trin22

Leslie26, Is it your lifelong dream to become a CNL or to become a RN? If your goal is to become a RN, have you thought about doing the BSN program instead? How about a 2 year program at a community college? Then you wouldn't need to take the GRE or MAT. These options might not be ideal, but at least you will become a RN. I'm really sorry about your dilemma. Is there any way for you to take the GRE? Can you borrow money from your family or friends? To me, the MAT seems more difficult than the GRE because it requires you to know a little bit of everything. Perhaps you'll do better on the GRE. Good luck.

mygirlmontana, Congratulations on getting accepted. I'd rather live in Athens, but my husband's job is here. Do you have health care experience? The only health care experience I have is working as a hospital pharmacy technician for a few years over ten years ago. I'm not even sure if that counts. I plan to start volunteering at a hospital soon. I volunteered off an on over the past ten years. I couldn't volunteer the last few years since I was taking care of my mom. I also did other volunteering as hobbies, such as teaching kids how to play the piano. Again, that probably doesn't count since I'm not sure how I'd substantiate it.

peachnurse22, Thank you so much for answering my questions. Apparently, the CNL program is well received in the Augusta area, so I feel a lot better. I guess it just varies by location. I don't mind investing in my education if it gets me somewhere. I was just worried that I would end up with no job and more student loan debt. I think people's negativity towards the CNL program stems from not fully understanding the CNL role. The title is kind of misleading. A lot of people think it's an advanced practice role. Like you mentioned, a CNL starts out as a staff nurse doing bedside nursing. I just wish people wouldn't bash it without fully knowing the details. I think it's a great program. I'm amazed that there are over 1,200 clinical hours (according to the curriculum posted online). I considered doing the bachelor's program, but it would take me longer to complete since there are more prerequisites and because it's not accelerated. Do you know how competitive the program is? Do you know approximately how many people applied and how many were admitted? How about the average GRE score? What was your score? I've been studying like crazy for the GRE, and it's really stressing me out.

I guess it all depends on the school. Some schools don't care and some openly claim they don't accept them. Emory does not accept online courses. Though I'm not sure how they'll know unless you took multiple courses simultaneously in schools in different states. I called Vanderbilt earlier to ask if they'd accept my A & P I online course. They said they would. I even offered to retake it if it was unacceptable, but they said it's not necessary. They said they look at the whole picture. They also said that it does NOT make me less competitive than applicants who took the course in person.

I called Vanderbilt about this today. I took A & P I online (with online lab), and I asked them how they view it. I offered to retake the course, but they said it's not necessary. They said they look at the whole picture. They also said that it would NOT make me less competitive than applicants who took the course in person. I guess it just depends on the school. Some schools really look down on online courses while other schools don't care as long as it's from a regionally accredited institution.

That's how I see it too, but you never know. Also, did anyone complete any of the prerequisites for the direct entry MSN programs online? Does it make you less competitive if you did them online? I can't seem to find any information about this.

Does anyone know how these direct entry programs view a bachelor's degree that was completed online (from a brick and mortar school)? I guess they won't know since the transcripts won't indicate that it was completed online. But I'm curious to know how they feel about it and if you're at a disadvantage if you got your degree online. Does anyone know anything?

Thank you so much for the information. It's so difficult finding the "perfect" online courses if you're applying to more than one school. Did you take any courses online?

Hello, did anyone take any of the prerequisite courses online? Vanderbilt's School of Nursing's website specifically states that prerequisites can be taken at any university, community college, or online. I hope this applies to science courses as well. Did anyone get accepted with online science courses?

Hello, did anyone take any of the prerequisite courses online? Vanderbilt's School of Nursing's website specifically states that prerequisites can be taken at any university, community college, or online. I hope this applies to science courses as well. Did anyone get accepted with online science courses?

Hello, did anyone take any of the prerequisite courses online? Duke School of Nursing's website specifically states that prerequisites can be taken at any university, community college, or online. I hope this applies to science courses as well. Did anyone get accepted with online science courses?

Hello, I hope someone can answer my questions. I've been trying to reach people who have done this program, but nobody has gotten back to me. I live in the Augusta area, and I've been wanting to do this program for a few years now. I started taking prerequisites a few years ago but quit after being deterred by negative remarks about direct entry MSN programs and new grads not being able to get jobs. However, I decided to give it a shot because I've been wanting to pursue nursing since high school. My main concern of course is finding a job after graduation. Here are my questions. 1. How is the program perceived locally? What has been the reaction among employers? I've read on this forum that employers prefer to hire BSN nurses over direct entry MSN nurses. This may be the case in other states, but I want to know what it's like in this area. 2. Are people finding jobs after graduation? How many people in your class have found jobs? It's so disheartening to constantly read about new nurses not being able to find work. 3. When you apply, can you just apply to the Augusta campus, or do you have to provide a location of second choice? I only want to do the program in Augusta since I live here. 4. I haven't worked in years. I was laid off in an industry that pretty much vanished at the start of the recession. So I decided to finally finish my bachelor's degree. I didn't work while I was in school since my husband took care of us financially. A few months before I graduated, my mom was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She had a very rough time after her treatments ended. Instead of working, I took care of her the last few years. Since I haven't worked in a while, would this count against me? I don't feel like a competitive applicant since I don't have a job. I would appreciate any information about the program.

Congratulations on your new job! Yes, Evans is a nice area. It's definitely a lot safer and nicer than Augusta. I myself live in Columbia County.

Can you please tell me which places are hiring new grads right now? I have some friends who can't find jobs, and they're not picky... they're willing to do anything to start their new career. I feel bad because a few of them have been looking for over 6 months. I realize that it's impossible for every new grad nurse to secure a job in this economy, even here in Augusta. I would appreciate any information. Thank you!

I hope I didn't offend you or any other Augusta natives- that was not my intention. I was just trying to give my honest point of view as someone who has moved around frequently. I've lived in pretty nice cities, and it wouldn't be fair to compare them to Augusta. A "nice place to live" is extremely subjective. I'm sure a lot of people would agree with you, but I would never consider Augusta a "nice place to live." Everyone that I know who is not from here can't wait to get out of here. I also know a lot of military people who are depressed from living here. If Augusta were really a nice place to live, more people would move here, more jobs would be created, more businesses would open and thrive, and the economy would grow. However, this isn't the case, and you know that businesses have difficulty thriving here. Just look at how many new restaurants that can't even stay open for a year. This city would be booming if were a desirable place to live that had many things to offer. On a positive note, Augusta's cost of living is low and there is no heavy duty traffic. However, this is related to my comments above. The cost of living would skyrocket if Augusta became a desirable place to live like Atlanta, which would also increase traffic. I agree that Augusta is great for experienced medical professionals (not sure about new grads because many friend nurses can't find jobs). It is the other major industry besides the military. I suppose if people's number one priority is finding a medical job and not care about their surrounding or quality of life, then Augusta would be perfect. To each his own because different things make people happy. Again, I am not trying to offend anyone or cause trouble. I'm just stating facts and my experience.