arciedee

I'm applying to a direct-entry clinical nurse leader program right now and I'm curious to know whether there are any students or graduates of such programs out there that can talk about their experience. I know it's a very new program and the inform...

Hello, I started a full-time position as a QI analyst less than a year after becoming a nurse (worked in OB prior to that). I had also spent time in the quality office as a student, so I had a good idea of what I was getting into. I strongly feel tha...

Just to comment on niko's post, you do NOT need to take the test for the LNA certification if you are obtaining the license through comparable education. You simply need to provide proof (either a letter from the school or a transcript) that you have...

I just graduated from the program (wow, I swear I just started it yesterday!) and my undergrad GPA was in the low 3s, but my pre-reqs were much higher. I think at the time I applied there were about 100 applicants for 24 spots. With the direct-entry...

melmarie, when I started a couple years ago the equipment (steth, clipboard, and scissors) ran around $100. The stethoscope was a good deal for the quality (it's a Littman). As ddb19 mentioned, the clipboard isn't something you really need. And budge...

McGill University in Montreal has a direct entry program with more pre-med type pre-reqs (year of bio, year of gen chem, semester of orgo, plus your choice of humanities). The details are here.

The best route depends on what you want to do with the nursing career. I think the accelerated 2nd bachelors programs are great options since they get you out into the work world quickly. If you have a good idea of what you want to do in nursing (i.e...

Direct-entry master's programs usually do target career-changers, but it is not out of the ordinary for recent graduates to enter these programs. We have quite a few in my program, in fact, so don't let that hold you back from applying. As for not be...

Honestly I think you've got two really good options available to you. The best choice is probably the one that you are most comfortable with in terms of both finances and studying (balancing lecture/clinical/study time with work). I did the direct-e...

As Tweety stated, those pre-reqs are pretty standard across the board regardless of what kind of program you are applying to. I certainly understand the frustration of wanting to jump in with both feet NOW, but those pre-reqs really are necessary to ...

I have one of the 100% cotton tops and it seems to be about the same size before and after it went in the wash.

Okay, I couldn't wait, and this was probably the best $8 I could have spent... I passed! Phew!

Ugh, jumping in here as I anxiously await my results. I did the virtual ATI program and finished it up about two weeks ago with the predictor saying that I had a 99% chance of passing the NCLEX. I planned to do more question banks while I waited to t...

I'm not at MCPHS, but I do live in the area. There is some public transportation in Manchester, and most routes go past the MCPHS "campus" which is downtown. I have never used it, though, so I can't report on the quality of the service. You'd also w...

That's a tough choice. From the pure academic point of view I'd say to go for the ABSN simply because of the timing and the fact that you know that you want to go on for an advanced practice role so you'll need the BSN anyway. The idea of spending 2-...

The CNL programs are generalist programs as opposed to the direct-entry NP or CNS programs in which you have to choose a specialty. I chose to go the CNL route for that very reason... I wasn't ready to commit to a specialty without having any experie...

Most of us in CNL programs are starting out as regular staff nurses, so the immediate income is going to be the same as any entry-level RN until you get some experience under your belt. After a few years, however, you should be able to take advantage...

No, you're not crazy. I'm in a direct-entry CNL program myself and very happy with my choice. However, that doesn't make it the right choice for everyone. It sounds like you've given it a lot of thought. Finances are definitely a concern and being de...

:yeahthat: In the state where I'm getting my license they actually tell us to sign up for PearsonVUE before you even send in your application so that you will be registered and ready to go when the state tells them we are authorized to sit for the te...

Accelerated programs are great, especially since traditional programs often take longer than two years (the BS program at the university I attend starts nursing courses in the first semester of sophomore year). However, keep in mind that accelerated ...

Dress business professional unless you are told specifically by the person setting up the interview to do otherwise. If you have a suit, wear it. If not, for women wear a nice dress or slacks/skirt with a nice blouse and/or sweater, along with nice s...

A second-degree program is intended for people who already have a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field who want to become RNs. Typically these second-degree programs are accelerated (take less than the four years of a traditional program) since th...

Sounds fine to me... in fact, I'd prefer to dress that way myself since I have yet to try on a scrub top that is comfortable and looks nice. I don't consider scrub tops to look any more or less professional than a knit top. As far as I know my hospi...

It can be very frustrating to figure out the pre-reqs and each school seems to place emphasis on different things. It may help to focus on the courses that are common to many of the schools (if you haven't already finished them) and then put priority...

sistasoul, I am in NH, too. One thing I have found is that most hospitals are hiring their own current employees first (i.e. LNAs, unit secretaries, etc. who are graduating from nursing school). A lot of them will wait until they go through their int...