Kyla RN

Research Nursing or RN Organ Transplant Coordinator

I'll say that I haven't heard anything bad about Linfield. It's one of the more well known nursing programs in Portland.

Hard to say and answers will likely vary based on who you asked. I graduated from UP in 2014. There's a lot of alumni in the Portland area from both programs. I loved UP's program. Well rounded, organized, accessible and experienced faculty. Both UP and Linfield place you for your clinical rotations in good units in hospitals throughout the city. I'd say UP has a more "brick & mortar" university-type feel to it. Their campus is very pretty. UP also has a close connection with the Providence hospitals (there's 2) and they like to hire UP graduates. Feel free to DM me if you have any more questions about UP.

Hi there, sure thing. I work as a RN clinical research coordinator. I work in a department that runs lots of neuro-focused clinical trials. I mostly work on stroke trials and brain tumor trials. I do all sorts of things: managing trial start up, obtaining consent, data collection and entry, lab draws and specimen collection, research assessments, and (depending on the drug) can administer study drug. I work alongside clinical research coordinators and research assistants. My job title really is the name of the game. There's so much coordinating from getting your facility ready, to getting patient's scheduled in clinic, working with physicians, and making sure everyone involved is adhering to the protocol. It's a very detail-oriented position with much autonomy. Lots of computer time. We are considered part of the care team for patients who have consented to the trial.

I transitioned from bedside to Research where I work in an office and clinic setting 5 days/week with regular office hours. When applying for clinic/ambulatory-types of positions, I would recommend you emphasize your strengths that are attractive to that position. Ambulatory care can require strong multi-tasking and time-management skills (but over the scope of the whole clinic, not a couple patients like you are familiar with), thorough documentation, autonomy, and customer service/assessment skills over the phone. If they look at your resume, they might be unsure if you truly want to commit to ambulatory adult care, so maybe shadowing a RN in that setting could demonstrate that you're serious about it. It can be so hard as a new grad to get your foot in the door in a new department, so ask around to see if anyone has a contact in ambulatory care that you can reach out to and maybe offer to buy them a cup of coffee during a meet & greet or conduct an informal interview. Best of luck!

I worked in inpatient/bedside for 3 years and left due to always working holidays, never getting PTO dates I wanted, and physical and emotional burn out. Now I work in clinical research. I don't regret the decision at all, but after 2 years in research I'm starting to miss the clinical focus of being a nurse. So I'm now thinking about grad school to pursue the outpatient NP route. I do not miss the chaos of inpatient!

My understanding was those state restrictions are only referring to students completing their clinicals in their home states. I'm from Oregon and a lot of east coast schools wont take Oregon students. I think it is more to do with your online-distance program not being "vetted" in your home state's Board of Nursing. Distance schools have to apply to the state's board of nursing where their students live and get approved so their students can partake in clinicals in their state under the guidance of that program. If you go to your state's Board of Nursing, you should be able to find a list of "currently approved programs" that have already been vetted (I was told that the list doesn't get updated often, so to still double check that it's up to date).

Wow, I am so sorry you had those terrible experiences at that job and are currently dealing with the aftermath as well. Whether or not someone calls it PTSD or stress reaction, I encourage you to talk with a professional about it all.

I've seen others post about home health and home hospice nursing while in school. Apparently there are per diem positions in these fields where you a can make your own schedule and some people have said it's pretty low-key/low stress.

I really appreciate your feedback! Thank you

Thanks for your feedback! Right...I honestly thought I was weighing the 2 evenly until I read what I was writing. I will definitely look into any and all forms of financial support. I appreciate your feedback!

Got my first new grad position on a med-surg floor with GI emphasis. I was so desperate to get my foot in the inpatient door so I immediately took it. I was pretty nervous after hearing about the reputation of med/surg at the time and the thought of GI issues, I have to admit, grossed me out a little (C. Diff, GI bleeds, ostomies, colonoscopy prep, obstructions). Those years in med/surg ended up being the most useful years for me to develop my physical skills and mental toughness and I couldn't be more grateful! And I ended up really liking GI! Saw a huge variety of diagnoses, learned a ton. I definitely would not be the nurse I am today without that med/surg experience. Like others have said once you have some med/surg experience under your belt, you could be more attractive to other managers. Later, I transferred to a surgical specialty unit and they liked that I had med/surg experience.

Hey Saniesen- Sure, they are Boise State (MSN AGNP) and University of Portland (DNP FNP). l live in Portland, OR. Thanks for your input!

Hi, I'm curious to hear people's input. I am currently researching NP programs with the goal of starting late next year (so I have some time). I'm looking at several programs within my region and 2 stand out- I've listed the pros and cons of the 2 below. Here's some context: I'm in my late 20s. I have to do an online or hybrid program, and will have to continue working throughout the program. I also cannot move (mortgage, boyfriend). My employer is very flexible and supportive of my desire to pursue grad school. I am indifferent to MSN vs DNP at the moment. I'm more focused on quality of program, how flexible they are with working students, and price. I would also prefer to work with adults, but I know I can still do that with an FNP. Option 1: an MSN AGNP online program in the next state over at a well-known brick & mortar university. 3 years long, part-time (but they say full-time work load). Requires a week-long summer on-campus immersion once per year for hands on skills (I want this- I didn't want a 100% online program). I know someone who recently graduated- she recommended the program, but did warn me that it's very "self- learning"- more textbook education and less lecture focused. They have a 100% pass rate for boards. But, you are on your own for finding clinical placements in your hometown- my ex colleague said this was an extremely stressful experience in the city we live in. Price is about what I expected. But that's not factoring in the flights and room & board for the 3 week-long immersions. Option 2: a DNP FNP hybrid program at a locally well-known brick & mortar university. 3 years long, full-time. Monthly weekend immersions on campus. I know this school of nursing well- I got my BSN here and really enjoyed it, very good quality BSN program. They handle clinical placements for you (HUGE plus). Price....not cheap. Almost double the other program. However, I still can't shake this program off yet. Through my BSN, I realized that I really value having classmates for studying, bouncing ideas off each other, and supporting one another. And I like the idea of having more access to my professors. I am attending an info session soon where I'll ask about board pass rate, I expect it to be high. After writing this all out, I realized that I may be trying to justify paying a lot more money for a more traditional brick & mortar experience in a familiar environment, plus the advantage of not dealing with clinical placements. I'm hoping someone from a hybrid program will also see this thread and give me their input. If you were in my shoes, which program do you think you'd lean towards? Thanks in advance!

You do not have to work in inpatient as a new grad. That's the typical route most people go, but there are others out there like you who have no interest in hospital nursing. Not all jobs require inpatient experience- my current research role required neurology OR acute care experience. I agree with the others who said go to outpatient/clinic, there are clinic employers out there who will hire and train new grads. It doesn't have to be "boring" or "skill-less" as I've heard people say. I've seen new grads hired and trained into very specialized outpatient clinics like oncology infusion and a fertility clinic. Community or home health nursing may require more independence, so a new grad might need to build some experience first. In regards to income, yes hospital nursing tends to pay higher than outpatient roles. However keep in mind most inpatient positions are 3 12s, so 36 hours a week. Outpatient/clinic positions are often 4 10s or 5 8s- so 40 hours a week. 4 more hours of income a week can really add up over the year. Find out what a new grad makes in hospitals in your area and calculate and compare it out.