University of San Francisco MSN-CNL for non-nurses

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Hi,

I will be applying to the MSN Clinical Nurse Leader for Non-nurses for Spring 2015. I did not see any other threads.....I am looking to hear from those who are familiar with this program and could offer some advise. Mainly, I love the sound of the program (bust it out in 2 years) and the city - and I think I have a good shot of getting accepted (BS in Nutrition w/ 3.85 GPA, worked for 3 years as RD and should have great references and all that jazz), went to the info session and I did ask "do the graduates feel that it was worth the money? Do they have trouble paying it off? Are they generally happy with the decision to spend $85,000 plus living expenses of SF?" The admission reps obviously had great things to say, and the pass rate on NCLEX is outstanding, but I want to hear from you guys!!! This is a huge decision as I am married, own a house and have animals (2 dogs which will have to come with me plus cats that will go somewhere....), I live in Red Bluff about 3 1/2 hrs north of SF. Any info would be so helpful! Thank you!

Hello @nicolekay! I really admire your determination! I'm sure you'll have better luck this application cycle! What are some of the other schools you are applying to? Are they also MSN programs as well?

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Good luck to everyone! I have never been so nervous in my life!

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Does anyone know if you hear back sooner if your application was sent in early? Or does everyone generally hear back around the same 4-6 week period?

I originally had my application in the summer 2014 cohort for socal but forwarded it when I found out that cohort was cancelled :(

Also anxious because I know now that the applicant pool is probably doubled with everyone forwarding from the summer cohort!

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@ rgshepherd, I'm so sorry to hear about the cohort for SoCal. Just keep your head up; if you really want to be a nurse, the time will come for you :)

As for your question, it might take a little longer than 6 weeks, give it another week or so. Since it's so close to the start of the semester, they do "acceptance calls" followed by a letter. They do the calls over the span of 1-2 days. Also when the time comes closer, check your application status on your online application. If you didn't get in, it would say something like "admission denied." (Cross your fingers that it doesn't happen!) If it doesn't say that and you didn't get a call yet, it's possible that you're on the wait list (they will send a letter in the snail mail to confirm it).

NOTE: If you are on the wait list and if they have room, they'll start calling people off the wait list ONE WEEK before orientation! It's gonna seem pretty hasty at first (I was one of the students on the wait list) but it's so worth it.

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Hi PinkRose34,

I am considering taking the USF route. I am only a freshman so I have sort of a long ways to go until I have to make a final decision. I, like many of us, am worried that I wont find a job post-graduation from the program. So my question is - do you know of or have seen anyone thats landed a job after graduation? If so, how long did it take until they were offered one? How difficult is it to find one?

Thank you.

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Hi ba15mommy!

I personally don't know anyone who graduated from nursing, but from what I've observed in some nursing Facebook pages, some people are having difficulty finding a job after graduation. It might take months before you find a job. BUT it also depends where you are applying for a nursing position. From what I've seen, California needs nurses, but a lot of places want experienced nurses. There are more nurses needed in some states than others, so some are thinking of applying out of California to gain experience. There are also new grad nursing residency programs available, but they are competitive.

Don't get discouraged! Anything is possible! Nursing is an amazing, wonderful, and rewarding field to study and work in. It's all about how you hard you study, what you do outside of school, and how well you present yourself. If you really want to be a nurse, go for it!! :)

Here's a tip that might help: get a volunteer or a paid position working with patients if you can. Some people in my cohort have worked as an EMT, CNA, MA, or LVN before starting the program (some are even working still in these positions!). I've volunteered at a hospital for 5 years where I spent time at a patient's bedside. Do whatever you can to gain exposure to the hospital work setting to see if it's right for you. In the long run, you will be gaining experience in the field and will look more competitive when applying for nursing jobs/ residencies after graduation.

Best of luck!

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Yes there are a few ELMSN programs in the mix as well.....its an exstensive list. i have heard back from 5 schools already...all a no. :(

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I emailed the nursing dept. They said they should have decisions 6-8 weeks from the deadline, probably around mid-December. From reading previous threads for this program, it seems mid December is usually the time they start calling people.

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I'm also currently in the program. Let me know if you have any questions, but I must admit that PinkRose34 summed it up quite nicely. I put my app in Oct 1 (of last year), 2 weeks before the deadline, and got the phone call mid-December. Most people in my cohort got "the call" by mid-December (1 or 2 people before then and 1 person in January, literally days before orientation).

I know it's incredibly stressful waiting to hear, I remember, it was torture. But if you want it and don't give up, you will be a nurse someday. With that in mind, you've done what you can for this app cycle, and it's now out of your hands. I personally would recommend not reading this forum bc it will only drive you crazier once people start to post "I got in!" or "I got denied" etc. Breathe, right? Hope that helps. PM any questions.

Oh, about jobs: it seems like a handful of people are lucky enough to get a job in SF /the SF Bay Area after graduation--it also seems like the people I know that get those jobs are already working at the location they got the job at. Ie. "Yeah, I've been working as a unit coordinator at xyz hospital weekend nights for 2 years. When I graduated, I was able to get an interview to their New Grad program. Crazy, right? They had 15,000 applicants for the new grad program, I'm so glad they knew me ahead of time and got me an interview." If they don't know who you are (and like you), you are far less competitive in the pool of new grad applicants. Otherwise, there are tons of jobs outside of the Bay Area (like the central valley of CA, the Mid-West, Texas, other countries, etc).

cheers.

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Hello,

I was wondering how the classes are during the first semester? I will be attending in the Spring of 2015 CNL cohort and want to prepare myself ahead of time, especially for the Introduction to Pathophysiology and Pharmacology class. If you could e-mail me your response at [email protected] and would love to keep in touch with you PinkRose34. Thanks.

Ruble

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Also, for all those individuals who are going to the CNL program at USF in the Spring 2015, let me know if you are going to look for a place or already have a place. I will be searching for places during the Winter Break. Thanks.

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I am looking into that program. How difficult was it to get accepted?

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