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uvmgrad17, I sent you a PM!

Thanks! I actually got an informal offer during the interview, and then an official offer email the day after. The nurse leaders said they see a lot of surgical patients on the unit as well (bariatric, g-tubes, JP drains, etc.), so it likely won't be all oncology. I'm guessing it'll basically be like a surgical floor, but we'll see. Good luck on your interview!

Hey UVMgrad17! I just interviewed for the surgical oncology floor yesterday. The nurse director and charge nurse were great, and I enjoyed speaking with them. They didn't grill me with any clinical questions; they just asked situational questions on how you deal with conflict, etc. They're really just trying to get a good feel for your personality and if you'll be a good contributor to the unit in terms of work ethic. I don't think you need to be nervous at all.

Any 2016 ABSN grads out there want to comment on how the job hunting went after passing the NCLEX/during the school year? Should we be looking for jobs now with just a semester + a few weeks under our belt? I think our facebook group moderators kicked out all non-2017 grads, so please post here if you'd be willing!

Thank you! That's great to hear that most people have already passed and are now working! Some of us were talking about how it would suck if we were doing this intense, 1-yr program only to have to wait several months before we could get jobs or go to nursing residency programs that don't start until the Feb. after graduation. Also glad to hear that summer isn't too bad, but it doesn't seem like I could apply for a summer internship that requires 40 hrs/wk for 8 weeks or something. I'll probably look for more shadowing opportunities during that time as well. Honestly, this first semester hasn't been too intense, so I hope the trend continues. I'm taking a break from fb for a while (trying to avoid the political drivel as much as possible), so the posts here are really great. Thanks again!

Crazy that we're already wrapping up our first semester! I know this thread hasn't been active in a while, but looking ahead, I'm wondering if any of the recent 2016 or 2015 grads could share some info about how the summer session goes? I was wondering if we would have more time to do PRN work or any formal internships during the summer to get some more experience before starting jobs? I am assuming we wouldn't be able to do 40hr/week summer internships/externships, but let me know if I'm wrong. I also saw on the VA Board of Nursing website that 5 out of 5 accelerated students who took the NCLEX so far have passed, so congrats! I was somewhat surprised that so few people took the test right away and wondering why people are waiting to take it? I would like to have a job as soon as possible after graduation but know it may take a while. How's the job hunting going for you all?

Hi there @MegBern. I'm also a career-changer and also coming in from a science/health-related field (toxicology, public health), but I have no clinical experience. I'll be starting an accelerated BSN program at the end of August, and I'm also likely to go into advanced practice nursing (eventually). Since I'm not sure of what specialty I'd want to pursue, the accelerated BSN made more sense for me since it's only a 1-year program. The MSN would be another 2, so doing the direct entry MEPN for 3 years would be the same amount of time. Also, if I work for a few years, I may find an employer that would be willing to pay or subsidize the MSN program. Basically it's all about time, money, and a good fit, right? I'm still not quite sure about the direct-entry Master's CNL programs, though, because it seems like I'd end up in the same entry-level position with an accelerated BSN.

For those who have attended the transfer orientation, do they have financial aid counselors available to speak to at all? I'm doing quite a bit of research on federal and private loans, but it would be nice to actually talk to someone since there are different considerations with this being a one-year, second-degree program.

Thanks, danishep! This info. is really helpful as I'm not planning to join the fb group just yet, and I haven't signed up for orientation, either... My mom is a nurse, so I'm getting some of her hand-me-downs like her old Littman stethoscope and a pair of white leather shoes. They're skechers work shoes and seem really comfortable, similar to this: Buy SKECHERS Work: Relaxed Fit - Sure TrackSKECHERS Relaxed Fit Shoes only $69.

Good luck to those applying for the 2017 entering cohort! I feel like GMU really did look holistically at the applicants. I have a BS and MPH, but my undergrad grades weren't great. HESI was 95%. I'm still wrapping up pre-reqs, but had an "A" in all classes (A&P I, microbio, stats) at time of application. I've been in the workforce in an office job for almost 10yrs, so I have a good amount of experience on that front. Also volunteered at INOVA for a few months and have nurses in my family who have given me a grounded perspective of the profession. If you look at past threads about class profiles, I think you'll find that people admitted have pretty diverse qualifications, so you never know! Hope that helps.

Glad they aren't phasing out the ABSN at GMU and Marymount! I filled out the FAFSA for the 2016-2017 school year, and it's based on my 2015 tax return (it imported information from the IRS database since I filed my taxes pretty early). And there's no option to say you won't be working the next year. I'm sure you'll do well on the HESI. It's mostly vocab/grammar, and the math section has an electronic calculator you can use (so I don't really understand the point of the math section at all if you're allowed a calculator). The anatomy/physiology section is the trickiest part just because it's so general, and you really don't know what they'll ask, but it'll help to have recently taken AandP I and II.

Sounds like you have a great plan! Just another note, you can get a tax credit (American Opportunity Tax credit?) for your NOVA classes if your adjusted gross income is under $80k single, $160k married. I also filled out the FAFSA and will rely on loans to pay for the ABSN since it's only a year and will use savings for living expenses. It seems that many schools are starting to phase out the ABSN and converting them to CNL programs (e.g., Georgetown, Hopkins), so hopefully you can apply to the ABSN programs while they're still around. It sounds like you'll be applying to GMU at the end of this year on Dec 2016-Jan 2017 and maybe finishing up pre-reqs while waiting for an admissions decision. (I did 3 last semester, put in my application, and now finishing up 3 this semester.) Again, you'll be in great shape and good luck!!

Hi Quota! I'm a career-changer like you, also in my early 30s, and also was a BS in Bio major (minor in chem, though). I'm still finishing up pre-reqs at NOVA while working full-time, but I was excited to get accepted to GMU's ABSN program for this fall 2016. I haven't told my current employer about my plans to leave since it's still a few months until the semester starts, and there's a chance they could terminate my employment if they knew I were to leave. Anyway, I did some research on Marymount, GWU, and VCU ABSN programs as well as UVA, Hopkins, and Georgetown CNL (direct-entry master's) programs. In the end, GMU was the only program I applied to because of the cost effectiveness as well as the length of the program. I talked to several nurse friends who are our age and who live in the area (one went to GMU for traditional BSN), and they all said that a BSN would be the most useful degree (ADN is not recommended because employers are looking for BSN; CNL is a master's but you end up on the same bottom rung as BSN but with longer time to complete the degree and more debt). They pretty much said that the school's name isn't really a big deal to employers, so try to minimize your debt (especially living around here in Northern VA). I'm sure that the programs at the "big name" schools are also great, but the program at Mason really seemed to be the best option financially, and my friend who got her BSN and MSN at Mason feels she was well-prepared for her career. I know there are also financial aid packages, scholarships, and other options at the private schools, but it still didn't seem like enough to tilt the balance for me. But to be completely honest, I didn't do a great job researching those options. So good luck to you!

Are all the clinical sites at hospitals and not other environments? Could you give a list of what the clinical sites might be? I live in Arlington and realize getting to PW will be a haul for class, but Fairfax isn't as bad. It's nice that they try to consider where you live for clinical assignments.

Thanks, I was able to find the facebook group and requested to join :)