giardiafan

I completely agree with the previous post by abvincent1. The 'new' MEPN degree is nothing more than the previous accelerated BSN program with a few more academic units inserted into specific courses. The only major difference is that there is now an actual independent pharmacology course. In previous years, the UofA CON attempted to integrate pharmacology into every other coursework. Then the admin+instructors told students we were responsible for learning pharma, although most teachers didn't bother to teach it. Anyways, the MEPN is a hollow grad degree that takes you to the same place that the BSN does: the RN license. The UofA only transitioned to a grad program for two reasons: 1) they can charge more tuition and hence, receive more revenue. 2) accelerated BSN students were disappointed to earn just another bachelor's degree after entering the program with one. Unfortunately, the quality of coursework is no better. The first MEPN class will be subjected to the same amateurish, Powerpoint driven year of lectures and ultimate boredom that accelerated BSN students were. In the end, the MEPN is a waste. Beware.

The previous poster stated: "One things I was not happy about it is your clinical hours are not set up for you. For some courses you will be expected to go into the community and find your own hosts at local hospitals. They mentioned that students have never had problems finding these hours in the past because the UofA program has such a good reputation." This is fascinating and suggests one of the following, or a combination of several: -The UofA College of Nursing no longer has the resources (budget and manpower) to secure enough clinical hours for the MEPN students, and that all spaces are filled by the traditional BSN student population. -The UofA College of Nursing may not have such the stellar reputation with in the Southern Arizona community as they themselves believe.... -The UofA College of Nursing has burned its bridges with a number of community institutions that very few health care organizations want to enter into agreements leading to student clinical experiences. I think it is ridiculous that MEPN students should have to pay graduate tuition and then source their own clinical experiences. What a headache. You know, for all their self declared "excellence," "prominence," and "reputation," the UofA college of Nursing ought to take a hard look in the mirror. The UofA CON is broke. One of the primary reasons for advancing the Accelerated BSN into a MEPN is simply to charge more for the same program, even though the degree quality and curriculum is essentially the same. Before deciding to apply/interview to become a MEPN guineau pig, you ought to ask the UofA CON to provide a list of current students in the last class of the Accelerated BSN program as references. You will learn a ton about the internal strife, dysfunction, and mediocrity that will cost you more than $7,000 per semester. Good luck!!

Sorry to burst your bubble, but all the different nursing programs at UofA exist in their own respective vacuums. The traditional undergraduate BSN program has NO overlap/relationship with the accelerated/2nd degree BSN. The new Master's Entry will have nothing in common with any other graduate level nursing program. The new MEPN is nothing more than the old Accelerated program with a new name: same instructors, same curriculum, same assignments. The last 4-6 weeks of the program is the only new component, which yes, will focus on "advanced" skills, which in reality means a research paper emphasizing style and format rather than content. (Your instructors will criticize any deviation from standardized academic citation, but they will fail to comment on your actual theme. "Just make it look pretty on the paper.") Leadership class will consist of memorizing different types of organizational hierarchies and identifying, via a silly multiple choice exam, the difference between authoritative and democratic methods of team leading. Yawn. Shady? Absolutely. You are now 70 days from the application deadline and STILL there are no details on the CON website. Let me provide you some insight into how communication occurs at the CON. The class of 2010 was not informed that the hospital sponsor Carondelet, which held some 48+ student contracts in the previous year, had withdrawn until the day before interviews. The CON claimed that Carondelet did not announce the decision until one day earlier, but this was exposed as a lie later in the year. Multiple comments have been made by hospital sponsor administrators that they do not need any more nursing grads who can write lengthy academic papers. What they want are new grads with strong clinical skills, and the hospitals are turning to the community colleges for less expensive, better qualified floor nurses. Several sponsors stated that they wished the UofA 2nd degree BSN program had better clinical instructors. These are the same people who will now be the MEPN clinical teachers. Should you really pay graduate tuition for a degree that is regarded as less than a community college ADN??

I would strongly discourage anyone from applying for the MEPN program at UofA. This is the first year they are offering the program, and the grapevine tells me that the College of Nursing is still not prepared to offer the MEPN. With less than 90 days until the application deadline, the College of Nursing has yet to post any information about the degree on its website. They have NO curriculum, NO defined courses, and still have not hired all the teaching faculty. In addition, from what I understand, the bulk of the coursework is still based on the 14 month BSN program, with 1 month (about 4 more academic units) of "advanced" learning. I would be skeptical about how the new MEPN is qualitatively different from the old BSN degree. I think you guys are being sold a bridge with new, more expensive, letters, if you know what I mean....

Due to financial constraints, Carondelet withdrew fully from the program in 2009. Their last class in 2009 of 20ish sponsored students received a waiver from their contractual obligations. The current sponsors are UMC, TMC, and NW. Let's just say that placements at all three were uneven. As far as graduating, you will receive little support from instructors outside of class, and zero support from the admin altogether. It's a sink or swim approach. The accelerated/2nd degree student tends to be older, intelligent, motivated, and self-supporting. The UofA college of nursing maintains a 70% minimum performance through all classes. In 2008, there were 3 in a class of @90 that dropped out. Those 3 were allowed to repeat the course a year later without penalty. But they lost a year. In 2009, 1 dropped out due to medical reasons and returned a year later. Graduation was motivated because nobody wanted to pay back the $28k required in the contract. Still, a large number of students expressed displeasure with the quality and direction of the program, and said they would have just quit if they didn't have to pay back the money to their sponsor. Once you start the program as either a self pay or sponsored, you're on the hook for the entire bill. It's not worth it. Also, sponsored students are now required to pay TAXES on the $28k contract. So you now have to pay $9-10k on a "tuition" free program. Some of the hospital sponsors don't tell you this upfront. It's very, very bad, unethical behavior, and the hospitals are burning their bridges at every possible turn. Many sponsored students will do their minimum time and move on to better places. Some are consulting lawyers, and you know where that goes....

Hey desertflower, Yes, I received my assigned floor position about a month ago, and start in a couple of weeks. However, about 1/3 of the class stil does not have permanent assigned positions, as they are still in limbo or in float pools. How strange to be "guaranteed" a job, but not have a position. That's one more risk of the Accelerated/2nd degree program. Promises mean little in the new world economy. You are just a vocational commodity, so don't expect to be treated too well.... I am glad to put the UofA nursing experience behind me, and go to work. Of course, we both know that the real learning takes place while working the floor, and NOT at UoA!!

I can only add that I graduated from UofA's accelerated BSN program in 2010, and would NOT recommend the UofA College of Nursing for ANYTHING. The discouraging instructor pool is a rotating turnstyle (average stay: 2 years), the new dean governs in absentia, the overall education and program environment depressing and lacking in substance. The new Master's Entry program was kept under quiet wraps until its public announcement. Look, folks, in terms of the classroom education, it's little more than the BSN curriculum for a steep price increase. Just add a couple of fluff courses to make it look like more value from the outside looking in. I guarantee you that UoA has not thought through what they will be offering, other than some new initials to your RN license. Off record, a couple of instructors shook their head about the whole Master's Entry level. They said it was a good thing for nurses to have MS degrees, but they wouldn't comment on how it was better than the 'old fashioned" BSN that is also offered. Maybe a research paper or..the keyword, "capstone project." But at the end of the day, it's the same mediocrity that UofA produces...it's just has a new candy wrapper: "New and Improved." Buyer beware.

Tucson's UofA, by no means, is in the top 10 nationally. The school intentionally misrepresents itself. The nursing GRADUATE PROGRAM was ranked #6 in the nation by US News & World Report in 2009. In 2010, that ranking dropped to #32. Still, the administration still cheerleads 'We're #6!!.' Shame on them for not including any fine print. Having said that, the traditional BSN nursing program has a good, solid reputation. I am graduating from the UofA's accelerated/2nd degree program (avoid at all costs), but we share some instructors across programs. The teachers are decent, and the organization of the program, plus the 2 year timeframe, make for a valuable experience. The College of Nursing administration is pretty damn inhospitable, and there is a new Dean who is cleaning house. There are a number of instructors on their way out, and a new wave coming in. Such is the nature of organizational change. You might find the UofA program underwhelming in terms of communication and organization. It's a DIY program, really. Take your classes, get an externship, find a job. Surprisingly, for all their talk and energy about being highly ranked (again, that WAS the graduate program), there are few extracurricular activities, and very little to do with the colleges of medicine, pharmacy, and public health. That's really sad, as in the real world, all professionals work together to keep people healthy. But at the UofA, everything exists in a vacuum. You can have a bake sale and sell cookies (smile and contribute $18 to a worthy cause), but if you are looking for more meaningful ways to contribute to research, help a local organization, or deepen your nursing knowledge beyond the basic lectures, you're on your own. As well, the current economic situation means significant cutbacks. Who knows what the college has planned for 2011....but you can be sure that they are cutting corners and forcing instructors to take furlough days per university mandate. You may not feel it in the beginning, but during the second half of your studies, you'll wonder why the simulation lab is so poorly stocked with equipment, or why special request resources are nonexistent. Have fun!!

I am a current UA accelerated student, and I can state unequivocally that this is nothing more than an average program. I agree with the previous comment that the main advantage is the 14 month timeframe. Otherwise, there is nothing special about Arizona's nursing program. The course content is focused on passing the NCLEX. The instructors are average...at best. The administration are not interest in student satisfaction. They want you to graduate and go to work for one of the local hospital sponsors. There is a tremendous amount of busy work, including nonsensical term papers and clinical experience journals. This is one of the big differences between the ADN and the BSN. The BSN requires more writing assignments and research oriented essays/projects. But at the end of the day, the nursing instructors just write 'Great job!' on the top of the assignment and hand it back to you. Just one more hoop before you take your NCLEX.

Given that the accelerated program is no longer driven 100% by hospital partner sponsorships, this makes little sense to me. I'm not arguing the validity of the statement, only that it seems illogical for someone to opt for a $28k bill over 14 months, instead of normal tuition over 20 months, unless you calculate the 6 month difference in living expenditures...but then there is the opportunity for externship over the summer(s). Either way, the accelerated program is lacking in value from an inside POV.

This is a program in crisis. Do not even bother thinking about applying. I am currently in the accelerated/2nd degree Arizona program, and it is, less us say, a less than stellar experience. One of the major sponsors pulled out last year, effectively reducing the class size in half, so now students have the option of paying the inflated $28k or signing a 3 year, ambiguous contract with one of the remaining sponsors. FYI: the traditional UofA nursing program (20 months instead of 14 months) is more than $10,000 cheaper tuition-wise, so where this price tag came from is quite the mystery. There is no difference in the degree, and in fact, the better instructors teach in the traditional program. You end up with the same BSN and the same RN license afterwards. The one positive side is that the students in the program are very motivated to learn about nursing and have a diverse background that makes for good socializing. Just beware if you come to UofArizona: it's you against them....for the duration. And once you graduate, you never look back....

Don't bother with the University of Arizona program. I am currently in it, and can tell you that it is less than stellar. Disorganized curriculum, poor instructor quality, standardized testing that often does not reflect what is taught in the classroom, and bad student morale. We all just want to take the NCLEX and get to work. There is no love lost with this program....because there is no love at all. Strange, because nursing is supposed to be a compassionate profession. But just like nurses eat their young, nursing instructors try to do the same with silly mind games and minimal teaching effort while maintaining high performance expectations. And lest we forget: the silly, time consuming busy work assignments....

I got both my info packet and contract yesterday. What a mess! Anyways, for dmskoka, yes: hang in there. There are bound to be a handful of people that don't like the contract or can't fulfill on the paperwork for one reason or another. And I'll bet you $20 that a couple of people won't qualify for the AZ fingerprint card for some dumb offense when they were 18 yrs. old. As well, my sponsor contract deadline is May 1st, and the CON paperwork deadline is May 22. So somewhere in between those two dates a few spots will open up. Do you know what space you are occupying on the waitlist?

DM - Don't sweat it...but keep in mind that my invitation letter was good until March 25th, meaning that the CON will know how many people have declined, and only then will begin to notify the waitlist folks one by one. So figure 3/28 or later.... The weird part is that UofA doesn't require a deposit on the program, so it's in everyone's best interest to accept, even if they are still waiting on other options to come to light. The result is that I bet there are a fair number of 11th hour declines, like late May/early June......but we shall see.

I got in!! and turned my paperwork around after lunch today. It looks like I'll be working for Northwest next year, which was my first choice. For those that got accepted, I do believe that there's an error in the acceptance letter. It says to return the four forms in the packet, but there are only 3: the confirmation of acceptance, the confirmation on qualifications, and the affidavit for fingerprint card. Keep the good news coming.....and to those that didn't get in, good luck on your applications at other schools.