I need some help/advice on schools

allnurses Guide · Oct 11, 2014

I am a sophmore at a liberal arts college and will be withdrawing with 31 credits. I am looking to do Pre-reqs part-time at North Shore Community College and either get my associates in nursing there and then transfer to an RN-BSN program or just do my pre-reqs and then transfer.
I am concerned with it getting harder to find nursing jobs in the Boston hospitals and know they are picky about where people seem to be getting their degrees from. Am I right?
Do you think it would be better to get my associates at NSCC or just do pre-reqs and transfer?
Are any of these schools' students sought after in the Boston hospitals?
Northeastern University
Salem State University
Curry College
I am so concerned about not picking the right school for me personally and one that would be positively looked at in the job field in Boston. I want to do labor and delivery or NICU, but of course that's the overall longterm goal.
Thanks in advance!
Danielle

Before you do anything talk to the perspective schools and ensure they will accept your credits before you withdraw.

Boston is an intensively competitive market. The only chance most new grads have of getting a position in a major hospital is to have excelled on a unit during clinical rotations (or perhaps have an excellent network connection). It boils down to having the right clinical at the right time.

I know Northeastern does have clinical rotations in the majors. Curry may have a limited number. Ask the programs. I doubt any will promise you a rotation though.

You are likely better off with a well known BSN program if you goal is to get a major hospital job in LD/NICU.

Sent from my iPhone.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Oct 12, 2014

Salem has tight connections with the North Shore Birthing center. Check about your credits...Many credits may not transfer to many schools. Admission is very competitive. Salem will accept many credits so they might be worth looking into.

My advice for the area, and I have been doing a TON! of research....get a BSN straight out. Most if not all residency programs are saying BSN only apply. Specializing in NICU, L/D is a very tough specialty to get into...in all honesty I believe that Salem might give you a leg up on that goal. You will do your rotations in those units up there and get to know people.

Salem state has a 90% NCLEX pass rate. Northeastern and Curry 95%

Curry one year to live there is $51,925.00 (excluding books)

Northeastern one year to live there $55,296.00 (excluding books)

Salem to live there $27,849.00 (excluding books)

These days which is the best nursing school? The one that admits you.

dannyb358 · Oct 12, 2014

Thank you for the advice. I will look into North Shore this week as Salem State is the school they have affiliations with.

brittney1890 · Oct 14, 2014

If at all possible, and they will take your transfer credits I strongly recommend spending the extra year or so and going the BSN route through Salem. They have great connections with local hospitals, and it is extremely hard to get a job as a ASN new grad. No one wants you, I say that from experience. If I was to go back I would have gone the BSN route. Also almost all of the new grad programs, like the one at beverly hospital, require you to be a BSN new grad. So you pretty much barred from all those programs too, which sucks! You could not even do them once you get your BSN through the bridge because to qualify you cannot have more than 6 months experience as an RN. Northeastern and Curry are great schools, a few of my close friends have gone to them. But For the money northeastern is the better choice, they have student co-ops with a lot of the downtown major hospitals. But Salem is great and not nearly as expensive !