Soonerbred08

I will be moving to Dallas in January 2011. Does anyone know what the base pay is for a new grad and experienced nurse? I have been a RN for 2 years and I will be looking to get a job in a level 3 NICU. Medical City seems like a good hospital. Do ADNs get paid the same amount as BSNs? There are so many hospitals in the Dallas area and it's hard to tell which ones are good hospitals from their websites alone.

I'm considering a masters in healthcare administration also. I just got accepted into OSU's program to start Fall 2010. I've done alot of researching and interviewing for this degree and the outlook is so great especially because of the upcoming changes to healthcare and hospitals looking to achieve magnet status. The problem is that while OSU is an accredited school, the actual program I will be starting is not nationally accredited by the CAHME (The main accrediting organization for health management). I'm not sure how important this is because there is a select few universities that actually are accredited and I would have to move states to get an accredited MHA degree. Is the program you are considering accredited? Have you researched the odds of getting a job after graduation from and unaccredited school vs one that is accredited?

I'm in the same boat as you. I'd like to get my MBA, but I've felt discouraged by many people saying that I'm limiting my possibilities in nursing by not having an MSN. I feel like having an MBA would let me be more marketable in other areas outside of nursing as well as some opportunities in nursing so I decided to go for it. I was advised by two diffferent schools not to take undergrad courses like calc and accounting because it would be a waste of time and money when I can do Kaplan for GMAT help and weekend long refresher courses so that I'm not completely lost in class.

Thank you so much for posting this! I couldnt help but cry because I am in the same boat as you were. I have worked so hard and I am not seeing any improvement. My anxiety has been through the roof and just when Im ready to quit, I read your thread. You have no idea how much you have helped me and my friends! Thank you and Congrats!

Wow I thought OU had a great pass rate. My instructor told us that 3 or 4 people didnt pass last semester, but they all passed the second time around. I need to hit the books! Well Im a senior in the traditional program and I cant lie- Ive been very disappointed in OUs nursing program. Communication is a big issue. I also dont like how it's pretty much "on your own" learning, but I guess that's how most nursing schools work. I really dont know how any other nursing schools are so I have nothing to compare it to. I really could just go on forever how I OU is ****, but this is just my opinion and Im sure there's someone out there that would totally disagree with me.

DON'T GIVE UP!!! It's not over yet. I can't tell you how many times I thought there was no hope for me, but I pulled through everytime. Think about all the time, effort, and money that has been put in to helping you get where you are now. Have faith and don't give up without a fight!

I know we're all in different programs, but I like to know everyone's studying strategies. I'm in the OU-BSN program and I feel like there is a ridiculous amount of reading materials and it would be impossible to do all the readings and take notes in time for the exams. Any Ideas???