Hmarie12

My program is over $50K. It's an entry-level master's program. So to me, it's not that much and I would go. I would be worried that I got into this program, but I might not get into another one right away. Nurses make a decent salary. If you live cheaply once you graduate, you could probably pay it off quickly. That's what I plan to do. You have to do what is right for you. To me it isn't all that outlandish though.

No problem! Happy to help :)

That's great that you work at a hospital already! It is hard to get a CNA hospital job with no experience. Took me 8 months after getting licensed! I think volunteering helped. I volunteered in the ER for a year before I became a CNA in that same hospital. I took my CNA class 3 nights a week (6-10pm) for 5 weeks and the clinicals happened to fall over my spring break or I wouldn't have been able to do it either. I have now been a CNA for over a year. So...that's my experience :) I would not take the GRE again. There is a new scoring system that is relatively new and I don't think anyone has figured out the standard/national averages yet. If you meet the minimum requirements for PLU you probably did better than you think. I thought I did HORRIBLE. I scored just a few points over their minimum requirement. But then I got an email from PLU telling me I did really well on my GRE! I was like...huh? Apparently the way it's scored now there is a huge difference in just a point or two. Like the difference between 150 and 153 is a big deal...apparently haha :) I would not take it again. You also said you have a great GPA. I think they look at applicants as a whole and not just one thing, like the GRE. I think that is a great idea to get your A&P prof to write your recommendation! Would be funny if we were at the same info session haha. Other strengths...hmm...I think I picked good people for my recommendations and I worked hard on my essay. Honestly, I think my CNA experience helped the most because it gave me something to write my essay about. I wrote about why I wanted to be a nurse and all, but I used examples from my experience working with patients at the hospital. I am assuming you are applying this coming November so that isn't a ton of time to get certified as a CNA and a job and a lot of experience. Maybe volunteer? I don't think they look at any one thing. And you do have a leg up being in the hospital already. If you found a program that works with your schedule though, you might as well go for it and get your license. Even working part time or on call at a nursing home (not a hard job to find from what I have heard!) would be better than no experience in direct patient care :) And if you are set on the hospital...start talking to people now. You have a huge advantage being in a hospital already and you'd be amazed how much people like to help out. Talk to nurses, phlebotomists, find out who the managers are and let them know you are going to get your CNA license and are interested in working on their floor. I swear networking is always the best method because otherwise you are just another online application! Hope this helps!

Haters are going to hate. If you want to be a nurse, be a nurse! I graduated high school in 2008 and am starting nursing school this year. I felt at times like I would never get here. I was having an especially hard day once and someone said that I have to remember it's a marathon and not a sprint...ok but sometimes it sure feels like a crawl-backwards! I thought. But time will pass regardless of what you are doing so you might as well be pursuing what you want. In 10 years you will be well into your nursing career or you wont, but 10 years will still have gone by. Broaden your horizons. Look into other programs, don't limit yourself! Move if you have to. I know you feel old but you aren't! There are people twice our age starting nursing right now. You can do this if you want to! Just a little perspective. Hugs :)

1. Alright! So, I applied while I was taking my last pre-req too (micro also haha). I thought about applying even earlier, but decided not to. I wanted my application to be the best it could possibly be when I turned it in. I sent my transcripts to PLU as soon as they became available. I think you can still apply and be okay. Of course the more information they have, the better they are able to get the whole picture of you as a student, but if it's just the one class I wouldn't worry too much and just be sure you get your grades sent to them as soon as you can. 2. I haven't heard of PhDs mattering at all. I had 4 references I think, 2 college professors and 2 RNs at the hospital where I work. The RNs did not have PhDs. You do not need this many references, however my undergrad major was not science related, so I wanted to have my biology professor write one recommendation and my academic advisor write another. What did you major in? If it was also something non-sciency, I would personally recommend having one of your professors that you took a science pre-req with write a recommendation for you if you did well in the class and they liked you. You are smart to take your time! I did the same thing. Experience, volunteering, all helps! If you can get experience as a CNA, I think that would really help you. Have you attended an information session? I attended 2 of them and they said if you do not get in the first time you apply do not bother applying again UNLESS you get experience as a CNA. So. I think that would help :) Oh and have you taken the GRE? Good luck to you!!!

Hey there May25! I will be starting the elm program at PLU this summer, so if you have any questions throughout the application process, feel free to message me! Good luck! It was my first choice too :)

Hey there! I also have a non-nursing bachelor's degree (although yours is much more related than my business degree haha) and will be starting an ELMSN program this June. I chose this route because I wanted to earn my masters in an accelerated time frame and start working right away. I don't know anything about Minnesota's ELMSN program, but if you check under U.S., Minnesota Nursing (up top) you will probably find a thread. Most ELMSN programs are very competitive and focus on grades, GRE scores, and health care experience. The difference between an ELMSN and MSN is that, for an ELMSN you are not required to already have a degree in nursing, whereas traditional MSN programs are for RN's looking to advance their education. I think an ELMSN or accelerated BSN are all good options since you have a bachelors degree. I would advise you to think about what you want to do in nursing though. Traditional bedside nurses do not need to have masters degrees, but if you think you may ever want to do management or become a nurse educator, then you will need your MSN. There are several different MSN degrees though, and you may not know which one you will need right now. For example, if you want to become a nurse practitioner you will need a masters that includes an NP program (there are a few entry-level MSN-NP programs out there, I don't know if Minnesota's is one). Just some things to think about. I don't think ELMSN programs are bad ideas, however some people argue that a nurse should have more bedside experience before holding a masters degree. You might want to check out how many clinical hours that program offers and see if it looks like a good fit. Everyone is different :)

Good luck!! When did you apply?

Are you/did you apply to PLU?

It's brand new, I'm not sure if it's gonna take a couple years to start up or what, but we'll see!

Thanks!! So I'm gonna see when I get there. I am interested in NP but think I might want some experience first. Also, PLU has a DNP program now. I am not sure if that means they are no longer going to have FNP or what but I don't think I want to get my doctorate right now due to time/money.

I have! :)

I think it is a good idea, it can only help you. I was also told not to bother by a current nursing student, but I am glad that I did become one. You may not get much experience in that timeframe, but even the clinicals required for your cna class will be great experience themselves. You will learn how to communicate with a patient and get an idea for what nurses "really do", giving you a leg up once you start nursing school. And if you don't get into your first choice program (I hope you do!) you will at least be gaining even more experience working as a cna in the meantime. You could also continue working as a cna while you are in your program (perhaps you could talk to your employer about going on-call/per diem once you start nursing school). I know many hospitals allow nursing students in their second semester to become nurse techs. Just a couple things to think about...I personally think it's a great idea and could only help you.

I will be starting my program in June. I currently work as a CNA in the hospital. While I don't think there is a nursing shortage (maybe there is somewhere!) we are often short-staffed on my unit and most of the newer grad nurses I work with had no problem landing a job because they were willing to work anywhere and take any shift. I plan to keep this in mind when I am looking for a job as a new nurse. I think you will be able to find a job if you are patient and are willing to take what you can get. I think you will be able to work as a nurse if you pursue it, you may just have to be patient and you might not get your first choice specialty starting out. As for your second question-haha it is confusing where to begin! I have a bachelor's degree already, so I will be attending an entry-level masters in nursing program. I also considered accelerated bachelor's programs, regular bachelor's programs and associates programs. I say apply everywhere. If you don't have a degree already apply to both ADN and BSN programs and see where you are accepted. I personally would go the BSN route if you can, however there are a lot of ways to bridge RN-BSN once you are finished if you do go the associates route, so no worries there. I have heard that more hospitals are hiring BSN prepared nurses vs. ADN, but I haven't personally witnessed that. I think being a CNA first is a really great idea because it gives you an idea of what nurses "really" do and whether this field is right for you. I have heard that it gives you a "leg up" once you start nursing school because you won't be new to patient interaction. Some schools even require CNA experience. I would still say go the RN (vs. LVN) route though. Lastly, you do not have to be a math genius! Statistics is usually the highest math you will need, although there is some math involved in chemistry (not genius type math though ). Good luck on your journey! It's a fun and exciting process :)

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