Stevenson University?

U.S.A. Maryland

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Hello,

I am new to this forum so first I will introduce myself. I am a mom to 3 kids and live in Columbia, MD. I decided to go back to school after taking a long time off from working to raise my kids. My kids are 7, 5 and 3. I am taking classes at night at Howard Community College and I am hoping to start a BSN program or possibly the accelerated RN program at Howard next year. I have a BS in Dietetics from UMCP and all of the prerequisites were satisfied from that, but I had to repeat the sciences since it had been over 10 years. I am finding that school this time around is much easier. I don't know if it is the school or just that I am more focused and determined! :lol2: I applied to Stevenson University for the BSN second degree option and was accepted for this fall. I am confused about what to do. I went on Monday and talked to the nursing department and saw the campus and the nursing lab, etc and I did like it. It is a small private school (formerly Villa Julie College) and is expensive. I am planning on applying for scholarships and if I can get any/enough I will most likely go. Howard Community College is very close to me (5 miles away) so that program is very appealing. I just don't like that I will have to wait until next May to start and won't get the BSN. I am applying to UM BSN program for Spring 2010 as well (unless I end up getting scholarship $ and go to Stevenson). If I was able to apply to UM for fall I would have, and if I had been accepted I would have chosen UM for sure. I am nervous to turn Stevenson down, with the chance that I don't get in to UM. I am leaning toward a BSN program because I want to eventually apply to the nurse anesthesia program at UMAB.

I'm sorry if this is so confusing! I am just trying to sort through the options and figure out what is best. I know only I can figure that out, but any input would be helpful! I have heard rumors about Stevenson not being strong in the past (lower NCLEX passing rate) but I am confident I will do fine if I do go there. I like that UM is a top nursing school and I am a terp, so I am partial ;) If anyone here is going to Stevenson or is considering it, please let me know so we can chat about it. I don't want to make a decision I will regret later.

Thanks for any advice!!

JennyA, You say that you are applying for the Spring CNL program at UMAB; you should be aware that it is significantly more expensive than the BSN program, even though many of the classes are the same. I was accepted to the CNL program for the Fall, and I have lately been trying to figure out my loans situation, etc. I will be able to save some money with my wife still working while I go to school, but I estimate it will still cost me approximatley 19 to 20K per year (21 month option), and that is based on the estimates I got from the school itself. I was also under the impression that the UMAB CNL would be more affordable than Stevenson, and it is.. but only slightly. Even though I thought Stevenson was a fine school (I also was accepted there), I do think the education I will get at UMAB is going to be superior overall, which is why I chose to accept that slot instead. But as far as being cheaper, it really isn't.

JennyA, You say that you are applying for the Spring CNL program at UMAB; you should be aware that it is significantly more expensive than the BSN program, even though many of the classes are the same. I was accepted to the CNL program for the Fall, and I have lately been trying to figure out my loans situation, etc. I will be able to save some money with my wife still working while I go to school, but I estimate it will still cost me approximatley 19 to 20K per year (21 month option), and that is based on the estimates I got from the school itself. I was also under the impression that the UMAB CNL would be more affordable than Stevenson, and it is.. but only slightly. Even though I thought Stevenson was a fine school (I also was accepted there), I do think the education I will get at UMAB is going to be superior overall, which is why I chose to accept that slot instead. But as far as being cheaper, it really isn't.

Yes, I am aware of the cost difference for the CNL vs. BSN. I just feel that for that much money, I'd rather get the MS than the BSN. I plan on doing the 16 month option. I also think that the degree from UMAB will be more valuable since it is a nationally ranked program. Good luck in the CNL program!

Specializes in Cardiac Surgery ICU.

I am graduating from Stevenson this semester (1 more test whoohoo). I loved it. I did the evening weekend option which was 33months. It was not a piece of cake as I have 2 kids, hubby and work. But I managed to get good grades and just took the NCLEX predictor test and scored a 99%. The program is excellent, classes small and professors really care about their students. However, we did lose quite a few about 20% of our class during the first two semesters. We lost a few others during the junior year when people took pharmacology. I would not say it is a weed out school however they do expect you to work and know the material. That should be expected as nurses we take care of human beings not machines. We should all be accountable for the material plus we need to pass the NCLEX anyway! So it just makes sense. Anyway, I loved the program, it is expensive but I do not regret attending! I do know people who go to Maryland. They like it and it is an incredibly hard program. I actually had the opportunity to study there over the summer through an externship and the facilities are phenonmenal. The professors are pretty strict but the students KNOW their stuff!! Great school! I do know people who have been weeded out there. THe classes are very large though and that was not appealing to me. If you have any more questions about Stevenson specifically feel free to PM me!! Good luck on all your endeavors!!! =)

I am graduating from Stevenson this semester (1 more test whoohoo). ... However, we did lose quite a few about 20% of our class during the first two semesters. We lost a few others during the junior year when people took pharmacology. I would not say it is a weed out school however they do expect you to work and know the material....

Congratulations on your graduating! Like I said in a previous post, I thought Stevenson seemed like a fine option if that was where I ended up. It's good to hear directly from someone who went there and has done well. But losing JUNIORS from the program due to pharmacology?! That is like the ultimate nightmare from my standpoint! That's reminds me of the Naval Academy student a few years back who couldn't stay in the program because he couldn't run 2 miles fast enough. He got kicked out and had to pay the govt back for the years of schooling he had already had! To be so close and fail out of NS as a Junior; I'd never let that happen even if I had to sleep at school with my Pharm text as a pillow.

Specializes in Cardiac Surgery ICU.

I hear ya! I missed many nights of sleeping studying for exams but it was worth it! I pulled out an A and it was one of the hardest A's in my life! ;) But the kicker is we are aspiring nurses...and nurse give medications. It scares me to think that there are nurses out there giving drugs to patients that they do not know the side effects etc for. I mean drugs change constantly so the onus lies on us to keep up our skills and knowledge for patient safety. So I can see the importance of passing Pharm! =D

jilliang- I would like to PM you, but I don't know how! If you are able to send me an email, please do! I'd love to chat with you about Stevenson.

Thanks!

Specializes in Cardiac Surgery ICU.

Hey Jenny,

I sent you a private message. Let me know if you have a problem getting it and we can try another method! =) Chat soon!

Jenny A and Jilliang-

Jenny, I would love to chat with you as I went through some of the same feelings about Stevenson. I wish we could communicate via email, but I don't have private messaging on here to send you my email addresss...

Jillian- I'd love to hear what you have to say too about the program.

Hello All,

I just couldn't help throwing my 2 cents into the discussion.

Before I secured my admission to any college or university for nursing, I would be sure to go to www.mbon.org and check their accredidation status. Be sure to research any former names that that college or university may have used in the past. To me, the stability of their accredidation practices is a deal-breaker. Regardless of whether you feel that you are strong and can pass NCLEX, you honestly would be cheating yourself out of a stabile, competent nursing degree.

I have worked with several graduates of Stevenson, formerly Villa Julie, and while none complained of receiving a bad education, once they were in the workplace, their heads were spinning. They were able to pass NCLEX, knew meds and theory like the back of their hand, but when it came to clinical skills....they were weak, and unprepared.

ADN programs across the state of Maryland require 4 times more clinical hours than a lot of BSN programs.

As other posters have said before, it is easy to pick up your BSN and let your employer pay once you have your RN. With your background, and degree, you will be able to opt out of a lot of the classes within the BSN sequence.

Daria

OneNJen- we can't send private messages until we have at least 15 posts on here. I think I must be close to that. I am in the Tuesday class.

OneNJen- I sent you a pm!

Hello All,

I just couldn't help throwing my 2 cents into the discussion.

Before I secured my admission to any college or university for nursing, I would be sure to go to www.mbon.org and check their accredidation status. Be sure to research any former names that that college or university may have used in the past. To me, the stability of their accredidation practices is a deal-breaker. Regardless of whether you feel that you are strong and can pass NCLEX, you honestly would be cheating yourself out of a stabile, competent nursing degree.

I have worked with several graduates of Stevenson, formerly Villa Julie, and while none complained of receiving a bad education, once they were in the workplace, their heads were spinning. They were able to pass NCLEX, knew meds and theory like the back of their hand, but when it came to clinical skills....they were weak, and unprepared.

ADN programs across the state of Maryland require 4 times more clinical hours than a lot of BSN programs.

As other posters have said before, it is easy to pick up your BSN and let your employer pay once you have your RN. With your background, and degree, you will be able to opt out of a lot of the classes within the BSN sequence.

Daria

Thank you for your input. Of course now that I am a student in the 2nd degree BSN program at Stevenson, I am going to defend it. Stevenson U, formerly Villa Julie College, is accredited by the CCNE as well as the NLNAC. Their pass rate for the NCLEX in 2008 was up to 86.2%. The 2 years prior they were slightly below the required 78.8% requirement, which put them at risk for losing their accreditation. From what I have been told, this was attributed to the fact that they had a program for full-time workers that was too intense, and they changed that program to a part-time, 3-year option. I have talked to friends who have gone to the school, some who have graduated from the nursing program, and none have had any hesitation about it. One has gone on to medical school, another is a cardiac nurse and is doing great, and another is on her way to the nurse anesthesia program at Georgetown next year. I do think the school is extremely important in your success as a nursing student, but I also think that you get out of it what you put in. I would think that as a nursing student, going through clinicals you would realize if you were not feeling competent and would then ask for help. I know that personally I will not be comfortable graduating if I do not feel I have been prepared well enough, and I will do what I have to do in order to make sure I am not "weak and unprepared" when I start working as a nurse.

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