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The trick truly works! I took it Friday, got the good pop-up, & paid for my results this morning! I was soooo happy, I cried!

I agree with Jamie. It's sounds like you really want to go to Hopkins. It's ok to be scared after making the decision because you start thinking about the money, but that's to be expected. I felt the same way when I decided to go to UMB instead of a ADN program, but I don't regret my decision at all. Again, go with your gut, go with your heart...

You give me hope that it can be done! Just starting orientation & scared out of my mind, but I know I have a wonderful staff to back me up, like you do. Thanks for posting your story!

I recently graduated with my BSN from UMB and I honesty don't think you can go wrong either way. Since both schools are affiliated with hospitals, there are plenty opportunities to network for extra learning opportunities and jobs. I can honestly say that I wouldn't have my new grad position if I had not gone to UMB, so I biased! If you do go with the CNL option, do 23 months, unless you are a fast learner. Sinai Hospital actually offers CNL new grad positions, but I don't know if there is a difference in pay. Nursing school is what you make it, so search your heart and go with your gut! Which ever program you decide to do, learn what your strengths and weaknesses are and work on them. Get a student nurse job to hone your clinical skills. In that way, you'll have the critical thinking skills stressed in BSN/CNL programs and the clinical skills needed in patient care. Good luck to you!

I think the previous poster gave some excellent advice. I am 35, graduated last thursday, and had 2 new grad positions offered to me. One of the reasons why is that I started very early making connections while in nursing school. I worked as a student nurse in L&D and I did a summer internship in another area. In this economy, networking is everything and you have to have a way to stick out from the crowd. Personally, I would contact the nurse managers on the unit(s) that you want to work to make personal connections. The other thing about this economy is that it allows hospitals to be more picky when choosing candidates. A couple of the hospitals in my area have either stopped hiring ADNs altogether or their only allowed to apply for certain units. For all current nursing students reading this, it is so important to get CNA/student nurse positions while in school. It can make the difference between having a job and not having a job when you graduate.

Graduated from a BSN program in Maryland! Congratulations to everyone... it was a hard road and we did it!

Thanks for replying! Just come back when you're not so busy... you have soooo much on your plate right now! Congrats & good luck on the FNP boards!

I think that's a great choice, especially in this economy!

No problem. My average was 3.6, NET score - 80%, ATI (Essex/Catonsville entrance exam) - 85%. I used the ATI practice test book to prepare and did not purchase any study materials for NET. I know at UMB, they play attention to your core science course grades and NET scores, but they also look at your essay and your past work experience. BTW, I had a community health background with in prior health experience. It's natural to get freaked out during this time. Because you applied to a number of schools, I'm sure you'll get accepted to a couple of programs. If you don't mind me asking, if you get accepted to Catonsville, is it your 1st choice? Hope I didn't overload you with info! Good luck!

Thanks for responding. Yes, I'm in Baltimore. I'll be graduating from my BSN program in Dec. and already trying to figure out what I'll be doing for grad school. If she wouldn't mind, I would like to correspond with her about her experience with Vandy.

Thanks!

Thanks for letting me know. I"ll be graduating with my BSN in December, but I already know I want to go to grad school. Even though you're not in the program, how has your experience been at Vandy? Do you think that it's worth the cost of education? What made you decide to do their program?

Thank you for responding! I PMed you with more questions!

Looking for current students or graduates of Vanderbilt's FNP/CNM program for information about how they like the program. Any help would be appreciated!

Looking for current students or graduates of Vanderbilt's FNP/CNM program for information about how they like the program. Any help would be appreciated!

I think you should do the BSN or ADN. Those degrees will give you more opportunities and more money in the end. With the LPN, you will be limited to nursing homes and some hospitals in the area. Plus, doing your pre-requisites at a community college will still be a lot cheaper than commuting and the tuition costs in VA. Finally, school will already be taking time away from your kids. That commuting time each way, each day will only take away more. Just my . Good luck in your decision!

Thanks for all the new responses! I've taken everything that everyone has said to heart. I'm doing a summer nursing internship on an inpatient psych unit to learn more about being a psychiatric nurse. If all goes well, hopefully I'll be offered a new grad position in August! BTW, it's so funny when I talk to other nursing interns about my position. The first thing they say is, "You actually ASKED for psych!" LOL... so it begins! :loveya:

Yes, Whispera, I did mean the Psych Emergency Department. Thanks for replying!

I will be graduating in December and eventually want to become a PMHNP. I want to go straight into psych nursing and the psych ed, child psych, and adult psych in my area takes new grads. Please give your opinions in reference to should new grads begin their careers in the Psych ED. Do you think that the psych ed offers the best learning opportunities or would you recommend another unit? Thanks in advance for your responses!

Agrippa, congrats on being admitted! I remember when I found out when I got in. I almost cried, lol! Really enjoy this moment & celebrate!

It's possible, if you're well organized. I really think it depends on how exhausting your job is as well. For the 2nd semester, I only worked one 12-hr shift (because of Adult Health). I'm in my 3rd semester, I currently work 20 hours per week on the weekend. It's hard, but it can be done. Good luck everyone!

My experience is quite the opposite. My clinical instructor is a psych CNS and she is very receptive to students going into the specialty, but she knows that most students don't want to do psych nursing. She was very excited about my interest & is recruiting me to go to grad school. Inthesky, just wanted to let you know that I got into a summer program where I'll be precepting with a nurse in child psych! I'm soooo excited & I hope I really love it! Good luck with getting into that NP program. If all goes well, I'll be headed in the same direction.

As a nursing student doing my psych rotation this semester, it's great to see how enthusiatic you are about wanting to educate the students on your unit. That is interesting that we follow the nurse more in our other clinical rotations than in psych. The major concentration is put on therapeutic communication, but I would love to have a nurse like you at our clinical site. I'm really thinking about becoming a psych nurse after graduation. This is the 1st clinical I feel really comfortable in and I love my clinical instructor! Thanx for posting!

Maybe it's specific to the state, but, where I'm from, you qualify to apply for your CNA license after completing Fundamentals of Nursing. If they are available in your area, I would apply for Student Nurse positions because they work with your schedule & you're only required to work a certain amount of hours (for me, it's one 8-hr shift every 2 weeks). The way I got my interview for my position was speaking to the nurse manager of my unit directly. The HR person advised me that I needed my CNA license in hand prior to interviewing when I was only a few weeks away from finishing Fundamentals. Because I contact her directly, I bypassed HR, got my interview, and, eventually, the job. In short, you have to find some way to set yourself apart from the pack by making contact with any warm body that can get you in. Good Luck!

I've heard that it's because of the economy. Many nurses aren't retiring because they can't afford to. Also, a lot of hospitals in my area are having hiring freezes, too. I even heard that it's because of federal ties and the lack of money out there. The best thing you can do is make yourself as competitive as possible. Work as a student nurse & get as many certifications as you can. I graduate December of this year & that's what I plan to do. Hope that helps a little!