How do current Samuel Merritt ABSN students like their program?

AmyH · Sep 6, 2008

hi, i’m an absn student at samuelmerrittcollege, and i can honestly say it’s the worst experience of my academic life!

at my campus, there are a few full-time instructors who are really dedicated, but most of the instructors are a bunch of burned out nurses who just show-up, read powerpoint slides provided by the textbook publishers, administer exams, then disappear. no office hours, no time for students, and no interest beyond putting in their time and picking up their checks. at samuel merritt, you are 100% on your own.

the clinical instructors are a little club of nurses from the local teaching hospital, who are paid $80/hr to supervise us during clinicals. but in reality, they spend their time in the cafeteria grading careplans and talking with their friends. sometimes we go an entire 12-hour clinical shift and never see them, except for pre-shift huddle and post shift conference.

the admin here are incompetent! i don’t mean they are just human, and occasionally make mistakes like the rest of us. i mean they mess up everything they touch, and loose every document they receive. they’ve lost two complete sets of my transcripts, and every immunization doc i’ve ever faxed them. everything you give them disappears.

emotionally? if i hear an instructor say the school motto (“be flexible”), or the school fight song (“put on your big girl panties and deal with it”) one more time, i’m going to go postal!

financially? we just started fall semester, and my financial aid is still completely messed up. the financial aid contact for the absn program couldn’t find her butt with both hands and a map, and doesn’t return emails/vmails. and forget about grants (there are none for second degree students), forget about subsidized student loans (very limited for second degree absn students). all you’ll receive from financial aid is a list of banks which will provide private loans (with big fees, and interest accruing from date of disbursement). there are no institutional grants/scholarships for absn students. there are a few (five) private scholarships like kaiser ($25k, two years of service), and sutter ($5k).

what unit to work in? my class submitted our senior preceptor placement requests a while ago, and while most of them are is still waiting to hear, a half dozen of us have been told that none of our placement requests (either units or hospitals) are available. so we will be precepting in med-surg units, where smc wants us to precept (whether we like it or not). so don’t believe smc staff when they tell you they have contracts in place with almost all the hospitals in the area, and they can arrange for you to precept at a hospital close to your home, and in a unit of your choice. it’s just another samuel merritt lie!

job leads? my class has had a few presentations from hospital recruiters. and they usually go like this, “the nursing shortage is over and hospitals are no longer offering sign-on bonuses, and the nursing shortage is over and hospitals are no longer offering student loan repayment, and the nursing shortage is over and hospitals are no longer offering any sort of recruiting incentives for new grads. so good luck finding a job after graduation, and enjoy your free pizza and bottled water.”

late bloomer, i may be painting a big red target on myself by even posting this. but i just can’t keep quiet anymore. again, and again i’ve seen students treated like trash in smc’s absn program. if you can go somewhere else then go, because this program is a mess. they should fire the entire staff, and start fresh.

sherin036 · Sep 7, 2008

i'm planning on applying for merritt's absn in a few weeks for april 09 admission. i hope i get in the april cohort because i will be done with all pre-reqs this semester. i know the program is not perfect...but nothing is. i hope everything works out for you amy. it's such a big decision for me because i've been in school for 6 years straight and i'm getting kinda burned out.

does anyone know when they'll let us know if we got in?

also, how are the dorms at merritt? is it possible to find safe housing in the bay area?

AmyH · Sep 11, 2008

.....

casn · Sep 11, 2008

Listen to Amy! She is dead on. Absolutely the worst experience I've ever had in academia - and I hold 2 degrees. Try to get into a community college or SFSU/CSUEB/SJSU if at all possible!!! Save your money!!!

Rianna1 · Oct 22, 2008

hmmm...i have had a totally different experience than amyh. maybe i just got lucky, who knows...but the clinical instructors i have had have been awesome. They know their stuff and we always knew where they were for the most part. If there were students in several departments throughout the hospital, they usually make their rounds and check up on everyone. Theory teachers are challenging and it is very hard to get "A's" and those that do work very hard for them. but again, theory teachers for the most part have been awesome and they know their stuff.

Yes, administrative could use some pointers on organization, but that didn't bother me. I just made sure I had copies of EVERYTHING I gave them and haven't had any issues.

Sherin036: if you are planning on applying to the SF campus, there are NO dorms, so you should try to find housing before the program starts. Good Luck!!

StarBelly · Oct 30, 2008

CASN, AmyH

Amy's post terrifies me. :chair: She's mad :flmngmd:and from what she describes, I don't blame her. I'm especially worried about jobs. CASN, Have you been told the same thing about loan forgiveness and that hospitals are no longer recruiting new nurses? :weathercloudandrainI don't want to end up $75,000 in debt with no job prospect...:thnkg:

:confused:

Thanks for sharing your experiences. It helps to know what I'm getting into.

MBA2RN, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2008

Hi, I'm in an SMC ABSN student. And while I can't say it's all been roses, I can say that I have had some good experiences in the program.

I've had some wonderful and dedicated nursing instructors, and some great clinical experiences. It has been extremely challenging. The toughest thing I've ever done. But I've gotten to do some amazing things like help deliver babies, help an alcoholic fight through DTs, care for people who have fallen through the cracks, and provide care for children with cancer.

I'm almost done with school, so getting a job is concern for me too. But I can honestly say that I'm not that worried about it. Because based upon the comments I've heard from charge nurses and nurse managers, SMC really is a cut above. And it's a reputation that is well earned.

I'm two months from graduating, and already setting up interviews. Jobs are there for good nurse candidates from good schools. Nursing can't be outsourced, so it isn't a question of if you'll get a job, but when. The SMC ABSN has been an avalanche of hard work for me. But it's an investment, and I would do it all again.

EM-RN · Nov 1, 2008

To MBA2RN,

Many thanks for your calming words. You have such a winner's attitude. Is that partly due to your MBA schooling? Good for you! From what I read on this website, the availabilty of jobs for new grads depends on location; the bay area seems to be the toughest place to get hired due to a glut of talent. Good luck with the final 2 months of school and job hunting. Please come back and write about your job search. I guess you'll be busy studying for NCLEX soon.

To StarBelly,

If you have time and prefer to take your time learning some serious stuff, public schools may be a better option. Flexibility in work location and unit may play a role in how fast one can find a job after graduation. For those who are choosing SMC ABSN, time means more than money.

justwant2banurse · Feb 18, 2009

I'm curious. For everyone's who's had/having "bad/good" exps w/ SMC ABSN program, which campus are you at? I once had a sub who was employed by SMC (don't know what campus) and she was totally incompetent. We had to petition to remove her from teaching Anatomy at our Community College.

I'm also waiting to hear whether I get accepted for this next session and fear that I'll have her for an Instructor! Many thanks for everyone's feedback, good or bad.

casn · Feb 18, 2009

Sacramento....(not good!!)

dynamo1 · Mar 18, 2009

Thank you current absn students for your honest opinions. Any current students at the San Mateo campus? I just got accepted and after reading these posts I'm having second thoughts about accepting.

I am currently working full time and would have to quit my job to attend school (very scary considering the economy). I know this program will be a BIG investment. Just not sure if it will be worth it...maybe a ADN would be more pocket friendly...but BSN sounds so much better. Anyone know if there's a big difference in the workforce?

I have a few questions if any current absn students are able to answer I would greatly appreciate it.

-How many instructors are there? Do you get to pick your instructor for each class or is it pre-set?

-How accessible are the instructors?

-Do you have the same instructor for lecture and clinicals? How does that work? How do they decide where you're placed for a clinical?

-Have you seen improvements in the staff/instructors since you began the program?

-Is there any help with career placement?

-How has your experience been?

Thanks so much for your time. My mind is spinning... I need let SMC know my decision by next week. ahh...