OregonBSN

Legacy is on a hiring freeze and they plan 400 job cuts. The system is short $40 million for 2012... Job prospects don't look good for anyone right now....

Well since you are applying for 2012 it sounds like you have time. I wouldn't mess with an ADN, if you want to be competitive. Go straight for your BSN - especially in the Portland area. U of P, OHSU and Linfield are all good choices, and you can finish in about 2 years. OCNE will take you three years to do the same thing. For Legacy's RN Resident program that started last August - Linfield had the highest percentage of graduates in the program. It will be the only way for a new grad to get into the hospital from now on, and the CNO is really pushing for BSN only applicants. For the 6 Legacy ICU spots last August, 5 were BSNs and the 1 ADN already worked on the unit as a secretary. I would avoid online programs like excelsior, they carry very little weight with the managers. The managers know the BSN programs in the area and are often selective of these programs. For perspective, the RN Residency program for Legacy had almost 700 applicants for the 62 new grad positions - about 10 of the spots were reserved for current Legacy employees transitioning to RNs. They strongly encouraged BSN applicants to apply. The second round that starts at the end of the month had 350+ applicants for 18 positions. They raised the minimum GPA to 3.5 and the BSN degree was again very strongly encouraged. It is very very competitive in the job market right now, if you are going to stand out for an ICU position, you best have your BSN and know your stuff and make sure the right people know you. If not, be prepared to move, work in a SNF or be unemployed for a bit... sorry to end on a down note, but that is how the new job market is right now.

The market is flooded here as well. Not much hospital work for LPNs, maybe long term care but even that is a long shot. There are 12 nursing programs in the Portland area, and even BSNs are having problems finding work... (for New Grads).

Legacy Health just hired 61 new RN residents across their 6 hospitals - more than 750 applicants, 530 or so qualified for a 15 min. screening interview and a handful that group got formal interviews. So still very very competitive.

If you were accepted into the program, they obviously think you can do it. It's busy, but not overwhelming - plus you have lots and lots of support. Go for it! They will make some accommodations for you if you can't travel. In reality you are at the clinical sites are for just a few weeks at a time, not the whole year. You will be expected to drive. With 12 Nursing schools in the area it is hard for every school to place students. I wouldn't worry about Salem, it is a favored site and there will be plenty of people willing to go there in your place...LOL. You get all the same required courses as other nursing schools, that is how programs get nationally accredited as well as approved by the OSBN. Path & Pharm are integrated into each course. So if you are doing your OB class, you get the path and pharm associated with that pt population. If you want even more detail, you can take additional electives in Path and Pharm. I took Pharm elective just before I graduated - it was a great review course for the NCLEX. If by "technical knowledge" you mean rudimentary lab skills like IV starts, then it is not a the focus at Linfield, but you do get your training in it. You do get a lot of critical thinking knowledge and skills. And the reality of it is, you do not get hired on how many IVs you have started.

I had the honor of graduating with BSN2010, and I would be willing to have her as a nurse for any of my family members. I was accepted to several nursing schools in the area and if I had my choice, I would go to Linfield again. The accelerated program can only fit so many clinical hours in, but from what I experienced and what I learned - I got what I needed to begin basic practice. As BSN2010 mentioned, many ADN programs focus on task based skills - and they spend a lot of time practicing these skills. You get these same basic skills instruction at Linfield, but it is not the focus. Did I worry I didn't have enough training in these basic skills? I will admit I did worry about it. What was hard to realize in nursing school was; developing my critical thinking skills was more important. Linfield does an excellent job at this. Critical Thinking in nursing may be an abstract concept to you as a pre nursing student, but in a nutshell it is helping you see the bigger picture in patient care. 50% hired rate is fantastic! I hadn't heard we had that many working already BSN2010! At my place of employment, the previous intern group had a third of new the grads from Linfield. My intern group had 50% new grads from Linfield. When I was hired, I asked my interviewing manager why so many Linfield grads are at this hospital - she said they love the diversity, character depth and the critical thinking skills Linfield graduates bring. Now that I have graduated, the reality is you learn most of your clinical nursing skills at your first RN position. If you went into an interview and said, I've started 20 IVs, placed 13 NG tubes, and 30 Foleys... - you would be laughed at. What they do want to know is what you will do when your patient's BP suddenly bottoms out, what interventions you have at hand and how you can manage an emerging situation... That is critical thinking. The Accelerated BSN students from the December 2009 class had a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX - that should say something about the program. Most of the criticism about Linfield I have heard, seems to come from RNs graduating from the community college programs. I don't know if that's the misconception that Linfield (being a private school) is full of spoiled rich kids - which is so not the case. Many of us worked very hard and made many sacrifices to go to Linfield. And for me it was very much worth it. A few years ago they couldn't graduate nurses soon enough. Times have changed and employers are being very selective. They are looking for critical thinkers and BSNs - Linfield will give you that.

I just graduated from Linfield's Accelerated program this past December - I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed the program. (Take that endorsement with the fact that like many graduates, we only have the one school we attended to base our opinions on.) I have to say that the staff and faculty were very very supportive. I never felt like they were trying to fail me or weed people out. They love the second degree candidates for the depth and maturity they bring to the program. Linfield also offers a lot of financial aid (scholarships) that make tuition a little more bearable. The BSN is a big plus these day for new grads, but even with that jobs are very hard to find. Maybe 10 of us have jobs out of the December graduates. I was fortunate enough to get a job offer during my senior practicum - very rare these days.... And I did get my dream job of working on the ICU. My accelerated cohort of 46 (Dec. '09 grads) had a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX. The state board website doesn't reflect this because graduates will take the exam at different times. We also had a few students (who were not accelerated) join our cohort for one reason or another. Some of them did not pass the NCLEX the first try. So I would recommend Linfield. Great Nursing School, great neighborhood, better parking than the hill and a ton cheaper than UP. It's a small campus but the school has been there for 26+ years and the program dates back to the Good Sam era at teh turn of the century. Good luck!

The ABSN program changes are still preliminary BnH, it will be a while before they actually change anything. The planning committee I was on was just exploring curriculum structure and feasibility. So for now the ABSN program is status quo for the foreseeable future. And it is a great program... Oh and of the original 46 Accelerated BSN students that started June 2008 and graduated December 2009 - I believe there was a 100% pass rate on the state boards....

I had the same concerns once I got my acceptance letter... but things worked themselves out. Linfield is expensive but they do have a great program. The scholarships they gave for the Accelerated Program made it cheaper than and FASTER than getting an ADN then going a third year at OHSU. I also maxed out my stafford loans both subsidized and unsubsidized, added a few scholarships, nursing loans and finally some work study. The financial aid resources are the best I've ever worked with. The director holds a scholarship writing class every year to help you apply for scholarships. Try and minimize private loans if you can. If you get a job that repays school loans, I believe the private loans are ineligible for repayment...

Ha-ha.... Oh great another nursing program in a flooded market for new grads.....

barleynhops is dead right and he's a smart guy... There are pretty much NO jobs here for new grads. There are 6 BSN programs and 6 ADN programs in the area. BSNs are having a little edge, but there are still about 900 of them a year looking for positions. Of my graduating class in December, maybe 10 of us have full time jobs. Like BnH said, if you have a year or more experience, you will have much better luck finding a job in the area.

You are the perfect candidate for an accelerated BSN program. You don't have to be a CNA to get into school - I had zero clinical experience when I was accepted. The accelerated BSN programs like the diversity of second degree candidates, as do your future employers. Look into it, they are good programs with the added bonus of being in and out quickly...

I wasn't working, I was a student. I interviewed for a job as a student and got a job offer as long as I passed the NCLEX. Had you been working as a licensed RN back in the Philippines?

Welcome to the United States and welcome to Oregon.I was hired before I was licensed, but I am a rare case these days. The job market here is one worst for new graduates. We have numerous nursing schools here - including 6 BSN programs. Unfortunately I would say your job prospects are slim. Many new BSN grads are moving out of the area to find work. It may be a litte different for you if you have a few years work experience as an RN in the Philippines. There is a lot of competition for jobs right now and a lot of unemployed new nurses. With that there is a local chapter of the Filipino American Nurses Association.

LPNs and RNs have a different roles. In the NW they are looking for BSNs, again for new graduate positions, and there is no difference between pay for an ADN and BSN, except at the VA...