Need advice....Accepted to Spring Arbor University

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I was recently accepted to Spring Arbor University into the MSN NP program. I was very excited and ready to accept until I was told by a former nursing professor that they do not have a very strong program and that I should wait on accepting. Anyone in their program currently, or a graduate from their NP program? I appreciate any and all feedback!

I am a graduate of the SAU NP program. Overall, I found that the NP program provided a solid foundation for my clinical practice. SAU is an accredited nursing program, and the program is structured accordingly. In my experience, the faculty's willingness to help the students to succeed is one aspect of SAU that stands out apart from other institutions. The faculty are excited about teaching students, and are honored and proud to be nurses, and they genuinely want the students to be successful. Please keep in mind that many schools now require students to find their own clinical placements, and it is difficult no matter where the student is currently enrolled. I found that during my clinical search, the faculty at SAU advocated for me at every opportunity, and willingly communicated with the prospective clinical sites on my behalf. As a side note, I had no trouble finding an NP position with an SAU degree. I was working in an NP capacity four months after taking my board exam. In fact, I am currently working as NP at two different institutions. The challenge in finding an NP job is that many institutions require previous experience. Ultimately, that is what limited my prospects--it wasn't my degree.

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Thank you so much for your input!

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That the program isn't respected and is a diploma mill. The other state schools I had applied and been accepted to would never have had the dean call and speak to me. The programs goal is watch students succeed and you won't find that at most state schools! I am very confident now In my decision to stay in the program at Spring Arbor.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

If a dean called little ole me, I'd be a little nervous:-). And they better guarantee a clinical site used to working with SA students. Makes me sad ti see students on this forum who have to scramble for their own perceptors who have no loyalty to your school or it's philosophy of education. Hope they have one! But smart students can thrive on less than stellar

programs if they are adequate autodidacts.

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Katetaylor-

Wondering if you live in Michigan?

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

Yes I do. But I'm not casting aspersions on this program in particular but on all programs that use unaffiliated preceptors but charge the students full tuition, as if they were providing the instruction themselves. That's not particular to this program, but has sadly become the norm.

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Yes I do. But I'm not casting aspersions on this program in particular but on all programs that use unaffiliated preceptors but charge the students full tuition, as if they were providing the instruction themselves. That's not particular to this program, but has sadly become the norm.

Even state colleges where I live (Texas) do they same thing. They have to professor that still has to be available to students for their clinical soap notes and other stuff that is required for the college so your comment makes no sense. Most programs now require you to find your own preceptors. Also, in response to your comment about the dean calling you you'd be nervous, actually it was the opposite. He reassured me of their program, their goals for the students in those program and how they prepare students to become NPs. He also got a current student in contact with me and I was able to talk to that student about the program from the student prospective. None of this would ever been done in public college.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

My perspective may be more cynical than yours. When I went to CRNA school, they accepted 10 applicants and one dropped out the first week. The same clinical instructors followed us through out the program except for a few specialty rotations. Even in these other short rotations, SOMEONE was affiliated with and paid by my program to make sure that we got in the number of procedures required by national certification requirements. Now that same program has between 35 and 40 students, some of whom rotated through my institution. I can assure you that no one was assigned to follow them through that rotation. It was all very chaotic and since students could pick their own rooms, they tended to stay in rooms with the recent grads who were just starting to climb the experiential learning curve. I assume you are paying the full cost of tuition when you are in clinical rotations; so guess what? You're not getting the instructors you're paying the full ride for. Why students are becoming cash cows for schools. It's about graduation now, not education.

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Okay but that wasn't what this post was even about! Do you have a history with the school that the post was even talking about?

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Specializes in Programming / Strategist for allnurses.

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Katetaylor,

Thanks for the post. I am starting SAU's FNP program in June 2018. Do you have any advice/tips about the program? Were you an out of state student?

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Hi! I am interested in hearing from people who have been through the program as well. Are they selective in accepting? How is testing done and are graduates really ill prepared? Thanks for any feedback. I am not from MI so appreciate info.

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