MAJCAC

It matters quite a bit. "The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) are two of the most recognized accrediting agencies in the nation. They’re also two of the most influential agencies – often determining eligibility for student aid or employment feasibility. Financial aid agencies simply won’t fund non-accredited nursing programs and employers aren’t comfortable hiring graduates from non-accredited nursing schools. To ensure nursing students can secure sufficient financial aid and find employment, both the CCNE and ACEN impose strict requirements onto a wide variety of eligible programs. CCNE vs ACEN accreditation differs in the sense that the CCNE does not accredit LPN, Diploma, or ADN programs while the ACEN does. All baccalaureate, graduate, and residency nursing programs operating under CCNE accreditation do so in accordance with nationally recognized standards. Nursing certificate, diploma, and professional degree programs operating under ACEN accreditation do so in accordance with the same standards as well. And participation in both is completely voluntary."

It depends on what the average GPA of students who are applying is. You can usually call admissions and ask them what the average for the most recent intake was. At my school during the fall intake it ranges between 3.65-3.9 and during the winter intake it ranges between 3.4.-3.7 Without any other information, I'd say your odds are at the very least decent.

Program B. It's nice to get the authentic university experience, and although not typically a deciding factor in getting jobs post-grad, having a degree from a more prestigious university definitely doesn't hurt.If you ever plan on getting your MSN and this 4 year school offers the program, then that is even more reason to choose program b as you would not have to worry about transferring credits from another school if you chose to go back.You aren't worrying about whether or not you've been accepted into the program until last minute and have time to actually get prepared before school starts.Even though you graduate 1 year earlier going through program A, you only do 6 months less of school, which isn't a lot, not to mention that I consider more training a positive thing.As a harder program, despite being more stressful and time-consuming, it only means you will be a better prepared nurse the day you hit the floor.Unless program B is literally 3x more expensive total, then I would definitely take that route, and either way, I'd heavily consider it for all the reasons covered above.

I would definitely recommend looking into the traditional BSN route even though you say "it isn't in the cards for you". Nursing school is hard, and any of the condensed routes are not only significantly more difficult but much more expensive. I know that you have all those other certifications, which is great, and while all life experience is good, it will not help you learn the nursing material or guarantee you success in any BSN program, let alone an accelerated one. Everyone wants to get their schooling done ASAP but what most don't realize is that even after you pass nursing school, you have to perform on the job, and will learn most from experience on the floor. Point being, you typically get the most well-rounded education & will have the best chance of success at passing nursing school and competently practicing as a nurse if you focus on what route will make YOU the best nurse you can be and typically that involves taking your time as well as going through a program the way it was designed to be, over 4 years minimum. Many go through accelerated programs only to feel rushed and do poorly, and even for those who feel overwhelmed yet pass, they typically struggle a lot more on the floor for longer then nurses who did well during school. Now some people do insanely intense programs at accelerated rates and outperform those who take a longer route, yet that isn't common so it is better to increase your chances of success and to reduce the chance of failure. If it takes you 3 years minimum compared to 5 maximum, is it worth it if you end up understanding the material less, and thus come out as a nurse who is less prepared with a degree that costs twice as much? Just food for thought, I wish you luck none the less.

I'm just curious as to whether I should review A & P a lot before school starts this fall over the summer, or if having done well is sufficient for what's expected the first semester? I'm an A student so I did well but I'd appreciate the take from people who have the experience. Thanks!

Ports are placed for things other then chemotherapy, including, such as in this case, for patients requiring pain relief, & to minimize venous damage from repeated exposure to needles. She has S.C.E. and is chronically in the hospital, in chronic pain, and you have the tenacity to proclaim that you would not only deny her request, but then go further to judge her at face value as an individual "seeking a high"? This is a poor mentality to have as a nurse towards your patient. To further that, what is the problem with a patient who has been diagnosed with a chronic disorder that merits pain relief enjoying psychological relief that a pain medication provides to them in addition to the physical relief, when there is a valid reason for needing it? Chronic physical pain takes a toll on a person's psyche & ability to cope, & although you may consider her simply wanting to get "high", it is not a high she seeks, but the psychological relief that she will experience along with the physical relief when the pain lessens or fades, of which is equally important. But even then, all of this is truly besides the point as a patient noticing that their medication works better through their port does not translate to a patient seeking a high. More so, of course there is a chance of CLABSI when accessing the port, but once again, that has obviously been weighed against the pros by her physician, who deemed it worth the risk.