UIC Graduate Entry Program

Sitten- we don't have group interviews, do we? It said no such thing on the invite.

And is there any way to know how many people are coming for the interview with our evites?

Sitten- we don't have group interviews, do we? It said no such thing on the invite.

And is there any way to know how many people are coming for the interview with our evites?

I have no idea. I didn't see a mention of group interviews. If anything it will probably be very small groups and then a one-on-one.

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The overview session is very informative. The coordinator was very honest about the program. When it was brought up whether or not students were having difficulty getting jobs without a BSN, she was realistic. Yes, students are having a lot of trouble getting into hospitals in the area because of magnet status, but if students are willing to be flexible in where the work and make an excellent impression on nurse managers, it will be okay. It might be tough in the beginning, but it will be okay. That being said, they are eliminating the GEP and our applicant cycle will be the final cohort admitted into the program. Also, it's really important to keep in mind that BSN applicants are also struggling in the Chicago area. Once you get the NP license, the lack of BSN doesn't matter.

I hung around the nursing building for about an hour prior to the session because I was paranoid of being late. I was really impressed with the student community and the interactions I saw between faculty and students. It seemed like a very supportive and cohesive bunch.

While I only met one of the faculty members, I really believe they are all going to be pretty great. In the session, we were told of some very specific things that the faculty have done for students that I was happy to hear about. Also, while the college does arrange all preceptors for students, they really seek out your input on what you want which has provided students with some really awesome clinical placements.

I won't really say much more because the rest was PNP specific. I'm not sure which each of the specialties will be saying about the first 15 months of the program so I wanted to share what I received.

The overview session is very informative. The coordinator was very honest about the program. When it was brought up whether or not students were having difficulty getting jobs without a BSN, she was realistic. Yes, students are having a lot of trouble getting into hospitals in the area because of magnet status, but if students are willing to be flexible in where the work and make an excellent impression on nurse managers, it will be okay. It might be tough in the beginning, but it will be okay. That being said, they are eliminating the GEP and our applicant cycle will be the final cohort admitted into the program. Also, it's really important to keep in mind that BSN applicants are also struggling in the Chicago area. Once you get the NP license, the lack of BSN doesn't matter.

I hung around the nursing building for about an hour prior to the session because I was paranoid of being late. I was really impressed with the student community and the interactions I saw between faculty and students. It seemed like a very supportive and cohesive bunch.

While I only met one of the faculty members, I really believe they are all going to be pretty great. In the session, we were told of some very specific things that the faculty have done for students that I was happy to hear about. Also, while the college does arrange all preceptors for students, they really seek out your input on what you want which has provided students with some really awesome clinical placements.

I won't really say much more because the rest was PNP specific. I'm not sure which each of the specialties will be saying about the first 15 months of the program so I wanted to share what I received.

Great! Thanks so much for this information. We better be the best cohort! #finishstrong

Oh one more important thing to note. The coordinators send all of their remarks about us back to the Graduate College and THEY make the final decisions; not the coordinators. Class size will be about 56 and 5-6 for peds.

Wow that's crazy that we (hopefully) are the last class!

Did they mention why they are eliminating the program? I'm thinking it has to do with maybe the DNP?

Thanks for all the information! I will do the same after my interview on Monday

Thank you so much for sharing hi616! I will try and do the same after my interview. @rainkissedleaves save the best for last right? :)

Thanks for sharing hi616! For PNP did you have group interviews?

@hi - wow thanks for all the info! very helpful for the rest of us. Can't believe this is the last class for GEP. Weird that the coordinators don't make the final decision. Glad to hear your interview went well!

I had an individual interview.

I'm sure the decision to eliminate the GEP is partly due to the push for all NP's to have DNP's. Its clearly going to take longer than 2015 for that to happen, but schools have already been changing programs because of it. I know Rush changed their program recently because of that which is why they have a generalist entry program I think.

The other reason for the change sounds like it stems from the fact that the faculty are also disappointed with how hospitals are viewing students in the GEP program the same as A.D. nurses when it comes to hiring after the first 15 months. Even though we are just RN's at that point, it sounds like hospitals are not giving any credit to the fact that we are all enrolled in a graduate program and have proven we have college level skills (I.e. communication, reading, writing, etc.) that can still be applicable to the nursing realm even if we weren't directly trained to use them in the nursing arena. It sounds like students with bachelor degrees in other fields who go the A.D. route for a career change are often looked at in the same light meaning that they aren't given any sort of credit for their college degree if it ain't a BSN. The magnet hospitals wanting BSN nurses is unavoidable, but it sounds like there are still positions for RN's and UIC students are being put in the same playing field as those without a college degree.

UIC recently reached out to hiring agencies and hospitals in the area to explain the rigor of the program to anyone willing to listen so that they could explain just how competitive and highly regarded the program is. It sounds like they had a dozen or so people representing different practices/ hospitals in an open house setting. I don't remember the full details on this because it was barely touched upon but I encourage other people to bring up the question of how UIC has tried to reach out on our behalf.

hmmm very interesting, I'm definitely going to be bringing up all those concerns in my info session, but that's not till the 22nd.

a little frustrating it's like that though, because you need a bachelors degree to get into GEP! lol why would be go back to get another bachelors degree just because it's not in nursing? When we are doing the nursing part in a separate 15month program!

I guess once you are an NP it doesn't really make a difference? For us that's ultimately the goal so try to concentrate on that. Hopefully for those who are making connections and proactive on getting a job while in the master section will find one, and the job market a little better by the time we get there. Because the job you have as an RN/BSN is not going to be the same job you have as an NP, or for the rest of your life. Of course it's important to gain real experience and work but I think in the next couple years there is going to be a greater need for RN's and NP's.

I guess my main concern would be is getting a job as an NP if you don't have a lot of work as an RN extremely hard? I'm guessing it would be.....this all still is making me kinda nervous!

One of my friends who is an NP sent me this article recently, you guys should check it out.

Nurse Practitioners Are In -- and Why You May Be Seeing More of Them - Knowledge@Wharton

I have a question for anyone with any insight. This ongoing discussion about how it's hard for GEP grads to get RN jobs, either during the APN portion of school or even once you have your APN license, for only the lack of a BSN degree seems to be a trend among many masters-entry program discussions. I was wondering if this is true among all types of RN jobs or if this is specific to hospital RN jobs? I have a background in primary care and am hopeful to work as an APN in primary care, so having not worked in a hospital I've been wondering if this job requirement of "BSN status" is simply a hospital requirement like so many other hospital rules/requirements/standards/what-have-yous. Or is it an industry-wide ignorance of masters-entry programs and their curricula, meaning the majority of RN jobs in all settings require BSN degrees?

It is scary to think that this problem may be part of the reason for eliminating the GEP program (of course I understand DNP may also have a lot to do with it). And like I said, people are having this discussion on other schools' forums as well so it's not just us, although the problem may be worse in Chicago. I would think experience in any hands-on patient setting would trump a check-box like BSN vs. RN, especially considering the fact that whether it's BSN or RN, we all have to pass the same NCLEX and are all clearly first-year practitioners after that.

Or are we getting bad information from disgruntled people who don't try that hard to get a job, or maybe they're devastated if their first job isn't the ideal? I'm not judging, I really have no idea, because like I said, I come from PC so my information about the rest of the medical world is limited. But since my end goal is to be an APN, and I've had my fair share of less than ideal jobs, spending a few years getting experience in any RN role would be nice...as long as they'll hire me without a BSN. Thoughts?