Stony Brook Accelerated Nursing Class of 2015

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2013

DEU students dont really get "normal" interviews. They all got half assed interviews with people they did their clinicals with, so they dont get many/any in depth questions. For instance a non DEU student might get asked several nursing scenarios and critical thinking scenarios, while the DEU students just get the super basic "what was your best memory" kind of stuff. i know this because several of my close friends (and myself included) interviewed at DEU units on both med surge and surgical stepdown units. And several of the DEU students were told before their interviews "dont worry you got the job if you want it". im not saying whether its right or wrong, but thats how it is. And considering that 30-50% of my class who graduated this recent may/june still dont have jobs (the economy in ny/long island SUCKS) it really is the safest route to go. A lot of the specialty units dont hire that many people. For instance out of 150~ people or so, only one got hired into OB, and like 2-3 in the NICU (only one at Stony Brook I believe). Meanwhile maybe 25~ of the 75 or so people who got jobs immediately got hired into DEU units at Stony Brook (med surge, and surgical stepdown) If theres something you REALLY want to do you can try for it, but if youre eager to work or in a troubling financial situation its something that you truly need to think carefully about. Personally I think the smart money is on doing a DEU clinical, taking a job on that unit for a year, then transfering to wherever you really want to be. Because as the person above me mentioned, the DEU units have very high turnover rates, so they are constantly hiring.[/quote']
This is an untrue blanket statement. I was not gifted a job and my interview was not cake, it was as competitive as any other interview and I still had to prepare. I was presented with critical thinking and scenario questions just as anyone else was. Only 2 lines were open at the time, 5 of the 8 DEU students interviewed and 2 were hired. If it was any easier a process, I would admit that. Leadership on my unit is known throughout the hospital for strict adherence to policy and procedure, and the interview followed in the same vein. Granted, familiarity with the staff was a plus but the interview was no lounge fest. I certainly did not feel like I got the job when I left. Then again, this was way back when DEU started, maybe other units got lax, but mine has not.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2013

One other thing ... One year experience might cut it to transfer units within Stony Brook, but if you are hoping to move to other hospitals especially close to or in NYC, bank on having no less than 2 years under your belt to be competitive. I personally think a year is still not enough experience to switch jobs, based on personal experience. You are just getting your feet wet at that point. During the 2nd year, things start to click, and it isn't until your 2nd year that you will start to precept new nurses and take a charge nurse role, experience you WANT to have on your resume when you go back looking for work. When you switch units, especially from med-surg to ICU, you are starting over again, new environment, new equipment, new acuity. You have no idea how much you wont learn about nursing in school. It's only enough to help you pass NCLEX, then a lot more learning begins on the job. An analogy: In clinicals, you are more of an audience member of a show, as a nurse you are the show. Two different perspectives. This is why clinicals don't count as experience ... Do you really know at that point on your own how to communicate to a doctor about your patients abdominal pain relief (could it be food poisoning or a bowel obstruction?) or falling BP? You need assessment data that you collect. You don't call a doctor to tell them your patient needs meds without explaining how you determine that. This is why we get a license, it allows us to make these precarious decisions with people's lives and act accordingly.

Just a little advice from the other end as you start planning the start of your nursing careers, even this early.

mhy12784 · Dec 2, 2013

This is an untrue blanket statement. I was not gifted a job and my interview was not cake, it was as competitive as any other interview and I still had to prepare. I was presented with critical thinking and scenario questions just as anyone else was. Only 2 lines were open at the time, 5 of the 8 DEU students interviewed and 2 were hired. If it was any easier a process, I would admit that. Leadership on my unit is known throughout the hospital for strict adherence to policy and procedure, and the interview followed in the same vein. Granted, familiarity with the staff was a plus but the interview was no lounge fest. I certainly did not feel like I got the job when I left. Then again, this was way back when DEU started, maybe other units got lax, but mine has not.

Safe to say, I think I know what floor youre on lol

Im surprised that only 2 of 5 were hired though. Several DEU classmates of mine were told by nursing leadership that they wanted to hire them before they even started capstones on those units.

All I can say for certain is that the employment rate for DEU/stony brook 24 students is exponentially higher than everyone else. And its not even close.

I see your point about the one year thing, but I guess that really depends on where you end up. Some of my classmates are absolutely miserable on their floors. Might be the culture I dunno, I ended up at my dream job though so I plan on sticking around much longer than a year .

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2013

Safe to say I think I know what floor youre on lol [/quote']
Yes, it is notorious enough, that is to say that I think you are right lmao!

bloodorange · Dec 2, 2013

Paco, your posts are so informative. I'm really grateful that you're sharing so much of your experience!

anna91 · Dec 3, 2013

do you think they will be sending acceptances or anything this week?

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Dec 3, 2013

Paco your posts are so informative. I'm really grateful that you're sharing so much of your experience![/quote']
Thank you! I like to pay it forward. I was told once by someone on here that I like to post on allnurses to stroke my own ego. Can you believe someone had the gall to take time out of their day to tell me that? Nothing could be further from the truth, it is just my nature to be helpful and that is how my mom raised me. She is no longer here with us and despite what this person that wrote to me thinks, there is no doubt that my mom is proud of me and the person I have become. I live a better life distancing myself from the jealous and demented people that try to tear me down. I will continue to help people that need it! I am a good person and only good people can see that, and thankfully I am surrounded with lots of them. The dark clouds can keep on moving

JL76 · Dec 3, 2013

So basically if I haven't been contacted for an interview by now I'm pretty much screwed?

bloodorange · Dec 3, 2013

Ha! Some people are just unpleasant. Rock on with your helpful self.

mhy12784 · Dec 4, 2013

So basically if I haven't been contacted for an interview by now I'm pretty much screwed?

I doubt anyone knows for sure.

This is the first year that Stony Brook started doing the interviews, so id imagine its a learning curve for everyone involved.

And as someone who graduated the nursing program there, I can tell you organization definitely isnt their strong point, so anything can happen.

But of course the longer you go without hearing from them is never a good thing.

cttruong · Dec 4, 2013

Hello everyone!! This is my second time applying to the accelerated program. They didn't conduct interviews last year when I applied, so this is brand new to me. I haven't received any notifications in regards to an interview, so what does that mean... Confused

mhy12784 · Dec 4, 2013

Does Stony Brook SON have small or large class sizes? Also, are clinical rotations mostly done in the university hospital and nursing home or throughout eastern long island?

Its pretty much your one cohort all together, although they split you up for peds/ob.

Id say 75-85 for classes that are JUST your program ( JUST 1 year or 2 years) but ones where youre combined can be 150~(1 years + 2 years)

And for pharm there were a few non nursing students 200~ but they changed pharm this year

(I just graduated this recent year, and I hear that they are changing the programs to be more "independent" "go at your own pace" based, so things could certainly be different for future years)

MOST clinicals are at SBU for MOST people but some arent. For instance in pediatrics id say maybe 70%~ of us did our peds clinicals at stony brook, the rest were spread around (ie LIJ). Community is almost 100% non stony brook, they send you to homeless shelters, vets homes, homecare etc.

Medsurge/capstone are the ones where you have a choice (to an extent) and can TRY to go almost anywhere in the state you want (well for medsurge you usually do it at SBU or LIJ, then Capstone its anywhere).

Overall I didnt do a lot of traveling for clinicals though. Maryhaven (the one in riverhead someone mentioned above for psych) st charles, then the rest were at stony brook for me (excluding community which is "travel" based)

They DO TRY to accommodate on location though.

But nothing is guaranteed, and there tends to be lots of people wanting to go to the LIJ locations out west