in that area . Since it has such a great endowment, perhaps you could get grants/scholarship as you are male (I'm assuming by your screen name).

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UCONN's CEIN has 4 campuses. From your school choices, I assume you live in the New Haven area. Could you live at home and commute to Stamford or Avery Point? Stamford CEIN uses Yale New Haven as a clinical site. Just a thought.

Of the choices you list, I'd definitely do Southern. You want a BSN. From what I hear, the job market is rather tight at the moment, and hospitals want BSN, not just RN. It's not so much about the quality of the instruction (the CCs turn out very good nurses; I don't know that much about St. Vincent's) as it is about maintaining magnet status.

I considered doing the CC RN route, but when I factored in the cost to finish up the BSN, it was going to cost as much as doing the ACE program at SCSU, but take longer. I have a bachelor's degree, but any school that's going to give you a BSN is going to require at least 30 credits be done at that university. So to get my BSN from WCSU (closest state school for me), I was going to have to take maybe two nursing classes and then a bunch of random classes, not because I really needed those courses (I have a ton of courses that could transfer) but just to meet the minimum institution credit requirements. Not worth it to me.

So then I was set to focus on Southern's ACE because UCONN's CEIN is about $10k more. Then my husband pointed out I could start CEIN in January and finish in Dec rather than waiting to start ACE in August and finish in July. His argument was that finishing 7 months earlier would mean starting work 7 months earlier (give or take, because I'm going to have to do a job search no matter when I go), and it's reasonable to think I could earn more than $10K in 7 months. So, although it seems counterintuitive, the CEIN program actually made the most financial sense for me.

If cost is your primary factor, I'm not sure why you'd look at St. Vincent's but not UCONN. St. Vincent's seems like a pricey way to do an associate RN program.

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I would look at the bsn programs.

I would not not look at St Vincent's. They are not good about transfer credits and have an nclex pass rate of 63%. There are much better programs. I have a BS and am going the straight RN route instead of accelerated because there is no way I can completely put life and work on hold for a year.

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I thought St. Vincent's was supposed to be one of the better school's in CT. That's a low NCLEX pass rate. I saw on their website that they require you to maintain no lower than a B-. Most school's require at least a C+.

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I would be shocked if you are correct about St. Vincent's pass rate. When I graduated and passed in 2003 we had a 100 percent pass rate. I have worked in acute care since 2003 and I feel St. Vincent's prepared me well. In terms of transferring credits, I earned my Bachelor's in nursing in georgia and didn't have any problems with classes transferring.

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Wow. I just looked it up on the DPH website and it is 63%.

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Wow! I;m really surprised!

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