slizendiceRN

I see you posted this quite a while ago but I enlisted AD army a few years ago, with a waiver as I am also blind in one eye. My recruiter knew, I went to MEPS and let the Optician doing the eye exams know as well. He of course failed me per protocol, then my recruiter had to set me up an appointment with an Ophthalmologist (the army handled all of that). For my waiver, the army just wanted to make sure that my good eye was healthy and there was no sign of disease. The results of that appointment, along with the waiver request was sent up to the Surgeon General for approval. All-in-all it took about 4 months. The only job I was indefinitely denied of ever doing was pilot. I never had any issues during my time in service. In fact, I was always one of the top expert shooters in basic and my unit. My drill sergeant would tell the other recruits "if the blind girl can shoot this good, so should you." Hope this helps you or someone else in the same situation. Cheers!

I can relate to your situation. At one point, I contacted WKU about their PMHNP program, however, I decided that wasn't what I wanted. That's very exciting that you'll be attending EKU! I start on my MPH in January...good luck to you. I think your investment will definitely payoff.

LVN: Corrections in a small county jail for 2 years while I worked on my RN. RN: Med-Surg in a small rural hospital for almost a year then switched to an ASC for "daycare hours."

I completed one semester towards my MSN back in April, starting in the Leadership concentration then switching to care coordination track midway through. I didn't feel passionate at all about it so I withdrew. I have always had more of an interest in public health but I didn't want to do a MSN public health concentration because of the classes in most of the programs. Also, I'm not sure I want to stay in a nursing position for the remainder of my career. I am much happier now that I am pursuing MPH. I am able to tailor the bulk of my classes to my choosing, so I am not stuck taking classes that do not interest me or classes that will not be relevant to what I WANT to learn. I will continue to keep my nursing license active even in the event I take a non-nursing position. I have a BSN currently and feel that is sufficient. I guess it really just boils down to what you want to do or what your interests are. I'm focusing on global and occupational health. I also currently live overseas and I'm not in a rush to move back stateside. The MPH will be of more value to gain employment here moreso than a MSN.

Sooooo I ended up changing gears and decided to pursue a MPH instead of MSN. I really wanted to go the forensics route, however, it was just to specific a degree for where I am at now in my life and where my future goals are headed. I currently live overseas, if I return, then I will look into a forensics certificate. I did complete one semester of a MSN with Capella University back in April and withdrew after that. I didn't feel passionate enough about the program to continue. Good luck with your future endeavors!

Hey there! I see it's been a few months since you posted this. Have you made your decision yet who to apply with? I'm getting my application packet together to submit in the next week or so for the MSN in Forensic Nursing specialty. Duquesne has just recently opened their program up to NC residents, which is where I live. I've been stalking this school for a couple of years now and I'm excited that I can finally apply!

Hello. I will be starting on my MSN in forensics with Fitchburg State Univesity in January. Because of my location, I'm only able to complete an online program since I do not live near a school that offers brick and mortar classes. That being said, I had to decide which of the three schools would be the best fit for what I was looking for in a program. Duquesne University was school #4, however, I'm in NC and therefore disqualified from their program. Aspen University is not currently regionally accredited, only nationally. That may not be an issue for you or what you are looking for in a school. Personally, I prefer the regional accreditation so I was able to eliminate that school. Moumouth has a great program, but seems to have a focus in SANE nursing. In fact, the last I checked into them, the nurse was eligible to sit for the SANE-A exam at the completion of the program. My specialty/passion is in corrections and that is what curriculum/practicums Fitchburg concentrates on. Do I need this advanced degree to do what I do? No. The purpose of completing this degree for me is the advanced knowledge I will gain with the presumption that it will aid me to provide better care to this specific population, along with personal achievement. If I decide later down the road to teach, or become a NP for example, I can always complete a post-masters certificate program. To answer your questions, I'm not sure how/if my salary will change once I finish the program. Hours for corrections vary per facility. In NC, some of the state jails offers 8 hour 5 day/wk shifts, while most are the typical 36/48 hour/wk 12 hour shifts. I hate working more than 3-4 days a week, so I only work 12's. From what I have heard, a lot of SANE nurses are PRN or have call schedules at hospitals or crisis centers. Maybe a SANE nurse can chime in on your discussion and provide their feedback. I hope that helps you some.

I hope you have a positive experience and I can't wait to hear your updates :) I'm still highly considering Aspen to start in either the fall or January 2018. Did it take long to have your transcripts evaluated?

Hi Jberrn, Unfortunately, I am not the forensic pro you were hoping to hear from. However, I am currently researching different schools for my MSN specializing in forensics. Duquesne will not accept me into their program because of the state I live in, so that program is out for me. I haven't looked into Monmouth, but I found Fitchburg State University & the website says it is offers the MS in forensics online. I think I may have to just throw in the towel & get a MSN in a different specialty, then do the forensics certificate program. Good luck to you :)

I'm planning on pursuing my MSN this fall for public health and Aspen is one of a select few that offers this degree all online. So far, I can't find anyone else that has obtained their degree from here. What specialty are you wanting to get?