Shuffler

Congrats on your acceptance! From what I hear, it's tough to get into. On the positive side, the state tuition is a lot less than other private institutions and the school (I think because of the med school reputation) is well-regarded in the city. I have had no trouble getting job offers in Manhattan. The program is very disorganized and the clinicals somewhat unsupervised. You will also be responsible for setting up independent study clinicals without any guidance. My advice is to just ask as many questions as possible as soon as you get there. Do not wait for information or guidance --it won't come. So just be pro-active and you will be fine. Good luck!

Couldn't agree more. As an acclerated BSN grad I was terribly disappointed with the program. The staff at downstate is unresponsive and unprofessional.

Hi. I graduated from SUNY Downstate's accel program in Sept 06. The first half of the program is very intense but the second half is much easier. I was able to work 20 hours per week at a surgery center for the second-half of the program.

I used to write about Wall Street in NY for seven years and I graduated from an Ivy league school in the 90s. Then, i attended Hunter at night for sciences and finished up my second Bachelor's at a SUNY school in Sept 06. Here's my advice about the transition. Be sure this is right for you. Schools are picky about having the right pre-reqs so your biz background will not count, except perhaps, statistics. In terms of your ability to suceed in the sciences--if you're smart, it will not be a problem. Nursing school is not that challenging and the science aspect is pretty straightforward and practical. It's just memorization. Nothing in nursing school is as difficult as organic chemistry. The bigger challenge for you will be the culture of nursing. Nursing needs to go along way to catch up with other professions when it comes to professionalism. Spend some time in hospitals to make sure it's for you. It takes a lot of time and expense to make a career change so I would really think it thru. It may be easier to make a switch within your skill-set. I am glad I made the change because I think down the road nursing has a lot to offer. However, in the short-term it's a tough transition. I miss the professionalism and respect people have for one another in my previous profession.

From what I've heard, the pace at a nursing home is a lot slower than your typical city hospital med-surg environment. You may want to consider how fast-paced you want your first job to be.

Hi, allnurses.com community. I just recently graduated with a BS in nursing in New York City. I am in my thirties and embarking upon nursing as a second career. I take the boards in a week and I am just about to start the job application process. Can anyone recommend hospitals in Manhattan that offer a good nursing experience in pediatrics or L&D? Thanks.