monzziesCA

Hi CNM Minion I decided to go to USD. I made this decision for a couple reasons: 1) I plan on becoming a NP. As Masters prepared RN, I can apply to post masters NP programs. I have found these are typically a year and a half or less. There also seems to be a decent number of these programs all over the country. My plan is to work for a couple years as an RN and then apply to the best post masters programs for the specialty I want to pursue. Doing it this way gives me time to develop as a nurse and discover what I am drawn to for a specialty. I also would like to live and work in the bay area and there are a few post masters NP programs here. I want to pursue my advanced practice education in the community I plan to work in so I can make connections. 2) USD just feels right to me. I really liked all the students I met at the dinner USD threw during interviews. The women seemed down to earth and fun. I want to be a part of a cohort that is supportive of one another. And the other interviewees I met were warm friendly and funny. Its going to be an intense journey why not have a peer group that is supportive. 3) USD offers opportunities to travel to Haiti and DR to support relief nurses. I think that is an invaluable opportunity for both professional and personal growth. When I spoke with the USD students that had gone, they said it was one of the most influential learning experiences they had thus far. I hope this helps and best of luck to you!

Thank you for your feedback! I would love to hear more about your experience at Hopkins. I wish I had applied for the MEPN at Johns Hopkins. I feel like I underestimated my application's viability for that program. In retrospect, I should have just gone for it. I am 99% sure I am going to USD's MEPN, but I am looking at Hopkins or UCSF for their post masters FNP options. Surprisingly, the MEPN program is more affordable for me because I can apply as an independent with FAFSA. After I graduate I plan to work as an RN for a few years to build my knowledge. I think this way I also have more time to decide if FNP is truly the APRN I want to pursue. Thanks again and any info you can share on your experience at Hopkins would be so helpful!

Thank you for your feed back! It seems your experience is shared by other nurses I have spoken with. Being open to going where ever the new grad opportunities are, seems to be the way to go. I have decided to attend the MEPN program because I get double the clinical experience of the ABSN and still will have time to volunteer (according to current USD MEPN students). May I ask how long it took you to get into a new grad program? Im hearing that some people start applying long before they have completed their programs. Thanks again!!

no you definitely can not beat free education!!! Thats awesome! Are you working as a nurse now in California?

Thank you for the feedback! Your input is very reassuring. I currently live in the bay area so I am hoping post graduation I can find a job here. Unfortunately finding a new nurse position in the bay area can be very difficult so I am anticipating remaining in the city where I studied so I can use my contacts to find a new nursing position. That is a big part of why I am wondering if the status of the school I attend is valuble in saturated job markets. May I ask what your route was for getting into healthcare? Regards

Hi I am looking for some information and feed back regarding USDs MEPN program. I have been accepted to USD and Johns Hopkins ABSN program. I honestly was all set to go and excited about USD. Then I heard back from JHU and now I don't know what to think. Everyone is saying how it is such a huge resume builder to go to JHU and it would open doors for me. I ultimately want to be an FNP so at this stage I am trying to find a program that will educate me to be a great RN. So confused! Also how has getting hired been for USD MEPN graduates? Thanks!!

Hi rort I just got accepted to JHU's ABSN 17 month program and I am trying to decide if I should go there or another school here on the west coast. Would it be possible to message you about your experience there? The cost of the two schools is the same so what I am most concerned about is the educational experience and placements. Thanks!!

Hi! I am looking for feed back to help me decide which of these two nursing programs I should attend. I was recently accepted into University of San Diego's MSN for Clinical Nurse Leader (a MEPN) and Johns Hopkins Accelerated BSN. I am open to and greatly appreciate any feedback, knowledge, experiences, or opinions that you might have on this subject. Please forgive the length of the post! Here is my run down on the two programs plus some questions. Feel free to ignore what I have written and just leave input. I tried to summarize what I like about the schools and some burning questions I have. Thanks! University of San Diego MSN Clinical Nurse Leader (MEPN)- 21 months: I graduate with an MSN, will have completed 1300 hrs of clinical (double the clinical hrs of ABSN programs). The program also offers students an opportunity during both years of study to travel to Haiti and Dominican Republic to gain relief work experience. With this program, I graduate as a Clinical Nurse Generalist and after a year of working as an RN I may sit for the Clinical Nurse Leadership certification exam. Overall it seems the program is similar to an ABSN but with a lot more clinical experience and masters level course work. I plan to eventually become an FNP so the more learning reinforced with experience the better. I value this program for several reasons. 1) I love that it is 2 years of learning with a large variety of clinical settings. This seems very thorough 2) I graduate with an MSN 3) I currently live in Oakland and San Diego is only a 1 hr 20 min plane ride for my boyfriend who plans to remain working as an RN in San Francisco. *The USD Graduate School of Nursing is ranked #50 in the country. Johns Hopkins Accelerated Bachelors of Nursing- 17 months: The school has an incredible teaching hospital, a great curriculum, and does a lot of community outreach both in Baltimore and internationally. This is important to me because my partner and I want to open a primary care clinic in Oakland. I am passionate about offering community health programs and classes. Due to JHU's history of serving marginalized communities, I think it would be a phenomenal environment to learn how to deliver such services. Getting my initial nursing experience in Baltimore would potentially provide me with more opportunity to grow my understanding of how to deliver health care services that are considerate of cultural, economic, and racial disparities. BUT the program is almost the same length as USD and I graduate with a BSN. Plus its a 6 hr flight for my BF which would make things harder. * The Johns Hopkins Graduate School of Nursing is Ranked #1 in the country. Questions: Is the MEPN MSN better than a ABSN in terms of education and clinical preparation? Does anyone have any insight about either program? To anyone with hiring experience, is there anything specific that makes you more likely to select one new nurse applicant over another? Experienced nurses, NPs and anyone who has proctored new nurses.. any thoughts? Does the name Johns Hopkins stand out to people who are hiring? Part of me wonders if attending a big name school puts me higher on the list for consideration, especially in a saturated job market such as the bay area. Ive never been concerned with the status associated with attending a renown school. For me this is about getting the best education and setting myself up for the most opportunities to excel at being a nurse. Thanks again!