QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

People e-mail me questions from time to time so I'm going to post them here with answers little by little.

1. What was your g.p.a before the program?

I have no clue.  I completed my B.A. in English from Hunter College.  I minored in Japanese.  I took all my math and science courses at Brooklyn College then applied.  My grades were kind of all over the place.  Brooklyn College has separate grades for lab and lecture courses.  And has courses split over semesters. I went above and beyond their requirements for the program. Took Chem 2.  Many of my classmates took the non pre-med organic chemistry class. 

2. What was your g.p.a. from Downstate?

I have no idea.  I'm sure somewhere around a B+ range.  I'm not sure what number that corresponds to.  And let me tell you.  Nobody asked on my job interview.  And I will tell you one other thing.  I have classmate who worked as a PCT and continued to do so throughout the program.  And she told us on the last day of school she worked with two graduates of our program.  One with a 3.5 g.p.a and one with 3.1.  She said they both have been at the hospital for over a year each, and to this day, the one with the higher g.p.a. runs around like a chicken with her head cut off, while the student with the lower g.p.a. is the better nurse.  I'm not saying this will be the same for all cases.  But just keep that in mind while your obsessing over your g.p.a.

3. How many hours did you study per day?

Some days none.  Some days 3.5 hours.  My tactic for studying was as follows:

Get the reading list.  Read and outline as much as possible until the point at which I got a blueprint for the examination.  Stop.  Cover all areas I didn't cover yet on the blueprint.  Then go back over the material I already covered.

This landed me in the A- range regularly.  And then I would ignore the ATI completely.  Not study.  Take the ATI exam.  Get like a 50 or 60 which was 10% of your grade.  Take my B+ for the course and that was it.

I told this to the people I was mentoring when they were on their 2nd day of school.  And they rolled their eyes at me.  A couple of months later they understood.  Not to say they did what I did.  Some of them are doing much better.  But they at least understood where I was at.  

Some of you reading this right now also won't understand until you get there in the program.  The skills that land you in the program can kind of work against you once you get in.

MORE TO COME...

The Robert Wood Johnson Scholarship

This was a $10,000 scholarship offered to 10 students in the class who came from populations that were underrepresented in nursing.  
The scholarship was discontinued.  Too bad because they gave you $10,000.  Receiving this scholarship was the single best and worst thing that happened to me when I was in nursing school.  

I'm not going to go into anymore details than that.

VOLUNTEER

If you want to get into this program and you have no prior health care work experience then VOLUNTEERING is the single most important thing you have to do.

It's not difficult.  Just pick a hospital, go to their website, and put volunteer in the search box.

Although I do recommend that you volunteer at the best hospital possible.

Don't be lazy and just choose whatever hospital is closest to your home.  

It's important to be able to sell yourself.  And being able to name drop counts.  Even if only on a subconscious level.  If you say you volunteered at a first rate hospital they will equate you mentally with that hospital.  

For my particular class they chose 60 students out of 700+ applicants.  You need to do whatever you can to stand out.

When I decided to volunteer I put: 10 best hospitals in New York City into Google's search engine.  

If you have to start working your way up from the bottom.  Start from the bottom of the top.  Be at the bottom of the best place that you possibly can.

It's also a great opportunity to see what your future is likely to be like.  People see the dollar signs, but often times don't realize the amount of hard work and dedication required to work as an RN.  Not to mention all the shenanigans.  And people trying to throw you under a bus.  

If you are smart and get good grades, that's great!  But can you work 12 hours straight or more.  And how are you with people?  And do you enjoy the work environment?  Getting in the hospital helps you to figure all that out so you don't end up devoting a lot of time and energy to something that you hate doing in the end and wind up quitting.  

My godmother worked 26 years as an RN.  She retired from North Shore LIJ, Lenox Hill.  When she retired she was making 136,000/year.  And this is what she said to me, she said, "I worked a lot of years and I was getting good pay when I retired.  But you better believe me that they made me work my butt off for every penny of every dollar I earned."

Negative Aspects of SUNY Downstate's Accelerated Nursing Program

I need to take a second to say that I have only posted on this blog about the positive aspects of SUNY Downstate's Accelerated Nursing Program. 

 I, like many of my peers, had issues with the program.

I, like many of my peers, had issues with some of the professors.

But there are 2 main reasons I didn't write anything negative about the program on the blog.

#1 I researched about the program before enrolling and I was aware about what the problem issues were before I started.  So while some things were annoying I never really freaked out like some of my classmates.  

#2 Many of the professors or issues that annoyed the hell out of me didn't bother my classmates in the least.  And many of the professors and issues that annoyed the hell out of my classmates didn't annoy me in the least.

Everything is subjective.  That being said I would recommend that you do your homework.  Go on allnurses.com and read the negative things people write.  Come here and check the positive things I write.  Then weigh the pros and cons.  

I would also like to take a second to mention the fact that if there is a major issue with any professor.  The department generally boots the person out next year and seeks a suitable replacement.

While the folks in the nursing department may not respond to student's complaints as quickly as they would like them to.  They do eventually respond and make changes.

IF YOU WANT TO LAND A JOB AFTER GRADUATING THEN GET ROLLING WHILE IN THE PROGRAM

• 2 independent studies.
• Leadership practicum.
• Landing a Nurse Externship.
• Volunteering.

The independent studies helped tremendously.  I did both of mine in the same hospital in the same area focusing on two separate issues.  You need luck here.  I lucked out with clinical preceptors that took to me and liked my personality.  In the end they introduced me to the nurse manager.  They suggested that she hire me.  

Be sure to buy donuts and coffee for the entire unit and a thank you card at the end of your indy studies.  I bought small bags of Godiva chocolates for my preceptors.  These small touches help.  

The Leadership practicum.  I did my leadership practicum at Kingsbrook Jewish and after graduating my preceptor pushed to help me get a job.  Very important as well.  Put your best foot forward here with your nursing leadership class.  Other classmates also formed relationships here that landed them jobs after graduating.

Nursing externships.  I did a half-ass job applying at Maimonides and didn't get it.  So glad I didn't because they don't let you touch the patients really.  It's just shadowing.  On my second indendent study I got a preceptor who made me do everything.  From prepping to administering meds to every damn thing.  I even signed off on nurse's notes.  But nursing externships are still GREAT!!!!  If you can get one that is AWESOME!!!!  Look on North Shore LIJ's website as spring approaches and look for professors in the program who worked at North Shore LIJ that can recommend you.  Hint!!!  Hint!!!!   Two of my classmates landed North Shore LIJ.  I was in Pediatric clinicals when my classmates were all abuzz about trying to apply and going on and on about when they would open the gates for accepting applications.  It was a somewhat tedious process to fill out the online applications.  You fill them out first then they open up to applications later.  While an externship is just shadowing.  They do pay you.  And it does greatly increase the likelihood that you will get hired.  Greatly!!!  If they like you they will keep you on after you complete your externship and keep on paying you as a student nurse until you pass your boards.  Two of my classmates got externships at Methodist Hospital in Park Slope.  One is looking very good for getting a job once she passes her state boards and the hospital is currently paying her bills.  I'm sure it feels good to go in and get a paycheck for doing work that is health care related.  Another classmate was hired at Lenox Hill after she graduated through doing her externship.

The program will not support you in getting an externship.  The hours cut into your class time.  You will have to cut class to complete your externship hours.  The hours cut into psych and the early part of Community.  And Nurse Leadership as well.  So there is a little grief that comes along with it.  But it is well worth whatever headaches the faculty may give you.

Volunteering can't hurt.  Also as a side note my classmate that got into Methodist as an extern was volunteering at Methodist long before she applied for the externship; which may have helped her some.

Downstate's program is only concerned with you passing state boards.  That's it.  They don't want to know about what you are doing to find a job.  That doesn't really interest them.  

 So hopefully these are some helpful hints for you because many of us were dead broke after completing this program.  I will write more about what I did job wise after graduating.  As I chose to beat out on a totally different path from my classmates.

Resume, Cover Letter, Interviews, & Such

FINDING A JOB???  YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN KIDDO!!!  

But you can check out ---> John Hopkins Nursing Website.  

• Tips on resume writing.
• Tips on cover letter writing.
• Tips on interviewing.
• Sample nursing student resumes.
• The site is well organized and extremely helpful.

                         CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW!!!

http://nursing.jhu.edu/life-at-hopkins/center/resources/index.html


http://nursing.jhu.edu/life-at-hopkins/center/documents/resume_guide.pdf