ABCRN81

I'm currently in the MSN-FNP program at GWU. While I like the professors and the didactic portion of things, and while I've enjoyed the on-campus experiences and find the student body to be very supportive, I would have to say that the stress associated with clinical placements has been extreme. I have so far been lucky enough to find my preceptors, but GWU does not help you with locating them. If you work, are in school, have a family, and then try to add finding your own clinical sites? Good luck. It can be done, but you have to ask yourself if it's worth the risk. Some students have had to make arrangements to live elsewhere for a period of up to 6 weeks (different cities, different states) because their area was so saturated with NP/PA/MD schools or so remote that potential preceptors are in high demand. Some states give tax breaks to providers for precepting students who attend in-state schools, which makes it very difficult for those who attend GWU to even get a foot in the door without offering cash. It is very stressful, and it is a personal decision, but ask yourself if you would be able to move elsewhere for a month and a half in order to graduate on time. Ask yourself if you will realistically have time to place multiple phone calls a day in order to locate a site. My first clinical placement was found after calling nearly 90 different practices, and that's excluding follow-up phone calls, emails, and faxes. This is not an unreasonable amount based on feedback from other current GW students. There are students in the program whose employer will find all of their clinical sites, and that's a blessing for those students - if your work situation is like that, then it shouldn't be an issue.

Hi Everyone - I'm also going to be enrolled in the 2016 MSN FNP program at GWU. I'm very, very excited and looking forward to meeting everyone at orientation in August :-)

**Posted this in the General Discussion first, then realized it might be better to post it in the Eduation/Distance Learning discussion. Admin - Please delete if not allowed.** I am looking at MSN degrees with a focus on case management. After reviewing several different programs and taking into consideration things like cost per credit hour, length till completion, and options of full-time vs. part-time, I have decided to pursue an online only format. I'm especially interested in the University of Alabama MSN-CM program, but between working full-time and having a 4 yr old and 2 yr old (would be 5yrs and 3yrs if I started in Fall 2016), I'm unsure about doing full-time vs. part-time. One big benefit of full-time is that my employer will offer more reimbursement. Another big plus is having it done in 3 semesters vs. 6 semesters. If anyone else out there has done this program, please let me know your experiences. Did you find it manageable with a full-time job? Did you enjoy the program? Or if you have suggestions for a different, online-only, MSN - Case Management program, please let me know. I haven't settled on a university yet, but UoA is definitely a front-runner at the moment :-)

Could someone give me some information on nurse unions in the Boston region? I am a new BSN grad moving from Indiana to the Boston area due to my husband's job, and I am not familiar with nurse unions at all. Do all nurses in the Boston area join a union? Which unions are there? What are the benefits/negatives to joining a union? Thanks so much!