RNMAN2010

no. not at all. i've worked at a couple large academic medical centers including hopkins and their graduates are just as dumb as every other new grad and they have as good a chance of getting a job as any other grad (esp. on the east coast). you'll be as successful as you make yourself in nursing. if you work hard and do what your peers are not willing to, you will accomplish whatever vision of success you are hoping to attain. it makes no difference where you get your bsn, and at the prices you've mentioned i'd look smaller; i got mine at a state school. every admissions staff is going to be as helpful as they can, more so at the bigger schools, because their job is to get your money. when you do become a nurse: get your certifications, get on a committee, do something extracurricular (bls/acls instructor) and it will make life more enjoyable because bedside nursing can really suck if you're not using your grape and actively trying to improve your practice. grad school is a bit different. as for grad school, certain programs suit some better than others. some places you'll get what you pay for and some you won't, however, your investment in your education is more wisely spent in a graduate degree that puts you higher up in the pay scale. if you spend your time as an rn constructively, your hard work and dedication to your craft will not go unnoticed when applying to grad programs. before this reply gets away from me i'll make my point... save your cash and let your success be determined by your character. *start my crna program in a few months... by will or chance, you'll end up where you were meant to be.

i currently work in an sicu divided into provider "teams" of residents and acnps, each guided by an attending. the acnps are a permanent group on our unit and a blessing to the bedside nurse; as surgical and anesthesia residents come and go along their journey learning icu patient management (and causing minor headaches). our advance practice nurses really do just about anything an intensivist can, with some limitations set by our hospital (lumbar puncture). i know advance practice is not like this everywhere. will things change with the doctoral requirements? is that the big idea? what about other practitioners: nps, fnps, crnas, midwives. i will be starting a crna program next year with a masters requirement, i don't plan on getting a doctorate (not in nursing anyway) if it won't change my practice.

I'm in! See you guys the 7th! I hope you hear good news PutToSleep and balt333.

Oooo... Mine's down too, not sure how to take that.

Congrats you two! I had to reschedule my CCRN but plan on taking it in a few weeks. My interview day was the busiest day of my life, flew out that morning and went directly to the interview, from there I drove to my girlfriend's school and got engaged :heartbeat, then drove to Iowa to stay with family... I've never done anything more productive with one day! The interview went great, and yes, the waiting will be unbearable! Not sure what to do with myself in the meantime. :) Heather, congrats again, I'm very excited for you! When do you start? PutToSleep! how was your interview? Pretty laid back huh?

What area of nursing are you in currently? What about mental health nursing or public health nursing? It sounds like you've tried a few brands of nursing out, have you given yourself the opportunity to really settle in one place?

Congrats heather, what a relief it must be! Best of luck and wish us well as we continue. I haven't applied elsewhere yet, this is my number one so starting here for now. It seems things are going so quickly! PutToSleep!, let me know how it goes and I'll do the same.

Did you guys e-mail them or send the letter back, have you gotten a confirmation yet?

Got mine too! Wow, these are coming up fast though! Congrats PutToSleep!, Let's go heather!

PutToSleep! and heather in ohio, still waiting right? :) I check this thing almost daily to see if there's anything new (mid- to end- of May is going to come very slowly). I haven't applied anywhere else as I want to end up in Minnesota, what about you guys? I'm glad to see younger people applying as well. Have you taken any graduate course work? I was going to PM you guys to stay up to date on one another's progress but I guess you need a certain number of posts before you do that.

I called a couple days ago and was told we would all know within the next couple weeks. Best of luck!

Still waiting as well, the anticipation is killing me.

Well, I'm kind of all over the place at this point, flip-flopping between the suburbs or the city. The buildings I've looked at so far have been in Mt. Vernon (Saratoga, the Standard, the Professional Arts Building, and the Fitzgerald); otherwise Fells Point but I need a roommate it seems. But I've never lived in a large city and have considered renting in Owings Mills or Randallstown and commuting in on the Metro. Just not sure, I'll check 'em out when I'm there for my health screening next week. I've heard the interns/residents on our unit are a little more cooperative and not there for too long. I'm really excited!

Any other new grads/RNs out there starting at Johns Hopkins Hospital this July (SPRING program)? Anyone with insight into working at Johns Hopkins Hospital or living in Baltimore? Need advice on what apartment building to live in, or stay away from (I've seen some pretty bad reviews). Also, looking for a roommate! Look forward to hearing from you!