MA nursing schools

Published

Hi everyone, this is a q for everyone from MA. I was accepted at a couple of assoc. degree programs here in MA and I was supposed to start this fall but b/c of an issue with my so called support network I have had to defer my enrollment for a year. At any rate, what I was originally going to do was get my ASN and immediately take an on line RN - BSN program thru UMass which would take approximately another year and a half. I'm starting to believe that I may be better off just going to UMass Boston for the full BSN program. I have heard that it's next to impossible to get a job with an ASN recently and I planned to get my BSN anyway and it's going to take about the same time b/c I've already covered all my science and liberal arts courses. What do you think?

Does anyone here go to UMass? How's your experience been? I'd love to go to UMass Amherst but it's too far away and Northeastern would take an additional year so this is my only four year option. I'd love to hear any advice and any UMass stories. Thanks!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Forget Northeastern and any other school besides a state as far as I am concerned. You are going to get the same salary regardless of how much you debt you have to get an RN license. NEU is nice for the co-op, but RNs have been getting prepared for a long time with the current standards.

I can't site literature, but I feel like facilities are pushing for a BSN now. I don't think I would ever be interested in not having a bachelors degree.

I am currently attending UMass Lowell and am loving the program. I can't really compare it to other schools, but running into a former UML grad in a hospital she told us how prepared they got us to work on floors after school. I probably wouldn't attend UML for anything other than nursing/engineering/music/criminal justice, but that is because the environment is so nice at schools like Amherst. This is a true commuter school. Also remember your proximity to hospitals. Schools like UMass Boston, Lowell, Dartmouth are all near the major hospitals in the city, and even Worchester has its UMass building.

UML faculty all have advanced degrees. We have teachers invovled with honor socicities, who've held leadership positions in national nurse organizations, and have been invovled in nursing for ever. We also have a lot of faculty who went to UML and decided to stick around one way or another. We are huge into geriactrics and I believe we have some kind of first geriactric MSN program? They push us hard, but that is similar for any nursing school (I hope). They continue to tell us that we will be caring for their famalies someday, so we have to be prepared.

Clinical rotations are 1 instructor per six students. We do (starting JR year) Pedi/Maternity, Med-Surge/Psych, Acute Med Surge, and a preceptorship. There are about 80 students in our program (including 5 awesome guys). Everyone in our class is helpful towards one another and we are not out to kill one another. You start taking classes with other nurses day one along with your pre-reqs so you can start becoming friends and have a support system later on.

It is tough to get in the program, as it is anywhere. A tour guide told me it was 10:1 to get in during my year, but this cannot be uncommon anywhere. If you are not accepted into the program they will take you as undeclared health and you have two years or so to take pre-reqs and hope a spot will open (they usually do during peoples first year-anatomy wil weed people out). During this time you have to mantain a high GPA because that is who they decide will get in. If for any reason you cannot get into the BSN program, UML health is unbelievably awesome. Our exercise physiology students are completely prepared for physical therapy school, and we have one of the few medical technologists programs in the state.

Honestly I love the UML Nursing Program. The best part of my day is going to class with all my friends and listening to the teachers. Every teacher I have spoken to has been absolutely wonderful with me and has gone the extra mile to help me out. When meeting with my advisor during class sign ups last year, I was complaining about being stressed, and she took the time out to help me plot my entire week on a chart to help me time manage.

I've written a lot in this post and I hope somewhere I hit what you were looking for. Feel free to message me if you want to know anything else about Lowell, or contact admissions I guess. :)

Research NCLEX pass rates to help you decide on a school, but be careful to look at BSN vs. MSN programs, and the number of kids in each program

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2terminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Researcher&L2=Physical+Health+and+Treatment&L3=Nursing+Statistics&L4=National+Council+Licensure+Examinations+(NCLEX)+by+School&sid=Eeohhs2&b=terminalcontent&f=dph_quality_boards_nursing_r_nclex_08_perform_summary&csid=Eeohhs2

FYI Someone told my Fitchburg was unbelievably tough and the majority do not make it. I think there is something wrong when so many students are sent packing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow, Silas, thank you and I am going to PM you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Silas, feel a little stupid but can't figure out how to pm you if at all possible but is the Lowell program comparible to Boston?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.
Silas, feel a little stupid but can't figure out how to pm you if at all possible but is the Lowell program comparible to Boston?

You need to have 15 posts before you can send a pm.

Just one more to go..........

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion