AliMC

I will definitely look into that. It's great to hear that you can apply for the same jobs. I contacted VCH a little while ago to ask if they would hire those with diplomas from Stenberg for RPN positions and they told me that as long as you passed the exam, you were eligible. Thank you for answering all of my questions, newrpn, and I wish you the best of luck in the future! :)

That's an excellent idea, Fiona59. I hadn't thought about that. Do you think it would be something I could contact Stenberg to find out?

Wow, that's great. Was there a psych element to the med/surg rotation, or was it just general med/surg nursing? Sorry for all the questions, it's just great to be able to talk to somebody in the program. Last one, I promise, haha - do you feel that the Stenberg students are treated as less capable than those at Douglas and Kwantlen? I mean, are Stenberg grads eligible to apply for the same RPN positions as grads of degree programs? My main concern with Stenberg is the job prospects after graduation.

How did you like the hospital placements, newrpn? What kind of stuff did you get to do there? Ideally I'd like to work in a hospital setting, so that really appeals to me. It's good to hear that you were able to work at the same time, I hope to be able to do that as well.

Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Meriwhen and viperblue72. Communicating with all of you has really made me feel confident and excited about the prospect of entering the field.

Thanks for your comment, newrpn. Unfortunately I'm not at the 15 posts mark yet to enable messaging, but I'd really like to hear about your experience at Stenberg. Whereabouts have you done your clinical placements? Have you or your classmates been placed in hospital units? How is the course load? Are you able to work at the same time?

Thanks so much for your comments, dallasmiss and pixiestudent2! It's great to hear that you can be little AND be a more than capable psychiatric nurse. You all have really eased my worries, thank you!

Haha I'd like to think I'm pretty feisty! I am able to keep my cool in chaotic situations, so for that I think I might be okay. That's amazing, I'd love to think that I'd be able to do that someday! Thanks for your comment, you really made me feel better :)

Hi there, I am a prospective nursing student from Vancouver, Canada. I've always been drawn to psychiatric nursing, and am currently deciding between going for a specific psychiatric nursing program (RPN), or going the route of a general RN so that I can explore other avenues of nursing, while still being able to go into psych if I so decide. As excited as I feel about the prospect of becoming a nurse, I have one qualm - I am a 5'4", 23 year old woman and I barely weigh 100 lbs. I am a very small-boned, thin person and physically, I'm not all that strong. I'm aware that there is a risk of injury in any specialty of nursing, but I'm fearful that I wouldn't be able to defend myself, if need be, in a psychiatric unit and so I'd be an easy target. My friends and family have told me that they think I'd be a great psych nurse, but they've voiced concerns about my safety, especially in regards to my stature. My question is, can a petite woman be a successful psychiatric nurse? Or, physically, am I just not cut out for it?

Oh that's great, I didn't know you could switch. It sounds like an excellent program. How is the course load? Is it like 4/5 days a week 8 hours a day, that kind of thing? Have you done any clinical placements yet? I'm curious as to what the typical placements are.

Thank you for your response, monark. Wow, I don't quite know what to say. I had no idea just how shady Stenberg is Can I ask you about your experience at Douglas? Are you in the diploma or degree program? Were you waitlisted to get in? Douglas was where I initially intended to apply, before I heard about Stenberg's program.

Hi there, I am new here to allnurses and am a prospective nursing student from B.C. I'm interested in psychiatric nursing (in a hospital setting, preferably) and have been thinking of applying to Stenberg College's Psychiatric Nursing Diploma program, as it's online and that way I will be able to work while attending school. I also live quite a distance from Douglas College and Kwantlen University (the only other schools in B.C. with psych nursing), which is further incentive for me to take the online program. My question is, with a diploma in psychiatric nursing, will I be able to apply for RPN jobs within the health authorities in the Lower Mainland (Fraser, Vancouver Coastal, etc.)? Like the psych nursing positions in emergency, that kind of thing. All of the job postings I've looked at have simply said that you need to have passed the exam, but I'm not sure if they expect a degree as well. The Stenberg program seems like a good fit for me, but I wouldn't want to spend all that time and money and end up regretting it if I can't get a job afterwards. Which leads me to my next question, I know it's been covered a few times already on here, but is Stenberg really that bad? I've spoken to LPN grads who loved it, but the place doesn't get a lot of love on here... Thanks! ?