ElBirdos

Can you be more specific about the discrimination you experienced? PHS is a really good deal if you can get in. PHS officers get all the benefits of being a military officer with basically none of the risk. 30 days of annual leave, tax-free housing allowance, free health insurance, fully paid relocation, etc., etc., etc. The only downside (according to my PHS coworkers) is that they don't get overtime pay and they don't get union representation. PHS is taking applications from RNs (must have BSN) between Jan 4 - Jan 29, 2016. More info at http://www,usphs.gov.

It's hard to generalize about the BOP, because every facility is different. I've been with the BOP for 2 years. Like every other job, it has its good points and its bad points. Before joining the BOP, I worked at an IL D.O.C facility while employed by Wexford Health Sources. The pay was OK, but the benefits were crap. BOP pay is a bit better, but the benefits are SO much better it's not even funny. As far as pros and cons are concerned, I've only worked at one joint, which is probably not the one you'd be working at and therefore wouldn't apply, but I'd be happy to try to answer any specific questions.

What if your dilemma is ANP versus FNP? Background: I currently work full-time on a "cardiac stepdown" unit at a medium-sized community hospital. I say "cardiac stepdown" because it's really just another med/surg unit, but put all your patients on telemetry et voila, instant "cardiac stepdown" unit! :redbeathe Snark aside, I really do enjoy the cardiac aspects of my job, and am interested in working in cardiology as an APN. Problem is, the school I'll probably be attending only offers ANP and FNP; there is no ACNP option. Any opinions on which way to go? TIA, EB

I'm just about finished with my junior year at AU, so here's what I know: I applied and was admitted to both AU and NIU, but decided to go to AU for a couple of reasons. First, NIU's nursing program is five semesters long (and I had been admitted for spring 2009, so it would have taken me a full year longer to graduate from NIU.) AU costs quite a bit more, but I figure that extra year of working will more than make up for the difference in cost. Second, I graduated from NIU in a different field, and just couldn't stand the thought of five more semesters in DeKalb. I seem to remember hearing that AU admitted about 1 out of 3 applicants when I applied, but I don't really know if that's accurate. I also heard that NIU admits about 1 out of 10, so AU would be statistically easier to get into. Both schools accept transfer students into their nursing programs, so you could apply to either (or both) regardless of where you go for your first two years. Again, NIU would be the low-cost way to go, but their introductory courses can be large and impersonal. I took my prereqs at a community college, and I was pretty happy with it, especially the A&P courses (two semesters, 8 credits, with cadavers - NIU crams the A&P into 1 semester, and I don't believe that course uses cadavers). I don't think AU has cadavers either, but their intro classes are pretty small, as far as I know. As far as the actual nursing school is concerned, I can only discuss AU. I don't think anybody actually enjoys nursing school, but I can't really complain about AU too much. Most of the instructors are good, and several of them are outstanding. There are only eight (I think) full time faculty, so you'd have at least one class with just about all of them by the time you finished. Clinicals are mostly at local hospitals, like Rush-Copley, Delnor, Mercy, CDH, etc., except for Peds, which tends to be in Chicago (Children's or Shriner's). I haven't ever run into any NIU students at clinicals, but I imagine there's some overlap. I suspect one could land a great nursing job after graduating from either program, especially if the economy has improved by the time graduation rolls around. 100% of AU grads passed the NCLEX last year, and their passing percentage is always in the high 90s or better. NIU might have more of a reputation, if that's a concern, but I don't think you could go wrong either way. Hope this helps - feel free to ask anything else, but I'm new and can't do PMs yet.