manelymuck

That's a great shout-out about the grant program. I wasn't aware of that. For MT, I'd consider checking out the HRSA Nurse Corps scholarship, which requires recipients work for two years in a "vulnerable" population after graduation. (If you stay in MT, almost everywhere is considered a vulnerable population because the state is so rural overall.) I received this scholarship, as did one other student in my cohort who applied.

I'll answer your questions in order. 1.) My advice is, if you get in, lean on your peers for support. Emotionally, academically, you will not be able to get through this fast-paced program without the help of your cohort. The teachers aren't particularly helpful, but the study groups are invaluable. 2.) I worked part-time hours as a CNA. I'd already been working as a CNA and took a per diem role, allowing me to pick up shifts as often as I could. I would often work 8-hr or 12-hr shifts on the weekends, when there were no lectures. 3.) If I recall correctly, we had clinicals 2-3 days per week for most of the program, with a break from that in the Summer. During that Summer break, though, there was a one-week-long in-person clinical project to complete and lectures were still ongoing. Starting October through December, we were paired with an RN in an area of nursing of our choosing for a preceptorship. For myself, I was on a med-surg floor with a day-shift RN 3 days per week. 4.) Yes, you must relocate to either Anchorage or Lewistown, or at least plan to get there multiple days per week. I drove over to Lewistown from Missoula along with another student, and we'd stay in a rented apartment two nights a week. I don't recommend this because it costs more and takes up a lot of precious time. 5.) The classes, save for clinical days or skills days, are online. For the majority of them, you are required to attend at a specific time and participate. 6.) I came from a social science background. I took A&P 1 and 2 along with a few other required pre-reqs at an in-state community college, which I'd recommend as it saves a lot of $$$. 7.) It is competitive, like any other nursing program, because there are limited spots. My GPA wasn't perfect, but I think what really sealed the deal for me was doing well in the interview and having real-world healthcare experience (working as a CNA).

Hi Eric! Good luck in your application process! I'd love to hear mbiorunner's thoughts on this as well. For me, I had an OK GPA. Seriously, could have been a lot better. I graduated from my first bachelor's program with honors and my master's with a 4.0. Those GPAs were good. But when it came to the science pre-req courses, they were not the best. Like, 3.0 or less even. I think where I stood out was, number one, I've been working as a CNA since the beginning of this year (and I began working at a Providence hospital right around the interview), and, two, I feel like I really nailed the interview. Recent life experiences had granted me an opportunity to share some special and emotional moments with patients, and these came up during the interview. From the questions asked, I got the vibe that the interviewers wanted to see how you could juggle being a human/sharing the human experience with patients with being professional and steady in the face of unexpected occurrences.

Congrats! I'm going to MT as I live in Missoula now. ?

Hey there! I actually did end up applying for the 2022 ABSN cohort, and I got in! Of course, since it doesn't start until January, I can't tell you a whole lot about how the program operates in reality, only what I know from the school's website. I learned that there are very few spots for the MT cohort, only 16, and there are ~20 spots for the Anchorage cohort.

Hello, I'm looking for ABSN programs (second degree BSN) or entry-level ADN programs that have online coursework and allow you to complete clinicals in YOUR area (as opposed to moving to another part of the country for on-site clinicals). Do these exist? What is your experience with these programs? TIA.

Hi all, I've been reading posts in allnurses for some time and finally decided to join. I hold a bachelor's and master's in non-nursing subjects and after experiencing major burnout have decided to return to school. I live in Montana, where nursing programs are few and far between--and very competitive. I would like to take the ABSN route so have decided to apply to a few programs, including University of Providence's ABSN. This program is relatively new. The school is based out of Great Falls, MT, but the ABSN program has clinical sites in Lewistown, MT and Anchorage, AK. I haven't been able to find any posts on here regarding UP. I'm interested to know more!! What are your thoughts, experiences, competitiveness of program, etc. I haven't done all that well in A&P 1 and struggle with science classes in general. Might retake it. Might start looking for a more expensive, accepts everyone program, but not ready to throw in the towel yet. TLDR: Haven't seen University of Providence (based in Great Falls, MT) on here and want some insight!