Samuel Merritt ELMSN-FNP 2010 - Sacramento Applicants

Nursing Students Post Graduate

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Anyone out there applying for this program? Looking for some friends to share the stress of the waiting game with!

The case manager interviews are done one on one so the interview process might not be over. Liza will give you whatever information you need. good luck Kelly!

- Will

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Will- I was not in the same interview group as you guys. Mine was on Monday morning. Nice to meet you!

In regards to living recommendations, I think you would enjoy Downtown Sac better than Davis. The UCD scene is cool, but I think you would find bars and restaurants in Downtown Sac that are just as good with a little more mature group. There's a lot of good restaurants in Sacramento if that's what you like. And like Erik said the price of living in Davis is that much more, because of the university so that's always something to consider. Just a warning though, the weather in the Sacramento area is much different than the bay area. Summer days are normally between 90 and 100 degrees and can sometimes go as high as 105+.

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Well, Will, Davis rocks when it comes to the college-age crowd. So, I forget how old you are, but if that's what you're into then I recommend it (bars, restaurants, etc). Drawbacks are (in addition to the commute) that it's more $ and the housing is not as plentiful. If you're on a budget, I would recommend somewhere in mid-town Sac. It's definitely more diverse than Davis and cheaper. We're going to have lots of fun up here, so I hope you choose the Sac campus!

Plus, Living in Davis, you have to think about traffic on the causeway! Let's not forget that!

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I was wondering if you guys could share why you chose SMU since there are a lot cheaper options out there. I'm fine with moving to Sac (thanks for all the help guys) but now I'm starting to have some fear from reading the forums of all these people who can't find work after graduating. Its scary to graduate with so much debt from the program and enter a job market that only wants experienced nurses and not grads

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Happy to, Will. Several reasons. I am 43 and so I want to get my degree done rather than wait for a cheaper route to open up. My wife and I are planning to have kids soon, and moving out of Sac to go to school was not something we wanted to consider. Locally the options for advance practice are either the PA route (UC Davis) or NP. I am not inclined to go the PA route for two reasons (1) I am more suited to a psycho-social model of learning and care than the medical model of care; and (2) Based on the people I've talked to being an NP is more versatile....for example one can be a nurse in addition to being an NP (per diem hours and such). This doesn't mean I ruled out PA school completely. It was my backup plan.

So, once I had prioritized NP, I had identified three main routes: (1) ADN from community college, followed by RN-BSN program (if necessary), followed by UC Davis NP/PA; (2) CSUS BSN, followed by UC Davis NP/PA; or (3) ELMSN from Samuel Merritt.

Path 1 did not appeal to me because several people I've talked to have been waiting for years to get into a community college nursing program. I don't want to wait around playing the lottery. CSUS was actually my plan A, but then the budget mess forced them to shut their doors to new students starting in Spring. I don't want to wait around for their doors to open again. (I had no guarantee of getting in, either, as they are super selective.) Finally, there's the Samuel Merritt route, which thankfully panned out for me.

I realize it's expensive, but I'm still willing to do it for a few reasons (other than the ones I've mentioned.) It's a well-respected program for starters (at least according to the people (RNs and NPs) I talked to. I'm married and my wife has a stable job with a good income, so when I graduate I can hopefully put much of my salary to work paying off the loans. And finally, I've heard there are options for repayment. Cindy Reed, one of the Samuel Merritt NP students, has a plan worked out to have her loans repaid for her after graduation. I haven't looked into these programs, but I'll bet they exist. Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if this health care reform eventually extends the tuition repayment programs being offered to MDs who specialize in primary care to NPs.

For what it's worth, that's my rationale. :) Good luck! Hope to see you in Sac come January. Erik

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Wow! So many people have posted such helpful and positive information. Anyone else out there interviewing for the ELMSN -FNP track in Sacramento, Tuesday Sept 8th?

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Hello PPHMD. Yes I am in that interview group!! Really looking foward to it... a little nervous, but just have to think positive!! I am guessing you are in that group as well?

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Hi I am also interviewing on Sept 8th... what time are you guys interviewing.... mine is at 4:30 PM.... glad there are others in the same boat...

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Good luck, you guys! Remember to be genuine. :)

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Oh cool, nice to know there are more interview groups going around. Don't be nervous, and try to have fun during the interview!

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Oh Hey Erik, what have the RNs and NPs that you talked with said about direct entry folks like us who will become APNs without RN experience say?

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Well, one of the NPs I talked to, who works in the Sutter General ER, said that after she got her MSN she worked for 4 years as an ER nurse before becoming an NP. I think that's another advantage of doing NP over PA. I've asked people whether I will be employable even though I will have very little experience by the time I get my NP. I think the consensus is "yes," but that I definitely will be at a disadvantage compared to an NP with more years of experience. My feeling is (1) I can't do anything about that (really) except max out on my volunteer experience and (2) the same is true for any kind of job--the people with experience always have a leg up on the newbies. At least as an NP we have the option to work as an RN while we're looking for jobs as an NP. As a PA you don't have that option (at least I'm not aware of one).

Another related issue is the matter of looking for an RN job without a degree (BSN, MSN or even ADN), which is what us ELMS people will be doing after 2 years. Again, it will be a disadvantage for institutions (like UCD) that purportedly only hire degreed nurses. (Such "requirements" are not as set in stone as they might appear, however--at least that's what I hear from my contacts at UCD). Nevertheless, we will have our RN licenses and other things that an ADN nurse doesn't have (see below). So, while it won't help us to be lacking a degree, I think we'll be far from unemployable, particularly if we are open to working somewhere besides UCD.

Speaking to your earlier point about the job market in general, it's true jobs (at least in Sac) are hard to find right now (as we heard from the SMU ELMSN-FNP student who spoke to us during our interview). Thankfully, we won't be in the job market for another 2 years. And, as I'm sure you know, it is universally understood that nurses are going to be in high demand for the foreseeable future. In addition, the folks in the ELMS program have two advantages over others that the typical ADN new grad doesn't have: (1) a bachelor's degree at least; and (2) life experience. Plus, our prospective employers would also be able to see that we're squared-away, motivated, headed for advanced practice. Finally, we don't have to look for jobs right here in River City, we can go elsewhere: my understanding is that the nursing job market in the Bay Area (which is where you hail from anyway if I remember right) is much rosier than Sac even now in this lackluster economy. The economy is showing signs of recovery, so I bet by the time we're ready to jump into the job market things should be much more attractive!

Bottom line is, I guess, that everyone has to be a "new grad" RN sometime. I think it's better to be a new grad from an APN program than from an ADN program. (Anyone out there is free to disagree, of course.) If, on the other hand, you're particularly worried about looking for RN jobs without a degree, maybe you should opt for the ABSN program..... And then I already told you that Sac State's BSN program was my Plan A, so if you're competitive enough to wait for it to open up again, maybe you could get in there.... I'm glad you're thinking this over so carefully, Will, it's a big decision! :) Erik

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