VICEDRN

Hi- I had a 3.85 GPA for my BSN. I have to be honest. There is a general trend that it seemed the smartest people, the people I envied most in nursing school, totally and completely fell the heck apart in the real world. I was quite glad I struck the sweet spot between being a good student and a good nurse and it sounds like you might do the same too!:)

all time favorite? the lady who stood outside of the room watching us intubate a crumping family member complaining that we weren't take her dad to his med/surg bed fast enough.

Its a combination of both. Each semester the combination changes a little bit. The first semester, there aren't very many clinical hours but there are a lot of written assignments, discussion boards and certainly a lot of studying (and a very tedious assessment skills checkoff). The following semester has more clinical hours, fewer written assignments and discussion boards but they are still there. Does that make sense to you? I have honestly not met a single person who doesn't treat this program like a full time job and then some so again, if you're thinking PRN or something, I would forget that.

You can absolutely choose to go to class. In fact, I think they prefer it.

I've never heard anybody say that they wish they had chosen a different route. I think this is particularly true since the only real difference is who your advisor is and a slight variation in the variety of clinicals you are in. I don't want to provide too many details about why I choose this particular course since I fear that would give away my identity and Vanderbilt is said to heavily monitor its "online presence," As you probably know, you don't have to go to class if you already have experience as an RN. Class is required for non experienced students. All of the courses are recorded and put online. There's about 12 hours a week of lecture and a METRIC TON of work. I strongly advise against working while you do this program (and its one of the many reasons I don't necessarily recommend this particular program to experienced RNs). In fact, everyone I know quit their job in the fall or failed out or went PRN with the understanding they would work over break especially if you already have a family. Sorry to be a bit of a downer but if there is one thing I wish I understood before I enrolled, its that working wouldn't be feasible and I know my peers who didn't have info about the program think the same way.

Hi- I am in the acute care program. The intensivists take most of their classes as a part of the bigger acute care group with the exception of their clinical coursework. I don't think you will find the application process very difficult. Its mostly online and you just basically assemble the documents and submit them. The cycle opens in September and continues through the close date in December. They send out decisions in April or so. Its also basically rolling admissions. I didn't even start my application until late December and I am not the only person I know who applied late and was accepted. The program seems very competitive for their bridging program where Non-RNs bridge from their bachelors in something else to their masters in nursing. Quite frankly, this program is really run on their behalf. They constitute roughly 50% of the class and are the ones that attend class every day so that's where the focus lies. The intensivists are led by a professor who came to nursing via this program and thus, I would think would be hard pressed to hold your lack of ICU experience against you. Hope that helps.

In the Ers I have been in, the phlebs and RNs work nicely together. The phlebs do report some trouble with med surg staff and some icy but polite behavior from ICU staff. When questioned, I find that the phlebs complain that the floor RNs are hard to locate and do not respond to requests for assistance by either the phleb or the patient. This results in a feud between the groups that is obviously understandable.

I've worked days nights and mids in a couple of different facilities. I have seen day shifts that refuse to come together, complain about everything and throw each other under the bus. I have seen night shifts where everyone there seems to be there just to avoid as much work as humanly possible and I have seen the opposite at different facilities. Whatever it is you are trying to describe, you might find it completely different at another facility.

I am also a second career nurse. I am glad that there is increasing acceptance of criticism of the profession from those of us who are second career RNs. When I first started as an RN, people on Allnurses would tell me I am unrealistic or that people like me ruin this profession. The truth is second career people bring a welcome perspective: the working conditions of an RN are DEPLORABLE. I'm in grad school now and work part time as an RN. Good luck howard hughes! Like you, I am amazed by the things I have seen and have become a better person for the things I have seen and done.

Imagine if you responded, "Oh! I'm sorry. My badge wasn't facing outward! I'm a nurse. I don't work in engineering. Do you need that number?"

You constantly say but of course ignore that no study ever really directly links anything to anything else and in this case, it would be impossible to do so because doing so would be unethical and impossible given the complexities of every single individual patient. The fact is that over 300,000 patients were involved in the several studies and metanalyses that were done and the proof is definitive. More BSN prepared nurses on a unit mean fewer patient deaths. The studies aren't flawed. I should have added: The studies even crossed international lines: One study was done in Canada which helps to control for socioeconomic problems in patient populations. For the OP: There are many lengthy threads on this topic. Also, ADNs have been shown in other studies to be better prepared to "do stufff" their first six months of practice. After that, the BSNs skills catch up and their critical thinking carries them the rest of the way on towards better nursing practice. Am sure you can find those studies as well.

Agree that its just scape goating the ACA. A local hospital here just went on a hiring freeze since they projected a $50 million shortfall next fiscal year due to fewer payments for chemotherapy that was billed as inpatient but reimbursed as outpatient. Well, ummm...that kind of makes sense to me. If can be done outpatient, why bill as though inpatient and the hospital is plenty wealthy enough as it is.

A student xray tech told me the worse job in the hospital must be RN because, he said, "The answer to everything is get the pt's nurse." He even remarked all wide eyed and newbie like, "And everyone says the same thing about the nurses!"

Every time I say I'm gonna drop out of this expensive program, in fewer than three of my friends who have made the switch tell me that they never regretted it and neither will I. Lots of bedside nurses I know look down on it for the limited scope of practice but on the flip side, the np converts seem soooooo much happier with their work!

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