kms673

I am not going on Sat. due to the weather. Would anyone be willing to share the highlights on the forum? Particularly info regarding fin. aid and clinicals.

Congratulations!

Ya it is, I will see you at the open house!

Joellieeee, Are you from Scottsdale? I am in Tempe.

Nevermind, just saw. That is a big difference!

What is the price difference meep?

oau3: I booked at the Hampton Inn Vanderbilt (through expedia). I also saw an Extended Stay that got good reviews and was close by the campus.

I couldn't wait so I called, the lady was super annoyed.....But I Got In!!! I feel like it must be a mistake, I am in shock

Congrats adt913 and jason! Too chicken to call, I will have to wait til tomorrow.

Wow....

Congrats incher and ahfnp! I guess all others will have to wait until Tuesday because of the holiday.

@jb30: Congratulations! What is your specialty?

Ha! That's funny!

That is what I was thinking...because we have a less popular specialty with no interview...NMW, psych, FNP seem to have received the email.

I didn't get that email, did you incher? I think we have the same specialty...

MBA: I would relocate. This is a extremely contentious issue, so I wish you the best of luck on this highly personal path and any backlash you may encounter.

HouTx: Great Points......all part of the research I suggested.

MBA, I work in government in a health/non-nursing capacity, and am currently applying to direct entry programs. Regarding your comment that direct entry programs may be "few and far between", I urge you to check out the forum Direct Entry Programs 2013 - it can give you a good idea of the array of programs there are around the country. Regarding the length of programs: the program that I am applying to is two years long. Say you went to an accelerated program that was a year, it took you 6 months to find a RN job (a conservative estimant I believe), 6 months to apply for a NP program, and 3 years to complete, we are now looking at 5 years compared to 2. But, as you mentioned, you would be working (less loans), so its really a cost versus time issue. Regarding unit experience: since I am not a RN, I am not an expert on this. I would say that any hospital unit nursing experience is valuable experience for NP preparation, especially if you want to continue in an inpatient setting when you are an NP. But who knows? That's why I mentioned volunteering. I volunteered in a hospital and realized that it was not the place for me - which is why my specialty is focused on outpatient care. Most outpatient NPs I have spoken with conclude that NP work and RN work are completely different skill sets. But in terms of acute care/working in a hospital, I think the positions are more closely aligned. But get advice from a good mix of RNs, NPs with RN experience, and directly-entry NPs. Don't be afraid to knock on doors or email people you don't know. From my experience, they all have incredibly different perspectives.

MBA, I too am a government employee, so I felt compelled to respond to your post. I am currently applying to NP programs for Fall 2013. My first question would be....do you see yourself working as an RN first, or is your goal to go directly to working in an NP role? Most people who do the latter have a clear idea of their specialty before beginning school, but since you are still working on your pre-reqs, it is possible to figure out your specialty, before applying, through sound research and introspection. To answer my question, you may want to consider the current job market for new RNs (info that can be gleaned from perusing the CAREERS section of this forum). Many new grads are finding it tough to find jobs, and nearly impossible to get into specialty units like L&D. So "finding your specialty" by working as an RN might be difficult. If you want to explore the NP profession, I would recommend: -reading articles from nursing organizations and university publications about possible paths -doing "informational interviews" with NPs to gather info about their specialties. -shadowing NPs to get an idea of their day-to-day work -volunteering at both hospitals and outpatient facilities to see if these environments suit you -ponder how the skills gained from your current profession can be utilized in your new career -look at how the educational paths match your natural qualities (from your post, you seem ambitious, enjoy a challenge, critical thinker, autonomy?) I hope this helps!

Hi kmhcasper, My advice would be to look at the APN and Student sections of this site. Look up the "Direct Entry Programs 2013" thread. There are a ton of people with non-nursing bachelors and masters degrees who are going straight into MSN programs - they may provide you with some insight/inspiration.

That is cool that you already live nearby. I will definitely be looking to you for advice on places to live if I am accepted. As far as the price tag, I can see why people are scared. It is a very personal decision to take on that kind of debt, and depends on current loan debt and how much you will gain in yearly salary. I previously looked at other grad programs (like MPH for example), and the degrees were only going to make me 3K-10K more than what I was making now. So for me, that was not a good investment.

My poll is showing 75% recommending the hospital. Really? The poll is showing this because the voters are bedside nurse. Poll some NPs working in primary care and see what they think

Jasonmstone82 & Jenny J.- what specialties did you apply for?

Worth11 & jenny- Got the same email sequence as well. I was confused by it too.

I should have made myself more clear. The person I am speaking of was doing the 2-year pre-specialty program, so it was double the credits and double the cost. Then, she may have not been working, and if so, she must take out money for living expenses for those two years. ($45,000 tuition + $30,000 room/board = $75,000 for one year). From reading some of your posts, this would not be your situation because you an RN looking to do the distance one year program and work still, correct?