New entry-level Masters program at U of A!!

It's a bit overwhelming. There has been a lot of hurry up and wait. I think I have most of the stuff taken care of. I'm just waiting for financial aid to get their act together and to find enough time to get my ID and books. Fortunately I didn't have to relocate. :)

When do you start your program Gabby and where did you decide to go? I'm very happy for you!

Hi Jacoba, Thanks :). Yeah relocating is such a pain. I've gotta move about 8 hours away from family. I got in at Nevada State College for the BSN program. I got into the the part time program so it will take me a little longer to reach my goal but at least it will give me a chance to work while i'm in school. Since i'm a NV resident it will only cost me a little over $6000 for tuition which i think is pretty cheap for a BSN. Its a blessing that we can finally say we will be nursing students Best of luck Jacoba.

Does anyone know if their BSN to DNP program is worth it? Do you need a certain amount of years of RN experience to be competitive? Thanks!

Does anyone know if their BSN to DNP program is worth it? Do you need a certain amount of years of RN experience to be competitive? Thanks!

I have my undergrad from University of Arizona College of Nursing. We were encouraged to apply to the graduate program right out of school. A number of classmates applied shortly after graduation & are currently in the online DNP program while working.

I'm very anxious to hear how you are enjoying the program. I am researching the possibility of applying for next year. I would appreciate hearing what you think about it!

Instead of applying to the MEPN program (for people with a BS/BA already) can we apply to the trad bsn program as a transfer student? Do they accept applications with previous degrees? Any one know? I don't want to get a MSN if its not for NP. Thx!

...Do they accept applications with previous degrees? Any one know? ...

Yes, I am a graduate of the UA traditional program and there were quite a few students who already had an undergraduate degree. One student already had a PhD and was in our cohort. Best of luck to you ! :-)

Instead of applying to the MEPN program (for people with a BS/BA already) can we apply to the trad bsn program as a transfer student? Do they accept applications with previous degrees? Any one know? I don't want to get a MSN if its not for NP. Thx!

But do you know that if you have an MSN and then just go get a Post-Master's NP Certificate, instead of doing a whole NP program? That is a nice, quick route for many people. Depends on your goals though. Good luck!

Good to know! Are there any graduates of the MEPN program that can speak of its value, organization, and administration?

Do not go to this program!

I am a current student in the program, nearing the end of level 2. It has been an absolutely horrible experience. I am not just speaking for myself, the feeling is almost universal among my classmates.

Aside from being disorganized and unprofessional, the instructors are third-rate. Most of us agree that we had better instructors when we were taking our prereqs at the community colleges. They make powerpoints from the book or from old lectures handed down to them, then read the bullet points, point by point, slide by slide, and call that a "lecture". They do not know their material well and get angry when we ask questions.

Sure, we all expected this to be a bit messy. It's the first year for this program, so of course there are going to be some problems. However, this is not something they are creating from scratch -- they're basically taking their second degree BSN program and adding some classes to make it a Master's program. From the way it's run, you'd think none of them had ever had anything to do with nursing education before.

The program is attractive on paper, a Master's in 15 months, and I can see why people would be interested. Hell, I was interested for the same reason. Would I go to this program if I knew then what I know now? NO

Zippitydoodah,

Thanks for the info. It's nice to hear from a current student. I was thinking about this program but now will reconsider. Thanks again.

Zippitydoodah,

I second that, thank you for that information.....students are the best critics!

Is the bsn program (as a second degree student) the same?

Intuc...why reconsider??? I'm sorry, but you hear horror stories from most everyone with regards to how horrible "their" program is or was. Most people claim that their program had little organization, the teachers lecture from their powerpoints, and teachers were mean. I have not gone to theis school, but went to another state program close by and my classmates complained aboutt he same old junk all the time. It got old, frankly. It seems as if very few people are actually happy with their program. Bottom line is, you learn to be a nurse from actually BEING a nurse. Your first job is your training foundation. Nursing school just gets you to pass NCLEX. If you find a program that is accredited and will get you the degree you want, go for it. I can guarantee that if you limit your school choices to just ones that have glowing reviews from all their students...you'll never start. Just my 2 cents :-)