University of Hawaii-MEPN PROGRAM...anyone heard about it?

U.S.A. Hawaii

Published

I'm applying for UH MEPN program for Fall 2009. Has anyone heard about the program? It's fairly new but I just want to know what I'm getting myself into...lol. I know overall, nursing school is tough but would like some feedback on the MEPN program itself.

Thanks!

Aloha, I plan on applying for mepn as well. Just curious if anyone remembers what the interview questions were?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

pretend it's a job interview. Review those questions and be clear and affirmative on why you choose a certain specialty. Although this may sounds direct, but a GPA below 3.0 does not meet the university's graduate standing. Only undergraduate GPA will be calculated into your decision. Attend the info session it's coming up, you'll get all your questions answer there :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am not attending the info. session in Oct. because I am out of state. I would greatly appreciate if anyone could post on this forum the informaton discussed at the info. session. Thank you in advance!!!:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I am abroad, so I got an Email that I have also been accepted to the Public Health Nursing program. Very Excited! It's a great program with a fantastic focus. I got all As in the Pre-req except for Anatomy. I will finish up soon but will have As. If any one has questions, just ask. Cheers

Hi Hollownurse,

I'm interested in the mepn program at uhm and was wondering if you could pm me on helpful tips for the interview process, things to prepare for, and any other helpful info on the application process.

Thanks,

Star07

Up Vote Up Vote ×

here is my 2 cents on this mepn program...

i am a UH nursing program BSn graduate and i work as a nurse in california.

i graduated right when the mepn program was instituted at UH.

the staff personally asked me if i would like to participate in the first UH mepn program and promised me that i would defintely be accepted. they also promised that there would be many grants and programs that can pay for my tuition.

of course i turned them down.

why, you ask?

well, during this time in hawaii jobs were hard to obtain. i hears from friends and colleagues that rn jobs in hawaii are arder to obtain than ever. new grads are not getting jobs and are subject to work as NA/CNA/SNF.

my theory of tuning down the mepn program was because the lack of experience as a rn when you graduate with a masters degree in nursing.

really who would want to hire you when you have absolutely no nurse experience. sure you will have a masers degree but what good is that when you dont have a job.

i am a rn in california and i made more being a rn than a NP. and this is only working regular 32 hours per week.

i would sugest do the BSN program first, then get a rn job. gain your experience , then get a masters degree. your credibility and experiences will go along way when you apply for higher level job.

just a thought.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. BSN students are hating MEPN because we finish in a year, rather than three years. Whether you graduate from from a BSN or MEPN program, it's hard to find a job regardless anywhere. In terms of experience, I recently finished UH Manoa MEPN and was offered a job through internal. It's how you work the system. Who to say that an RN from MEPN is less experience than a regular BSN student? If you think about it, a PA doesn't have any nursing experience and yet performs the same tasks as an NP. If this is about money, then you shouldn't be doing what you are doing. I encourage everyone who has what it takes to apply. We all take the same board, have the same amount of clinical hours, and yes you'll work as an RN first before doing your NP work. My question to the previous poster, if you graduated from a BSN program, then what are you doing here talking down on MEPNers?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Question? I had a 2.98 G.P.A in undergrad but I went to Graduate school and got a 3.8 GPA.. do you think they will take both G.P.A. or do I not have a chance? thank you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. BSN students are hating MEPN because we finish in a year, rather than three years. Whether you graduate from from a BSN or MEPN program, it's hard to find a job regardless anywhere. In terms of experience, I recently finished UH Manoa MEPN and was offered a job through internal. It's how you work the system. Who to say that an RN from MEPN is less experience than a regular BSN student? If you think about it, a PA doesn't have any nursing experience and yet performs the same tasks as an NP. If this is about money, then you shouldn't be doing what you are doing. I encourage everyone who has what it takes to apply. We all take the same board, have the same amount of clinical hours, and yes you'll work as an RN first before doing your NP work. My question to the previous poster, if you graduated from a BSN program, then what are you doing here talking down on MEPNers?

umm try to be a little objective. highlighting only the positive aspects of a particular program doesn't help prospective applicants to get a true picture of what to expect.

apex's concerns have been echoed by some of the other faculty at UHM as well. the concern is that the first year of the MEPN program does not allow for sufficient hands-on lab and clinical time to develop some of the fundamental nursing skills before moving on to advanced practice curriculum. that's not to say that MEPN students will not go on to become excellent practitioners. much depends greatly on the individual. but with any accelerated program, there are always concerns regarding how much can truly be aquired and mastered over a condensed period of study.

while in the end your license may be the same, employers DO look at what type of program you came from. why do you think hospitals in Hawaii have hiring preferences based on which RN school new grads attended (KCC vs UHM vs HPU)? they understand the differences in curriculum and have SEEN first-hand the differences in new-grad clinical performance. there are always exceptions, but you can bet that if a manager has not worked any of the applicants personally and all other resume aspects are equal, the school the new-grad attended will definitely play a deciding factor in who gets hired.

please stop perpetuating the stigma that nursing is a calling and financial compensation should be a non-issue. nurses provide an invaluable service and should compesnated as such. there is NOTHING wrong with being concerned about the financial benefit of career advancement versus the cost. on the other hand, i'm sure management loves it when nurses feel too guilty to ask for a raise.

if you are comfortable with receiving little monetary compensation for your advanced degree, that's fine. however, do not fault others for taking interest in these issues. in any other field, salary and benefits are a major topic in any interview. it's a little exasperating how nurses have become so conditioned to never raise the $$$ issue for fear of being branded as a nurse "only in it for the money".

Up Vote Up Vote ×

hi everyone- just to throw it out there, I too will be applying for the MEPN 2011 program

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am not here to advertise for the program. I will say it's definitely hard work and requires a lot of maturity and commitments. While most of us have good critical thinking skills, some I made me wondered how did they got in. Anyhow to respond to mcubed45's post, I'll just paste what my colleague have written.

"I beg to differ. I know and have worked with many APNs who were MEPNs and are exceptionally well-trained, from UCSF, Vanderbilt, University of Washington, etc. Because they are MEPNs does not mean they do not pursue excellent clinical experience, even if it's a year or two as an RN. The role of an RN and an NP are very different, and although I understand your concern for RN experience in becoming an NP, I take offense at this negative attitude. Personally, I think it is exactly this prejudice and "eat your young" mentality that undermines credibility among nurses. And I think it's irresponsible to state that MEPNs are going to undermine our credibility with the AMA. That statement is absolutely outrageous.

Congratulations at finishing your program. You definitely have worked hard to get where you are and should be proud of what you've accomplished. So should others who have completed an NP. I personally don't think being an excellent nurse has to do with being a MEPN or not - as the saying goes, "What do you call the person who graduates top of his/her med school class? Doctor. What do you call the person who graduates last in his/her med school class? Doctor." I personally think that training and excellence in care has more to do with the person behind the degree, not the degree itself. There are RNs I have met who have been in practice for 20 years whom I would never let lay a hand on me as an advanced provider - they are great as RNs, but I do not see the critical thinking skills in them that I think are necessary for an NP. Experience in and of itself DOES NOT prepare someone for an advanced practice degree, and to esteem that it does is a dangerous statement - and it is exactly this argument with which I disagree strongly. "

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Oh I have no doubt that there are MANY fantastic MEPN NP's practicing today. I wouldn't even doubt that the majority of them are exceptional. MEPN and accelerated programs do usually attract a higher caliber of students than a traditional program.

apex and I were just pointing out some issues people may want to consider when thinking about a MEPN program. I was simply reiterating some of the concerns expressed by some of the faculty. Obviously there is vast range of opinions on the optimal education model for nursing students, but I found it interesting to hear from the perspective of instructors who have been teaching for many, many years and have observed the growth of thousands of students.

I don't mean to devalue your education - it is a very rigorous program. Just offering a different perspective. Everything does come down to the indvidual. But while experience does not solely dictate performance, it would be wrong to say it's irrelevant. And with the current job market, it would be foolish to think that your educational background will not play a factor in hiring. It may be unfair, and it may be unfounded. But if the person doing your interview believes a traditional curriculum with more experience makes for a better practitioner, do you really think you'll be able to convince them otherwise in 30 minutes?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Has anyone attended the info session last month? Can anyone share anymore insight other than whats posted on the website? That would be awesome!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment