Ladybug51

I graduated from Tucson in August. I don't know about Phoenix, but I don't know anyone from the Tucson cohort that didn't have a job lined up by the time they took their NCLEX.

Induction day will be on May 14th in Tucson. Last year it was from 0800-1600. Congrats and looking forward to meeting you all in May!

Hi everyone. I'm part of the 2017 cohort in Tucson. I just wanted to let you know that a bunch of us will be at the College of Nursing on Saturday to tell you about the program and answer any questions you may have. Good luck!

In the first month and a half or so, things are super confusing and you will have no idea what is going on. After that, things start making sense and become more predictable. I would say that the greatest strength is the usefulness of clinicals. They're exhausting, but they really make didactic information click. Organization isn't always one of the strong suits of this program. They're always saying that flexibility is super important in this program, but I think that if things were a little more organized, we wouldn't have to be so flexible. During the first 4 weeks of the semester, we have front-loading where we have class almost everyday, all day, with lecture, lab, stimulations, etc. After front-loading, my typical week is about 7 hours of lecture and two 12 hour clinical days. There's a ton going on and some weeks are worse than others, but I almost always can make a little time for life outside of school. Almost all the faculty are pretty great and I can honestly say that the people in my cohort are wonderful. There's no curve, so I think that eliminates most of the competitiveness. For interviewing, google common nursing school interview questions to help you prepare. It is a super short interview, but it helps to have some responses for typical questions in mind. For starting the program, try to enjoy the time you have before you start. Once you start, there's not much of a break until December. When you start, do a lot of NCLEX practice questions to understand the style of questions and what the priorities are. Also, don't get caught up in memorizing everything in the book. Focus on the power points.

Sure. What are your questions?

To be a nurse practitioner after this program, you would have to apply to a DNP program (3 years) or a master's NP program (2 years). Most people who get into these programs have at least 1-2 years of bedside experience working as an RN after graduation.

I think you're going to have a hard time with your GPA, even if you score really high on the HESI. Most of the people in our cohort had at least a 3.4, plus a really great prerequisite gpa, and HESI scores in the 90s. Applications aren't due until January. Maybe take some more classes to pad your gpa.

During front loading, which is the first few weeks of the semester, there is class Monday-Friday, all day. After that, it's class on Monday and sometimes Tuesday and then clinical two days per week. In the fourth semester, it ramps up to three days per week. Most people don't work, but it's doable. The ones that do tend to pick up shifts where they can.

I'm in my first semester of the MEPN program. FNKA might have some information I don't, considering they are level four, but it's not as bad as a lot of the commenters on previous threads have made it out to be. Yes, there are some issues in the program, but I'm fairly certain that every program has some issues. It seems like nursing school is just a beast everywhere. My main issues are the cost and the degree. I'd say unless you're set on Tucson or Phoenix, think about finding a cheaper ABSN. There's a lot of confusion about the degree, but MEPN is basically just like a bachelor's. In the end, you will get your RN license and it's not going to give you a significant advantage when entering into a DNP.