lyndsmar

Goodluck to those still interviewing! I think I'm officially going to accept :) I'm pretty excited. My name is Lyndsay Martinelli on Facebook if anyone wants to add me. I don't think I can PM on here/I rarely check this. Does anyone know if there's a Facebook group?

I was accepted but declined admission. So hopefully that opens up a spot to those on the wait list. Goodluck! :)

Hannab1 and Misha209 - If you guys don't mind me asking, where else did you apply?

I am beyond grateful for EVERYONE'S input, but special thanks to those standing up for the grad entry route. Those of you telling me to get my bachelor's first at a cheap community school - I appreciate your concern, but I have done my research, I have put in more effort than I can describe, and worked my butt off to get accepted to these graduate level programs. I am very proud of myself and don't regret my decision. This isn't a topic of whether I should do a grad entry program or not, because that is already set in stone. I am simply trying to decide if I should go to the better school that costs more or save my money and go to the school with the lesser reputation. As a side note about my debate, I've also been extremely impressed with the organization and communication efforts of Case Western and displeased with the reverse of Cincinnati, but still, the cost! That's what I'm really trying to figure out. I am hoping to reach out to a variety of nurses and especially NP's who have graduated from a variety of schools and programs, with varying reputations and prestige, to get a feel for if where they went to grad school really helped or hurt them in their careers. Thanks again to everyone :) I look forward to respond if throughly when I have some time off work and a break from the 12 hour shifts!

Yeah, I definitely see what you're saying. Well at this point, I've been accepted to schools that grant me both my RN and MSN, no sense in doing all the applying again. I think this thread is really pushing me over the edge toward Cinci. All said and done it will be 60,000. For the BSN and MSN. And I'll be working in between to cover it, with the opportunity of my place of employment for RN job paying for the rest of the MSN portion. I think if Cinci had a bad reputation that would be one thing, but it's still a respected school. That's what I'm gathering from everything

I can't thank everyone enough for your responses and support. It really makes me glad I joined this community. I will do my best to respond to everyone's comments directly, because I really appreciate your input! But, just to clarify all at once for everyone, I am doing a graduate entry nursing program. This program earns you a BSN (for those of you saying it would be wise to get my BSN first). I will get a BSN first, and it will be accelerated. After this, I will work as an RN, and then go on to the Master's portion, where I will specialize as an NP. The uniqueness of this program is that I am already accepted to the graduate school, and will not have to reapply when I am ready for my MSN. But I AM indeed earning my BSN as well first. At Case you actually earn a MN (Masters of Nursing) instead, but it is in the place of the BSN. You are just a master's prepared RN instead of a bachelor's prepared RN. Lastly, neither Case nor UC require you to pick your specialty beforehand. They also agree that it is important to gain experience as an RN prior to choosing a specialty.

Interesting, I wasn't aware that you could work only with Peds if you weren't specialized in that are. Thanks!

I assume you meant the reverse, but same thing :) that's what I was wondering. Do you know how long a certificate takes to complete and what is "cheap"?

Thanks so much for all your responses!! I was getting mixed reviews before, but this group seems pretty one-sided. I'm definitely leaning toward Cinci now. My other issue is that I'm deciding between FNP and PNP and Case offers both while Cinci only offers PNP, and I'm afraid I'll end up wanting to do PNP and be stuck. But, from what I hear, you do a fair amount of pediatric stuff with FNP and if you want to really only specialize with Peds getting your certificate is relatively easy?

Thanks for this! You are definitely right, and I've done quite a bit of research on this and have found the same thing. That is why I'm only considering programs in which I will get my RN, and then work as an RN while going to school as an NP. Possibly even working full time for at least a year before starting any schooling. When it's all said and done, if I work part time throughout the MSN portion, I will graduate with a minimum of RN experience under my belt. This is why I have chosen to deny other programs that don't allow you to work (Emory, OSU)

Thanks. My situation is different, though. The NP portion will cost me around 30,000. The first 2 years is a "masters of nursing" degree. I end as a master's prepared RN. That part is 92,000. Still expensive, but yeah

Thanks for your replies. Yes, I understand that FNP includes pediatrics. I meant pediatrics as a specialty. As in become a PNP that ONLY sees children. I'm sorry I wasn't more clear

Hi all, I recently posted another thread about my decision between two graduate nursing programs. The prices between the two are very different. What I didn't add, is this: The more expensive school has both options of Family NP and Pediatric NP. The less expensive one only has FNP. I'm tempted to go to the more expensive school because at least there is a Peds option there, if that is the route I decide to go. However, if I go to the less expensive school and choose FNP, but then later in my career decide I want to be a PNP, how difficult is it to switch? Do I just have to take a few courses to earn a certificate, or is it a more lengthy process? Does it cost a lot? And lastly and most importantly, will employers be turned off by my certificate and want me to have an actual MSN degree in PNP, not just FNP? Thanks!

Hi all, I am planning on beginning a "graduate entry" nursing program this Fall. For those of you that aren't familiar, these are unique programs designed for those that already hold a bachelor's degree in an area unrelated to nursing. Students become an RN quickly, in 1-2 years, and then progress directly on to an MSN specialty of their choice, either full-time or part-time while working as an RN. I have been lucky enough to be accepted into a few of these programs, and I'm excited to start, but I can't decide where to go! I am deciding between Case Western and University of Cincinnati. With both of these programs, I will end as a nurse practitioner (most likely family or pediatric - primary care, haven't decided just yet). I think they both seem great, but through research it seems that Case Western has a significantly better reputation - 8th MSN school in the country this year vs. Cinci at 54th. The issue lies in the fact that Case is more than double the cost of Cinci (around 80,000 more when it's all said and done). With or without knowing specifics of either of these schools, my question is this - do you think it matters which school I go to? Is it worth it to take out a lot more loans now? Will the name of the school pay off in the long wrong, or am I better off to save my money? I feel that for a graduate entry program the circumstances are a little different; many people are skeptical of a program that is this accelerated and compressed, so would it be beneficial to go to a better school so future employees can be certain I've gotten an appropriate education? I just don't know. Any insight would be much appreciated! P.S., I haven't had much luck reaching out to alumni of either school, so if anyone knows of anyone, please let me know! Thanks! :)

Hi! I was also admitted! I am currently debating between going to Case and Cinci. I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of each. I feel that Case is a better name school, but it is just SO expensive. I calculated 80,000 more than Cinci's accelerated program. So my debate is, do I bite the bullet and will it be worth it later? Or will I achieve the same outcome (salary, job offers, program specifics) by going the cheaper route at Cinci, since NPs are in such high demand. Does anyone have any insight? What are your thoughts on how you're going to deal with the tuition?