Pacific Lutheran University PLU ELMSN 2008

Nursing Students Post Graduate

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Is there anyone else out there who is just starting or has been through/currently enrolled in the Pacific Lutheran University Entry-Level MSN program (Tacoma, WA)? I just got accepted to start this summer and I'm so excited! :yeah: Please drop by and say hi if you get a chance!

I'd also love to find out more about what the program is like (apart from the info available on the PLU website). Does anyone know which medical center we will be using for most of our clinical work and what class sizes are normally like? Tacoma natives: could you recommend a good apartment complex near PLU? Thanks a bunch!!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Hospice and Palliative Care.

Hi JuJu_Bean,

First off, congratulations!!! :smiley_aa I'm in the same boat as you... recently found out I was accepted into PLU's program, but have had zero success in being able to find any current students or alumni with whom I can discuss the pros and cons of the program. Attention ELMSN Lutes: come out, come out, wherever you are!!! Your knowledge and experiences would be greatly appreciated! :bowingpur

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Hey OlyNP2b! Congratulations to you as well!!! It sure feels great huh! :D Yeah, I know it's a smallish program, but it would sure be nice to hear from an ELMSN student/alum. Anybody out there?

*Nudge nudge*

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Hey OlyNP2b! Congratulations to you as well!!! It sure feels great huh! :D Yeah, I know it's a smallish program, but it would sure be nice to hear from an ELMSN student/alum. Anybody out there?

*Nudge nudge*

Congrats Guys!

I'm not a PLU student but I know of the program. It is a tough program, but I heard both pros and cons about the program. I live in WA state and decided not to apply to this program. I opted for UW's program instead.

Anyhow, I have been to the campus and the neighborhood can be sketchy. Actually, parts of Tacoma are really sketchy. I would recommend finding a place in a nicer part of Tacoma and comuting by car to campus.

One of my friends also said the clinical placements are all over. I think clinical group sizes range from 8-10 students at a time. Most hospitals have a limit to how many students can be there at the same time. I think 8-10 is pretty standard.

Oh, have you guys contacted Academic Services? Most programs will connect you directly with their students to discuss concerns or questions via email.

Congrats Again!

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Congrats Guys!

I'm not a PLU student but I know of the program. It is a tough program, but I heard both pros and cons about the program. I live in WA state and decided not to apply to this program. I opted for UW's program instead.

Anyhow, I have been to the campus and the neighborhood can be sketchy. Actually, parts of Tacoma are really sketchy. I would recommend finding a place in a nicer part of Tacoma and comuting by car to campus.

One of my friends also said the clinical placements are all over. I think clinical group sizes range from 8-10 students at a time. Most hospitals have a limit to how many students can be there at the same time. I think 8-10 is pretty standard.

Oh, have you guys contacted Academic Services? Most programs will connect you directly with their students to discuss concerns or questions via email.

Congrats Again!

Why do you like UW's program better. What is your undergrad BA/BS in?

Do you have work experience in Healthcare?

I would like to apply for UW's program in 2009 and was wondering what hoops you had to jump through to make your app stand out:yeah:

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why do you like uw's program better. what is your undergrad ba/bs in?

do you have work experience in healthcare?

i would like to apply for uw's program in 2009 and was wondering what hoops you had to jump through to make your app stand out:yeah:

i did not even apply to plu because many of their educational philosophies did not fit with mine. plu's program just was not a very good fit with me. however, that is not to say the program is not a good program or anything.

i decided on uw because of many reasons. i liked the collegiate nature of the school, the reputation of the school, the emphasis on diversity, and the emphasis on academics and research. i also did my undergrad at uw and worked at uw so i have many ties to this school.

i got my undergrad in psych from uw and all my healthcare experience has been in psych. hence, my focal area is psych.

i would say the application process was very challenging and the interviewing process was even more challenging. the school holds information sessions, which are very helpful. i would highly suggest attending them.

as far as making your app stand out, i would make sure you know exactly what you want to do. tailor your essays to emphasize your experience in your chosen focal area. get letters from individuals that can answer those questions on the rec form. choose activities and volunteer experiences that are not "cookie cutter" experiences (such as just volunteering in a hospital). work with a challenging population or high risk group (like homeless youth). learn a language, emphasize multicultural experiences. for example, many of my classmates have done healthcare work outside the country. highlight significant healthcare experiences such as emt work, being a ma, or cna. get some training out of the way such as doing hippa training, cpr training, hiv/aids training, and/or phlembotomy training. of course this no complete list or anything and who knows exactly what the school is looking for. these are just a few things many of my classmates have included in their apps.

good luck and feel free to pm for any further questions you may have.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Hospice and Palliative Care.

I'd been making contact with the school of nursing for the past 3 months with the intent of having the opportunity to discuss the program with a graduate or current student of the program. After talking to the program coordinator I found out this is not an option for applicants until they are accepted into the program. Is this strange or what?

I had also applied and was accepted into UW's MEPN program, but opted to decline their offer so that I wouldn't have to move to Seattle. Their program was so receptive and always answered my questions in a timely manner. On the day of interviews they even had a lunch session with current students and faculty so that we could learn about the program from a student/staff perspective. I really appreciate that they maintained open lines of communication with the applicants throughout the process. I am an alumni of PLU and always felt it would be an honor to enter their program. But I wonder what they are trying to hide by not answering a potential student's basic line of questioning. So again, if there are any PLU ELMSN graduates or current students out there, I'd love to hear your perspective. Thanks!

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:yeah:

I'd been making contact with the school of nursing for the past 3 months with the intent of having the opportunity to discuss the program with a graduate or current student of the program. After talking to the program coordinator I found out this is not an option for applicants until they are accepted into the program. Is this strange or what?

I had also applied and was accepted into UW's MEPN program, but opted to decline their offer so that I wouldn't have to move to Seattle. Their program was so receptive and always answered my questions in a timely manner. On the day of interviews they even had a lunch session with current students and faculty so that we could learn about the program from a student/staff perspective. I really appreciate that they maintained open lines of communication with the applicants throughout the process. I am an alumni of PLU and always felt it would be an honor to enter their program. But I wonder what they are trying to hide by not answering a potential student's basic line of questioning. So again, if there are any PLU ELMSN graduates or current students out there, I'd love to hear your perspective. Thanks!

Which focus did you choose when you applied for UW?:lol2:

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Congrats on starting at PLU! I graduated from the ELM program at PLU this year. I live in Olympia, and always commuted, so I'm not much help on finding housing nearby. However, it is not the best area - but it is a quick commute from other areas around Tacoma, such as downtown or puyallup.

Clinicals are all over the area, in varying hospitals and clinics. I liked this though, as it gave me more experience and allowed me to work (and evaluate) differing potential employers. The one thing I liked about the PLU program, as opposed to the others in the area, is that you work as an RN in the final 2 years of the program. I worked as an ED nurse, which gave me invaluable clinical experience and confidence working independently.

It is hard to compare/contrast PLU with other programs, so I won't try. But a good indicator is job placement post graduation, and I can tell you no one has had trouble finding jobs, and more importantly, finding the jobs they want.

They will have an orientation before starting, with some students from the group 1 year ahead of you. In the meantime, feel free to post more questions, I'll check the board if you have any...

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Specializes in NICU.

UW is #1 in graduate nursing programs and is in Seattle, where all the major hospitals are (Harborview, Swedish, Children's, UWMC). Tacoma is pretty sketchy (I live there now), but PLU has a decent-looking campus and it's not strictly in Tacoma, but in a sub-part called, "Parkland."

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Hey OlyNP2b, did you end up choosing PLU's ELMSN program? I just got through my first semester there and was wondering if you were one of my classmates and I didn't know it! ;-) If you aren't at PLU, what program did you end up choosing instead? Sorry if you already posted about this and I missed it.

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Hey OlyNP2b! Are you one of my classmates in the ELMSN class at PLU? Just wanted to check! If not, what program did you end up choosing? :nuke:

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