Samuel Merritt ABSN Summer 2012

elock · Mar 31, 2012

San Mateo (June) Cohort:

I'd love to meet up! I dont know anyone in the program and I'm really excited to meet you guys. My weekdays are packed too so weekends are the best. Sundays work for me also but I am only free before 5pm... Let me know.

katiebelle77 · Mar 31, 2012

I wish I was a trust-fund baby....

AL16 · Mar 31, 2012

Hi elock!

Congrats on your acceptance! I know only one person in our cohort so it'd be great to meet others in our program. I am available April 14 and 22 in the near future on the weekend. What is everyone else's availability so we can coordinate? Hopefully by then we will all obtain a bit more information on the deets of the program. Chat soon!

elock · Mar 31, 2012

Thanks AL16! By the way, I live in north/east San Jose and I can also do Monday or Friday nights. As for April 14 and 22 I have tentative plans but I may be able to work something out if I know ahead of time. Unfortunately, my account is not eligible for PMs yet ...so I guess I'll just keep checking this forum.

ElenaH. · Apr 2, 2012

Can you believe it? I have a choice now. I got a congratulations letter from College of San Mateo (2 years, ADN, $2,500 for the entire program). Gosh, this is difficult. I asked around and nurses who I know are all saying to go to Samuel Merritt but the price of it is way beyond what I could have paid in the community college. And what's interesting, mandatory orientations for both Samuel Merritt and College of San Mateo are on May 11th. What do you think about my dilemma guys? I'd appreciate any input.

pnlu007 · Apr 2, 2012

hi elena,

congratulations...i don't know your situation but based on what I've on the trend for nursing education i recommend going to SMU and getting your BSN. I know the thought is by 2020, all nurses should have BSN's as I believe that is a requirement for hospitals to achieve Magnet-status ( i can be wrong)...but even if the magnet part of it is incorrect, best believe hospitals will be requiring higher education in the future. next, truth be told nursing is not recession proof and new grads are having a challenge getting jobs, i think its even that much harder for those with an associates degree...i would not say its impossible, but why set hurdles in front of yourself if you dont have to Lastly..if we assume you will find a job in the same amount of time you would at the end of each program...you will be working an entire year earlier...at say of $40/hr full time of 2,080 hours that is $83,200 (pretax) more you would earn quicker. So to summarize this long diatribe

1. better chance of getting job cuz u have bsn

2. work earlier potentially earning 83,000 quicker

3. No need to go back to school when bsn are required

4. Larger debt with SMU

Yes the tuition and loans is a burden...but u have to look at this as a investment for your future...becaus bridge programs from RN to BSN are not really cheaper, you might as well get it done first time around...because if the associates degree does pose a strong challenge to finding work....you might find yourself deciding to go back earlier and i dont know how muich easier it is to get into a bridge program if you havent actually practiced as a nurse...have a long term view and go for the bsn is my opinion!

ElenaH. · Apr 2, 2012

Thank you so much for your advice, pnlu007! This is my second round of applications. Last year I had a pathetic #123 on the waitlist in the community college and this year two offers at the same time. I myself tend to sway towards SMU because of what you've said and also the fact that I want to start having kids ASAP as I'm not getting any younger. At least two nurses who I know told me that they got laid off or were on the brink of firing for not having a BSN. So it's important for me as a new graduate not only to get a job but also to keep it in the future. Thanks again for taking your time to type such a long response this morning :-)

wannabnurse81 · Apr 2, 2012

hi elena,

congrats on your acceptance to both programs. you are in a tough spot right now!! the bsn definitely gives you an advantage in the job field, but the price tag is pretty crazy... i think you should evaluate what your financial situation is, what are your goals, do you own a home or do you want to own a home soon? do you feel comfortable with what the loan payment will be when you graduate? i have a friend that did an adn program and then got her bsn through an online program. i also know that cal state east bay has an rn to bsn one year program that may be completed in one year, the intensive, or two years, the part-time version. so, if you wanted to do the adn program, you could do the rn to bsn route after and save a lot of money. on the flip side though, that would be 3 years as opposed to 1 year. for myself (even though i have not been accepted yet), i am willing to take on the debt to get this done in a quicker manner, because of my age and the having kids thing. i don't want to keep putting my life on hold (having kids and stuff), so i think age is a big factor in this decision, at least for me it would be. if i was in my earlier to mid twenties, i'd for sure do the cheaper route. but that is just me... to others, i don't think age is a factor.

pnlu007 · Apr 2, 2012

no problem elena...i agree with wannabenurse a bit...i mean if you cant afford it - there is not much you can do about that. but if you can manage it i'd struggle and get thru the 12 month bsn program...imagine in 12 months youll be done and not have to worry about school again, unless you want to go into mgt, which requires a masters or higher...i dont kno what bridge programs cost, i do no they are not cheap...so lets say they cost like 30K or something...now the difference isnt as great, but the time invested is...just borrow the money and finish the program first. Associate Degrees will begin to phase out sooner or later, why get caught up in that. Institute of Medicine (IOM) is strongly urging the switch to higher educated nurses. do the research yourself, but it's a no brainer, unless money truly the issue...even then, I'd find a way to do it...

ElenaH. · Apr 2, 2012

[color=#454545]wannabenurse, i also was born in 81. we are in similar situations. my husband and i did some math and it appears that we could afford this loan. but we also want to buy a house, interest rates are very low now, so we would need to take out another loan soon, if we are lucky. so obviously it's a big financial commitment.

[color=#454545]thanks for your input. i really hope you'll get into the program too. good luck!

ElenaH. · Apr 2, 2012

pnlu007, you're right. The difference in the end won't be that big. I'm applying for all sorts of loans now. Maybe it won't be that bad.

I also went to my Provident Credit Union. They don't give student loans but they offered me an interesting thing. I could take a loan from under my husband's car. It's a 2010 car and according to the blue book, we could get approximately $20K for 5 years for 2.875% (since I'm a member there, 3% for non-members). It's better than student loans that I've seen so far. But I would need to start paying off right away. So I plan to take it at the very end of the program.

pnlu007 · Apr 2, 2012

Elena..that loan sounds awesome...and I'm 34 yrs old...so I am in a similar situation...

I've done alot of research as of late regarding nursing shortage or lack thereof. And there are some negative nellies for sure. But I'm taking a long term view of everything...and everything is trending to nurses playing a more vital part in health care, especially with the Health Care Reform Act being instituted. This means nurses who are better trained, and that means higher education. There is anecdotal evidence that many hospitals only prefer BSN now. Institute of Medicine recommends that by 2020 that 80% of nursing staff should be bsn. I'm afraid those with Associates will find it incredibly challenging to find work and gain experience before bridging to a BSN. A person may find themselves in a situation to doing a bridge program immediately do to lack of opportunities...this could mean 3 years of school versus 12 months. Its easy for me to tell someone else what they should do, but I've done so much research lately on nursing trends...and I just cant advocate strongly enough that BSN is the way to go.