TellMeSomethingGood
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Hey there, I have to agree with @secondtimer14 on this one. I was in GEPN last year and also have young children, and I think it's fair to say that this program is not built for caregivers raising families. It was tough for me being local-ish, and I know that the other parents felt it too. There isn't a ton of flexibility in terms of missing things or needing to swap. They'll ask your preference on dates/times, but it's honestly a bit of a crapshoot as to whether you'll get it or not. Things get a bit better in the specialty years, but it's still a big lift. I don't want to be a downer, but before you commit to something this huge, I think it's helpful to have a realistic POV from someone who's in the thick of it. I think it's workable if you have your fam here with you OR if you're willing to be apart from them for the majority of the school year (and we do have nice long breaks, which are a plus). Either way, I wish I'd had a more realistic perspective on what life in GEPN + @ YSN is like from a caregiver's perspective. I'd still have come, but it would have helped to be more mentally & emotionally prepared. Also, re: the Zoom accessibility, we've had some people ask about that this year, but they're really strict about it being for COVID + students only. There is the rare exception that they'll let someone else Zoom in, but it's more the exception than the rule. I don't know if you said which specialty you're going for, but I think there's an online PMH track starting next year. If you really wanted to go to Yale, you might be better off getting your RN somewhere else and then doing only the PMH MSN, IF that's what you're hoping to do. Happy to help with any other questions, as a parent, student, etc. Good luck!
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I took Chem, Stats and Anatomy. The only one that really helped was Anatomy, which helped a TON - I would really recommend taking this if you have the option to do so. It is really helpful to have at least one class that is kind of a "gimmie" in the fall. I would also recommend taking Microbiology, Bio, and Pharm, if you can. BioMed is an intensive year-long class in GEPN and there is a big distinction between students who have had exposure to this material, and those who haven't. Again, just given the volume of material across all of the classes, it's really helpful to start with some prior knowledge/familiarity. Pharm didn't even cross my mind as a possible pre-req, but it's also one of the most challenging classes in GEPN (thankfully only one semester, until it comes back in the specialty years!). I'd say it's worth taking, if you can!
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One more thing to add - unlike @secondtimer14, I was not able to unplug at night. I did find myself studying from after my kids went to bed until about 12 or 1am. I think others tack on extra study time in the early mornings. We also made use of every single break or moment on campus. This is different than it will be for people who have more flexibility on weekends to study. My kids are all over me when I'm home and they're awake, so my only option was late at night, and it was very consistent (including weekends) throughout fall semester.
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Hi Everyone, Another current GEPN here. CONGRATS (!) to all of you for making it through the application process. Welcome to those of you who may be joining us at YSN in the fall. A few things to share (not in any particular order): 1) Debt...whew...you will have debt. But this will likely be an issue wherever you go. Look for scholarships, work if/when you can, and accept the fact that you're going to be taking on debt. If this is something that your situation allows you to do, it's (quite literally) the price you have to pay to go to one of these programs. That said, there are excellent options at state schools, and I wouldn't overlook those opportunities if it fits better for your life. Nurses are going to be in demand for awhile. You're going to be employable, and lots of other programs have really excellent resources as well. Let's be honest - like most things, you're going to get most of your experience in the field/on the job. 2) Clinical placements - Yale organizes these for us, with the exception of a few situations. We are doing our Community Clinical Rotation now, and we have to find the placements, but it's really more like community service, and they're really open to anything - soup kitchens, tutoring through a non-profit, volunteering at a fundraiser, etc. I think that Midwifery also has something special their last semester (3rd year) where they work outside of CT, and I'm not sure how it works in terms of placements. 3) Going to school as a parent/caregiver - Wow, I wasn't ready for that transition. I worked FT before coming to YSN, but it was still a huge transition for my family. Your partner should be ready to manage a lot of the childcare, and it's good to have additional childcare in place as well. The good thing has been that my partner has developed a much closer (and better) relationship with our kids as a result of me physically not being present, and them having to bond and figure things out, whereas I used to be the default for everything. I think it's been good for everyone, and it's something that couldn't have happened if I wasn't out of the house a ton. The major issue I found was that a lot of the time schedules were changed last minute or things popped up, and the whole family had to be super flexible. We have shared this feedback and I do see that they've given us a lot more lead time on additional events and clinicals than they did fall semester. 4) PNP program - This is my speciality, and Yale is ranked #3 in the country for PNP-PC. It's hard to say what the specialty experience is like because we don't start that until next year, but every PNP classmate and instructor I have met has been incredible. (Honestly, all of our peers are pretty amazing.) 5) Actual schedule - In the fall it looked like this (17.5 credits): -2 days/week: on campus from 10am-8pm, with 4 classes each day -12 hour clinical day, either done in 1 day or split into two 6 hour days -2 hour lab one day/week -2 additional courses that floated on different days (half-semester courses) This Spring is much lighter - I think @secondtimer14 posted about our schedule now. I think that's all I've got for ya at this point! Like everyone else has said, feel free to ask whatever questions you have and we'll try and tag-team getting back to you. Also - I, too, have trouble getting emails back from the registrar - there has been a lot of turnover at YSN this fall and I think they're a little underwater. The good news is, it will give them some time to get some awesome new hires by the time you come in! In the meantime, just keep on emailing them - they'll eventually get back to you!
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Hi All, Hooray! You're almost there. The hours leading up to decision day will be long, but hang tight. I saw the post from @YSNFNP2024 and wanted to give my 2 cents as well. I totally agree with that person's entire post - the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is easy to get hung up on this issue or that one, but I too am happy with my decision to attend YSN. A little spoiler alert: there is drama and BS everywhere, not just in nursing school, not just at the Ivys, but at every work place, in every city, no matter where you go. It's no secret that YSN has been struggling for a couple of years with issues related to structural oppression, racial equity, representation and power. When I was making my decision about attending YSN or another school, I specifically chose YSN because I knew that these very important social justice issues were top-of-mind for the school and everyone here. Another school I considered was at the other end of the spectrum, and wasn't talking about race and inequity, and was so much father behind in even beginning the work that is so necessary for our entire society to be engaging in, on a daily basis. As a result of YSN's turmoil, yes, there are some situations that are uncomfortable, disorganized, and sometimes poorly managed. That said, I believe, as CNM references, YSN is on its way to being in a pretty great place in the near future. It's hard to work through issues, but they're further along than a lot of places that haven't even begun to scratch the surface. If you're truly about "better health for all people," then this kind of discomfort and work is going to be an integral part of your nursing career, and you will learn a lot about advocacy, diversity (of people, thought and ideas, and management) in your experience at YSN. This will be a good base from which to launch your career in healthcare. There are definitely days that I think, "geez, how did they not get this right," or "why are they springing this on me AGAIN," but, like @YSNFNP2024 said, I have learned so much in such a short time, and I truly love the academic program, the clinicals, our professors, and, most importantly, our classmates. My big words of advice: if you do not have a science background, take as many science classes as you can between now and the fall. Read that again. TAKE SCIENCE PREREQS. I took anatomy, Chemistry and stats before coming, and definitely used the anatomy, but did not use the chem or stats. I desperately wish I had taken bio and Microbiology. Any questions, let us know. Get excited! You've got this. Hoping to see you all on West Campus in August!
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Hooray! I was accepted for PNPPC. It still hasn't totally set in, but WOW, how wonderful! Thank you to everyone who shared their reactions and reflections, whether they received what they were hoping for today, or whether it was disappointing. I know that either way, this has been a long and intense journey, and I commend everyone who has gone through it.