This program is ranked number one by US News and, by all accounts, one of the best in the country.
I got an e-mail from them on Monday:
Admission letters
Posted: 14 Dec 2009 12:06 PM PST
We plan to have letters of admission, waitlist, and denial for the GEPN program sent out by the end of this week. Please keep an eye on your mailboxes, and let us know if you do not receive your letter by the end of December
It sounds like we should hear something by next week. Did anyone else apply? Maybe this can be the official notification thread.
I was a bit perplexed about that point as well. The GEPN doesn't result in both the BSN and MSN, just the MSN.
Perhaps you are referring to the pre NCLEX portion of the program? Regardless... it is a huge red flag that the program is being postponed for 2011 until further notice. Besides new MSN grads not being able to find work and a lack of support for current students/unsatisfied (or perhaps even pis*ed) students, does anyone have further insight as to why UW has decided to make this move?
And... I do agree. The #1 nursing school in the country... where exactly does this come from? I understand US News and World Report has ranked it, but this is : (insert USNWR quote here)
"based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators, and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline. Respondents rated the academic quality of programs on a 5-point scale: outstanding (5), strong (4), good (3), adequate (2), or marginal (1)"
And now my point. All this is wonderful and important, truly it is. Funding supports research, which allows a school the ability to provide empirical evidence, which in turn results in education that teaches evidence based practice! (the best kind of practice)
And peer reviews are pretty great too.
However, when all said and done.... it comes down to the experience! This is thousands of dollars, years we will never forget or get back! I write such a lengthy and quotation happy post because I am personally caught up in this debate. I am waitlisted for the ANP program and (after emailing the admissions advisor and learning of my position) feel confident I MIGHT be offered a spot (knock on gi-huge-ic california redwood here). However, I have also been accepted to Hopkins FNP BSN/MSN program, which is listed as #4 on USNWR list.
The fact is, these are both Great schools. One is ranked higher.... but I'm starting to think some magazine in DC is silly to not consider a more well-rounded approach to this ranking. Student satisfaction, faculty support, percent of new grads hired out of the program etc. should be included!
So, I'm leaning towards USNWR ranking meaning nothing at all. Really, I need to spend the 200 dolla's and fly to Baltimore to check out JHSON for myself, and hope the magical "I belong here" feeling hits. In sum, 86324, it would be great to chat with you more about your thoughts and experience with UW SON.
i called yesterday to find out my place on the waitlist and i don't know...my fingers are crossed. i also applied to seattle university but i just want to know more about each of the programs. i found a blog where current students from su answer questions and it seems good but i just wish uw had that too. also in my call, i asked about the gepn program being on pause and they said that because of " the state's financial situation there is discussion as to which program can be offered/continued in their current format." it stresses me out big time because if i get into both, i am compelled to go to uw because i think it has a better rep but with this "pause" situation, it is a red flag to me just how good the program is from the inside.
i think i want to know more from current students about the structures of both programs. also, is anyone going to the info session next week? i am out of state and can't sadly. ok hope you are all doing well and i look forward to some movement on that waitlist!
I think that I am going to try to work as an RN after the BSN portion to gain some experience clinically. I am hoping that that is an option...sigh. I have been super stressed since finding out this "pause" information and also being on the waitlist. I am trying to be optimistic but I only have applied to these two Seattle schools, UW and SU. Where else did you apply? I am so glad that you have other options! Do you know anyone who is a current student at UW in this GEPN program?
Also, do you or anyone know how many people they accept for each specialty?
When I was reading these posts, that's what I thought to myself too...did everyone get waitlisted!?!?! It sounds like that, doesn't it..ya they told me my position and I will say that I think I am too high on the waitlist to get in (greater than position 10 for the FNP) but I am also on the Masters program waitlist for pediatrics so we shall see. Have you called yet?
I was accepted into the GEPN program. I am concerned about the GEPN program being on pause and wonder what that means for its stability for the next 3 years. Can they commit to be stable while the entering cohort completes their program? I have also applied to Seattle U. The GEPN pause gives me a bad feeling in my stomach, especially coming on the heels of a major increase in program cost last year. These events don't inspire confidence. I don't want to go to a program that is questionable, but I do want to become an NP, and beggars can't be choosers. I must stay in the Seattle area so there aren't a lot of choices.
qwerty, you mentioned a blog where Seattle U students are posting about their program. Can you post that link? Thanks.
Hello future nurses (and NPs)! Congrats on getting this far, I know the pre-reqs and applications and waiting can really take a toll. I've been following this thread for quite some time (including when I was applying for the GEPN program myself) and thought as a current student I'd chime in.
You will definitely find a range of opinions about the UW, but since I am happy I thought it might be useful to get that opinion out there. From my perspective, I have been really happy with my time here. The clinicals have been great experiences, the labs were mostly helpful, and clinical professors have cared about my learning and given specific feedback. Check into the schools you are applying to; really know what you want. When they say be ready for clinicals on any day of the week at any time, know that they are serious. When they say clinicals can be anywhere in the "Puget Sound" area, believe them. The schedules are very flexible, and yes, that's a big sacrifice. In the end, no school is perfect. The people who are happiest are the ones who are here with a purpose and who knew what they were getting into.
A previous poster mentioned nursing education issues and rankings. Although research has a lot to do with the grant and not all the faculty are currently in clinical practice, that doesn't mean that the curriculum is terrible. Yes, most of the theory courses are didactic (read: lecture), but this isn't a UW phenomenon, it's a national issue. One of our classmates directed us to a Cochrane Review article on revamping nursing education. I'd encourage you to check it out if you are interested in that sort of thing. Obviously, some content just needs to be taught this way in order to get through everything to prepare us for the NCLEX, but it can be tough when that may does not suit your learning style. To that end, a set of faculty, students and GEPN students are coming up with specific suggestions on how to teach the content different. That's a pretty cool thing that definitely doens't exist in many places.
I know this is a big decision, if you have any other questions are the program I'm happy to answer them.
PS - To clear up any confusion, after the first year of the GEPN program, you DO indeed receive a BSN.
I applied and was accepted into the GEPN - FNP/DNP program but am actually already enrolled in a MSNE-FNP program in California. I'm trying to decide which is the better thing to do...stay where I'm already at or take WU's acceptance. Has anyone found a forum where we can talk/get input from current students? I see we've had 2 on here, but has anyone found a google/yahoo/etc group?
Congratulations on your FNP acceptance! Unfortunately, I have no insight into your question, only one of my own to ask you. I am on the waitlist for the FNP and was wondering if you would be willing to share your health care background. If I don't get in this year, I am planning on reapplying and am looking to get a better sense of how admissions views credentials. My background is in hospice work and homebirth assistance and I am curious to know where others are coming from. Thank you and best wishes in your decision making process.
scrubs10
3 Posts
I was a bit perplexed about that point as well. The GEPN doesn't result in both the BSN and MSN, just the MSN.
Perhaps you are referring to the pre NCLEX portion of the program? Regardless... it is a huge red flag that the program is being postponed for 2011 until further notice. Besides new MSN grads not being able to find work and a lack of support for current students/unsatisfied (or perhaps even pis*ed) students, does anyone have further insight as to why UW has decided to make this move?
And... I do agree. The #1 nursing school in the country... where exactly does this come from? I understand US News and World Report has ranked it, but this is : (insert USNWR quote here)
"based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators, and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline. Respondents rated the academic quality of programs on a 5-point scale: outstanding (5), strong (4), good (3), adequate (2), or marginal (1)"
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/best-graduate-schools/2009/04/22/health-rankings-methodology.html
and they are also ranked #1 due to: (insert quote from UW school of nursing fact sheet here)
"...research funding from the National Institutes of Health"
http://www.son.washington.edu/about/documents/SoNFacts07-08_WEBVERSION_updatedApril2009.pdf
And now my point. All this is wonderful and important, truly it is. Funding supports research, which allows a school the ability to provide empirical evidence, which in turn results in education that teaches evidence based practice! (the best kind of practice)
And peer reviews are pretty great too.
However, when all said and done.... it comes down to the experience! This is thousands of dollars, years we will never forget or get back! I write such a lengthy and quotation happy post because I am personally caught up in this debate. I am waitlisted for the ANP program and (after emailing the admissions advisor and learning of my position) feel confident I MIGHT be offered a spot (knock on gi-huge-ic california redwood here). However, I have also been accepted to Hopkins FNP BSN/MSN program, which is listed as #4 on USNWR list.
The fact is, these are both Great schools. One is ranked higher.... but I'm starting to think some magazine in DC is silly to not consider a more well-rounded approach to this ranking. Student satisfaction, faculty support, percent of new grads hired out of the program etc. should be included!
So, I'm leaning towards USNWR ranking meaning nothing at all. Really, I need to spend the 200 dolla's and fly to Baltimore to check out JHSON for myself, and hope the magical "I belong here" feeling hits. In sum, 86324, it would be great to chat with you more about your thoughts and experience with UW SON.