Nursing Schools in Miami

labrador4122, RN · Sep 21, 2008

Hello everyone! I'm new to allnurses.com. I'm wondering if anyone can give me advice or tips on nursing schools in the Miami area? Advice on admissions, nursing student life, curriculum, etc. will be appreciated, thanks!

there are many schools to choose from.

go to their websites.

mdc.edu

miami.edu

keiser university

fiu

barry

valkyria, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2008

well, that is a lot in a short question.

miami-dade college has a generic and accelerated program. the generic is at a "normal" pace and the accelerated crams 18 months-2years into one year of class and clinical.

university of miami also has a generic (2 years) and accelerated (one year) program. they also have a bridge program that combines a bsn and an msn into one curriculum.

baptist health south florida (the corporate name for the family of hospitals including: mariners, homestead, baptist, south miami, doctors and all the satelite urgent care centers) have an agreement wtih miami-dade college so that you can be going to mdc but be studying at baptist hospital and do all your clinicals there too, with the exception of psych and i do not think they have a psych unit. baptist will push their mac (multi-specialty acute care) program and their leap(icu and er program). understand that when they tell you that if you are selected for their scholars program, you owe them 1-2 years afterward to pay them back. that is fine. you need the first 2 years of your career to develop good nursing habits and sharpen your skills. they will usually not give you a choice of units or shifts, you are new and that is expected. however, do not let them intimidate you. they may make you feel like you owe them, you do not. they gave to you and you are giving back. but, what you do after that is up to you. the mac is 3-6 months of class room and clinicals to indoctrinate you on the baptist way. after that, you are free to decide where you want to go.

mercy hospital has a program for lpns where you study and do your clinicals there.

lindsay hopkins has a program for lpns too although there you will study and you may do your clinicals at a site downtown, as that is where their campus is.

florida international university has a bsn program and now you no longer have to go to the biscayne campus to study. i believe that there is a brand new school for nursing and health sciences on their university park campus in kendall.

barry university is a private university like um and they too have a bsn program and they have alot of the faculty from um that left when the new dean came in to um and they did not get along or see eye to eye.

further north outside of miami-dade county is florida atlantic university, a public university and they too have a bsn program.

broward community college has a number of campuses throughout the county much like miami-dade college and they offer an associate of science in nursing (asn).

there no longer is a diploma program at jackson memorial hospital (that is a great loss).

obviously, each institution has their own requirements as to courses, gpa, costs, uniforms, flexibility of scheduling, waiting lists, entrance and exit exams, and so forth.

my advice would be to make a list of questions, what are your goals, how long do you want to study, what are your financial means, what are your time limitations as far as class schedules, where do you live, what ae the limitations on transportation and where do you see yourself working (why are you getting into nursing, to do what?). the list is much longer but that is a foundation.know ahead of time what you are willing to compromise on and what you are willing to work with and accept and what you are not. understand that while the field is competitive to get in, get through and get out, you are not going to let people push you around. some recruiters in some schools have an issue with feeling superior to the student, and you will find that later on as well when you interview for jobs. keep your dignity, keep your composure, do your homework, go informed to the interviews with knowledge about the organization and the program. you need them, yes but they need you too. you must show that you are a qualified and quality student (nurse to be) and they would be proud to have you be a graduate of their instittution. you will be a reflection of them when you go out in the world. it must be a give and take relationship. i hope i have given you somethings to think about.:imbar good luck on a wonderful adventure. if i can help you with something else, let meknow.