StephaAnn

Nowhere in the application process and am not going to be any help to you at all... but I am considering Duke as well! What helped you decide? Are you local to them? I'm SO excited at the possibility of being able to specialize in ONC, but am having a real hard time swallowing the pill of how much it'll cost considering in my region I won't be making severely BIG NP bucks!

I am (excitedly) looking into nursing programs to hopefully enroll in within the next year. I have been intrigued by Duke, not only for it's ranking but for the fact that I could add some specialty education, which isn't easy to find! Things I'm worried about: 1. COST. I'm guessing its going to be between 75-100K for me to complete this degree at duke... and I recently learned FASFA doesn't have any grants for grad school So whether or not having the high profile degree is worth the extra money is a concern of mine. 2. TIME. I've reached out to the program with no response so far, but I'm having a hard time seeing what the part time options are like for distance students. Does anyone know how long this program is when done part time? 3. COMPETITION. I know I'm not alone in this, but when I went through nursing school 10 years ago I was on the tail end of some pretty intense bullying from my professors. I have a TERRIBLE taste in my mouth from nursing school, but still have a huge desire to advance my education and professional experience. I worry a bit that a school as high profile as Duke would be hugely competitive and leave me feeling a bit beaten down again. This is the topic I get most nervous about! Thank you to anyone who finished reading my tome ? I appreciate the advice!

I know there will be nurses who lose their jobs at our hospital if it never gets repealed. They are already preparing by laying off ancillary staff (Physical therapists, phlebotomists, housekeepers). And our hospital is actually one of the more financially conservative in the area.. I would hate to see what will be happening at the others.