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!!

Specializes in Cardiac Surgery ICU.

Very well said Jenny. I totally agree that you have to do what you need to do not to be " weak and unprepared". I think that is the approach students need to take. Bottom line, my philosophy regarding learning and even my professors during nursing school was they were there to help facillitate learning if I had a problem or if I was weak in an area help me to recognize it and point me to tools that could strengthen me as a student and a nurse. However,ultimately I am responsible for knowing the material and knowing it well.

I see what you are saying, but I have been in educational setting where the educators did not provide the students with the materials needed to succeed. In this case, no matter how self directed a student is; he/she will not as succesful as they might have been with better instruction.

I am not implying that Stevenson has terrible professors, but only speaking to the principle.

Hi, Everyone I am hoping to hear back from stevenson soon about their nursing program. Even though I agree it is an expensive school from talking with the counselors and seeing the campus it is the school for me. I attended Frostburg State for undergrad and I am use to small class sizes and I like that one on one attentation that can be received when there are fewer students. I was wondering if someone could give me some insight into the program and what I can expect if I am accepted for the fall term

I graduated from Villa Julie's accelerated BSN in 2006, just before the pass rate for NCLEX took a nose dive. I was a full time student, but also had to work full time, and many of my peers were like the OP, older than I, and with family and work obligations. While I was fortunate to have parents paying for my education, if I were the one paying for it, I would not have spent that money for that school. Let me also state that many of my professors were excellent, and I did feel as though I got a decent education, however, the program was very rigid. While I enjoyed that I could take my classes at night, and complete many of my clinicals on the weekend, which allowed me to work during the day--often times, classes were only offered at one time in one place (being a small school, you lost flexibility in that respect, there was only one section of each class per semester). Things were also very rigid when it came to clinicals and scheduling, if they did need to be scheduled during the week, or you had an obligation on a weekend (ie: funeral vs. going to clinical--actually happened), the clinical instructors were not sensitive to finding time to making up your clinical hours.

I'm not saying that Stevenson is a bad choice, but it is pricey, and I'm sure that the program has changed since I graduated (2006). I think that each person needs to weigh out all of the pros and cons of each of the programs, and see what works for them...the cons for this program were that it was very rigid in some places, and it was expensive...I can see how with other obligations that could be a problem...the pros, I loved the small class sizes, and the fact that the same 25 people I started the program with, I finished the program with (for the most part), we were like a family.

I am in the program now and I agree with pretty much everything Nicole said. It's not an impossible program, but it's not easy either... If you come be prepared to work hard. It's intense.

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

Hello, I just got admitted into the part time program starting this summer with computer technology in nursing class. I also got admitted into BCCC (community college) which is a full time option for ADN. I am still trying to decide which way to go but it appears am leaning more on Stevenson because I work full time. Any advise or assistant with the program and your used books.

Texxy- I have the informatics book. I'd love to sell it to you. Make me an offer.

I am a part-timer. The program is very challenging. They made a lot of changes to the curriculum last year and had a lot of issues to iron out, so I hope that everything will be much better this year.

My advice: If you can, take Pathophysiology ALONE over the summer too. What do they have you taking in the fall? Communication is an easy class. Pharm is TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH. I'm just warning you! :uhoh3:

Let me start by introducing myself, am a mother of two young kids and married. I work full time day job and am looking to get an additional degree in nursing. I have been accepted into Stevenson University part time nursing for fall though starting in summer. I also got admitted at BCCC which is a community college full time ADN too. Now my concern is the tuition for Stevenson, at $521/ credit it is going to cost close to $40,000 in student loan while BCCC is easy for me to pay out of pocket. Unfortunately now I cannot quite my job to go to BCCC so an opting for Stevenson. Can anyone advise me, my deadline is this week

Texxy- I have the informatics book. I'd love to sell it to you. Make me an offer.

I am a part-timer. The program is very challenging. They made a lot of changes to the curriculum last year and had a lot of issues to iron out, so I hope that everything will be much better this year.

My advice: If you can, take Pathophysiology ALONE over the summer too. What do they have you taking in the fall? Communication is an easy class. Pharm is TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH. I'm just warning you! :uhoh3:

Thank you SnoopysAunt, what is the informatics book for, I mean which of the course. I will be taking the computer technology in nursing this summer that is if I finally opt for Stevenson. I need to make my decision though before the end of this week. I am really confused now. Do you have the option of choosing when to take your class because according to the schedule I was given I will be taking Pharmacology, health assessment and intro to clinical nursing in spring 2011

Texxy-

Unfortunately I don't think I can give you much advice on your specific situation. You have to decide what is right for you. However, I will tell you that the part-time program is challenging, and I am sure that there are going to be times that will take you away from your family because of clinical and homework. If becoming nurse is something you REALLY want and you are dedicated, then you should be fine. It's not that the material is challenging (it's really not) it's just the amount that they throw at you with all of the other things you are doing. In my opinion the prerequisites were much harder. So far, pharm has been the only really tough class.

YEAH, the loans kind of suck, but I think it's closer to $30k, not 40. Double check that. Do you have your curriculum. It's about 60 credits I think x 521 = 31kish

Texxy- sorry, I don't mean to confuse you...

My curriculum was different because they made some changes this year apparently. If they have you taking Computer Technology (informatics) in the summer, and then Communication and Pathophys in the fall, you will be fine. I know the full-timers have the option to take Patho in the summer, so they avoid having to take patho and pharm together. It doesn't look like that's in the plan for you guys, so ignore what I said!

Thank you, that helps, the total number of credit before graduation is 66 credit starting this summer. I have all my pre nursing classes done except for principle of biology which i was asked to take this summer. I took the general biology which is not acceptable. I will be taking the principle of biology in a community college though. Listed below are the sequence and number of credit assigned to me per semester.

Summer 2010 (Computer in nursing 3cr), fall 2010 (pathophysiology 3cr, communication 3 cr and dosage of nursing 1cr) Spring 2011 (Pharmacology 3cr, health assessment 3cr and intro to clinical nursing 5cr and Summer 2011 (intro to nursing research 3cr). The second year for Fall (med surg 4cr and Care of child &family 4cr) Spring (Care of childbearing family 4cr and Professional ethics 3cr) and May term is professionalism nurs 3cr. Third year Fall (Psychiatric nursing 4cr and med surg 11 5cr) Spring (Care of vulnerable pops 4cr and Med surg 111 6cr) and Summer (Leadership practicum 4cr).

Every single advise is helpful, I appreciate you getting back to me in time

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