Tag Archives: NYU Nursing accelerated program

NYU Accelerated Nursing Program FAQ’s Part II

Posted on by

I recently received an email from a prospective nursing student and thought that it was worth posting my answers.

Hi Jessica,
I came across to your blog while searching for NYU’s accelerated nursing program.  Reading your blog has been very helpful. Congrats on becoming a nurse. Currently I have my undergrad in a business discipline and I am really considering a nursing career instead. I just have some questions regarding nursing, it would be great to get your feedback. Thanks so much if you have the time to answer any of these questions!

1.       Does it matter whether you take your pre-reqs at a community college or 4-yr college when applying to NYU? Do pre-req grades matter? Will there be a higher chance if acceptance if pre-reqs are taken in NYU?

You can take your pre-reqs at a community college or a 4 year college. Pre-req grades matter a lot. Definitely do well on these. I don’t believe there’s a higher chance of acceptance of the pre-reqs are taken at NYU. Majority of students take pre-reqs at a community college or a 4 year college.


2.        What were your credentials when you applied to NYU (eg. GPA, experience)? And did you find NYU to be worth it after working in the field? Is there any other nursing programs you would recommend in NY?

My GPA was 3.84. As for experience, I volunteered at a hospital when I was applying. It’s important to highlight your feelings towards nursing especially after speaking to them and seeing what they do.
NYU is a great school and I’m glad I attended the school. The professors are top-notch and the students are helpful. There’s an interdisciplinary program so med students and nursing students learn about working together and each other’s roles. It is one of the top research institutions as well especially in elder care (NICHE Program http://www.nicheprogram.org). However, it is a really expensive program so I don’t recommend it to everyone.
The other nursing schools in New York / Long Island that I hear good things from include Hunter, Columbia, Stony Brook, Adelphi, Molloy and Pace.

3.       Difficulty finding a job? Did you work part-time while studying in the program?

After I passed the NCLEX, it took about 6 months to find a nursing position. A couple of problems I ran into included not knowing how to interview (because this is a skill you need to practice). I didn’t start my search until after I passed. Some students connected with nurse managers during clinical and were able to secure a position shortly after graduation.

I did work once a week as a swim instructor during school to help supplement the costs. Some students didn’t work at all while others worked 36 hours a week (a full-time job!!). The first and second semester are the toughest so give more time devoted to school before deciding to work.

4.       Do grades matter a lot to employers? Do I need to get straight A’s or can I afford to have a few B’s or even a C?

Some employers require a minimum GPA (3.4, 3.5) before they even look at your application. Some don’t. It’s how you present yourself and your mannerism that matter and whether you retained information from school and can apply it.


5.       What is the starting salary like and is it worth being a nurse practitioner? What kind of nurse do you think is best to become/specialize in if any?

Starting salary differs from location to location, ranging from $40-80k. In NYC, it starts around $70-80k if you’re working at a private hospital.

Becoming a NP is dependent on the person. While I’ve heard that becoming an NP is the greatest thing in the world (I hear a lot of positive feedback), there are still a few who are discontent with the position, as there is more responsibility that comes with the position. Some people don’t want to deal with the higher stress and responsibility but wanted to go back to school and ended up hating being an NP. This requires a lot of self-reflection. What do you think would suit you and are you ready for it?
Personally, I’ve explored many advanced nursing professions. Not only should you look at your duties but also the lifestyle. Where would you want to work, what would you do, when would you want to work, what income would you make, what mobility is there? The best advanced nursing profession depends on the individual and what they want out of life. I picked Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. I like the one-on-one direct patient care aspect requiring a high level of critical thinking and autonomy and teamwork.

6.       What’s life as a nurse? What are the difficulties and good parts of being a nurse? Expectations in the work force?

Life as a nurse differs between the environment that you work in. I work at the hospital where there’s 12 hour shifts (7-7:30am and pm), 3 days a week (for full time) and you can choose your schedule (with some limitations such as having to choose at least 3 weekend days, 2 Fridays, etc). Some people choose to do 3 in a row each week and have 4 days off. Other hospitals have it so you work 3 12-hour shifts plus 1 additional day every 4 weeks. Some units, especially in CTICU, PACU and ER, have other shifts from 11am to 11pm or 2pm to 2am.

It’s great having 4 days off because you definitely need it to recuperate and you’ll have time to do something else if you’d like.
Some places have day (7a -3p), evening (3p-11p), and night shift (11p-7a), especially in rehab and nursing homes, and require you work 5 days a week.
At work, you often need to have handoff communication about the patients. Then you assess the patient and pass out medications. You make nursing diagnoses about each patient and use critical thinking. You think to yourself: What’s the goal for the patient today? And then make it happen. You’ll speak to various disciplines to coordinate the care.
—
There’s a couple of tough parts about being a nurse.
1) Families – Some follow the unit policies and others do whatever they want. Communication is sometimes hard but trying to understand where they are coming from helps.
2) Physicians, MLP – your input is often crucial to the patient’s outcome but sometimes the provider will disagree with you.
3) Patients – some are nice and others are crazy, confused and not so nice.
4) Self- being able to let go everyday of the outcome is tough. At the end of the time, you have to set 1 small goal for the patient and as long as they meet that, you have to be satisfied with the care you provided. Nurses tend to be overachievers and want to always give more but with the number of things that must be done, it’s impossible to do everything you had in mind. You have to remember that nursing is a 24/7 job.
—
The good parts about being a nurse is knowing that you’ve made a difference is someone’s life. You get to think about an active problem and you get to take yourself and solve that problem. You get to hold someone’s hand and reassure them. It’s an amazing privilege to have to save a life, to have a better life, or to let someone die with dignity.
As for expectations in the workforce, there are several different angles you can discuss but I’ll discuss about your own expectations. There’s a nursing theorist named Patricia Benner who stated that the nursing career is based on the nursing model-
You really do start not knowing a lot, just the basics. You focus a lot on technical skills because it’s something you have to work on. Then as you progress, you build more confidence. Soon you’ll start to see areas in nursing where care can be streamlined or have protocols to standardize care. You’ll be in charge, take on harder assignments, be a preceptor, etc.

7.       Any general suggestions on what I should focus on or do to become a nurse/get into NYU program?

Do well on your pre-reqs, volunteer or work in healthcare, and get to know a few professors who will write a letter of recommendation for you. And write a killer personal statement answering every question asked.

I hoped that helped! Read my first post for more information on NYU’s Accelerated Nursing Program, find out if NYU Nursing is worth it, how to pick a good nursing school, and find out if you can afford an accelerated program. Or if you have any further questions, email me.

Jessica

At The New Grad Nurse Interview: Be a storyteller

Posted on by

how to get a new grad nurse job - be a storyteller Your interviewer loves stories. In fact, you love stories. Everyone loves stories. So it only makes sense to become a great storyteller. To secure your first job as a nurse, you have to perfect the art of storytelling. About yourself.

I royally screwed up telling the story about myself. Twice! My first interview, I wasn’t prepared at all and just said whatever came to my head. My second interview, I didn’t focus my story about being a clinical nurse and drifted off into ‘health policy’ –that was a no-no.

I got better after learning the hard way. For my third interview, I started to focus my answers and got the job at a nursing home. By the time my current employment interviewed me — my fourth and fifth interview — I had some real nursing experience and relied on that to come up with some great stories.

So what’s the difference between a tale and a story?

A tale is simply stating something that happened. People don’t usually care about what happened. However, a story has a moral, a meaning, a takeaway point to it. We care about the 3 major things – the ‘bad situation’, the ‘thing you did to make it better’, and the ‘aftermath.’

Here’s an example for a question: Tell me how you dealt with a difficult situation.

A tale: a women wouldn’t take her medications. Later she did after I convinced her.

A story: a women wouldn’t take her medications. After thinking about why she wouldn’t, I realized that she wanted more control over what was happening to her. Instead, I gave her a choice and asked her, “would you like to take your medications in 10 minutes or 20 minutes?” She replied, “in 10 minutes. Thank you.” 10 minutes later, I went back to her to give her medications and she took them like a champ. Giving her the options allowed her to gain some control but not complete free-reign. This compromise allowed me to accomplish my goal (to give her meds) and made the patient happy.

Here’s another example: Tell me about your greatest strength.

A tale: I ask a ton of questions because I always want to learn.

A story: As a new nurse, I know that I have a lot to learn. I understand that sometimes I will be asked to do something that I’ve never done before but I am not afraid to ask questions to make sure that I’m competent the next time it comes up. I wasn’t sure how to put someone on a bedpan so I asked the ancillary staff. The next time I did it with someone. Another time I wasn’t sure if I heard the breath sounds correctly so I asked another nurse to confirm what they heard. Asking questions is my strength and understand that this is key to learning fast.

Here are some common questions. Think of your clinical experiences and come up with a story for each question.

  • What is your greatest weakness?
  • “Tell me about yourself.”
  • What made you interested in nursing?
  • What do you like about nursing?
  • What was your favorite clinical rotation? Why? (please relate this directly with the position you applied for)
  • Tell me about a time when you had to prioritize.
  • Tell me about a time when you had to delegate.
  • Tell me about a time when you had to problem solve.
  • Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
  • Do you have plans on going back to school?
  • Tell me about ‘x’ experience that you wrote about on your resume.

Work on becoming a great storyteller and you’ll find that you’ll use this skill over and over again during every handoff report. And hopefully you’ll get a job offer! Good luck! Let me know if you have something crafted but would like a little help looking it over.

—-

I wrote this article as a part of the “Most Marketable Skills” Campaign on Webucator. I have to thank Bob Cleary for letting me be a part of the campaign! While I personally haven’t utilized their resources, they look helpful! Currently they are offering a free Microsoft Word 2013 class that involves learning about advanced formatting, using Word 2013 drawing tools, creating and managing tables, and working with column layouts. Each month they offer a new free course, so check it out even after this post is long done.

In case you missed the campaign, here are some of the other blogger’s input:

Achieving Success in the workplace – What is your most marketable skill? by @cjperadilla

What makes you marketable by @amandastrav

Self Brand Marketing : Social Proof To Boost Your Career by @CustomerRivet

Preparing for the workforce: Why learning to write well is worth your while by @moses_says

The Success of Mimicking by @Lbee27

How to Study in Nursing School

How to Study in Nursing School

Posted on by

A couple of people have contacted me to ask how I studied during nursing school. These individuals have completed a bachelor’s already (either recently or it had been awhile since they’ve been back in school), but felt that nursing school was different and wanted some advice.

Of course, this is just the way I studied. It is not the only way or even the best way. Just my way.

On the first day of school, you will receive a syllabus for each class. Right away, write down (or enter in) all of the exam dates and due dates for assignments. Personally, I put them into Google Calendar and have it synced to my phone. That way I have that information all the time.

There are 3 major steps:

  1. Prep
    • Minimum: Print out the powerpoint slides and read through it. This way, you’re familiar with the material and can follow along in class.
    • Maximum: If you have extra time, the syllabus will have readings that you’re supposed to do. Read the headings.
  2. Lecture and Take Notes
    • Go to lecture and take notes on the powerpoint slide. If the professor repeats it twice, then it’s super important!
    • Since you’re more familiar with the material from the prep work, you can ask questions on anything that doesn’t make sense to you.
  3. Review
    • Review all of the powerpoint slides and your notes as soon as you can after class (preferably within 24 hours). These slides are your keys to success.
    • If you still don’t get the material, read the text.
    • Once you feel comfortable with the material, do a group study. If you can teach it and talk about it, you got it.
    • Memorizing the material is helpful. Utilizing it will help you remember it forever.
    • Chances are, the textbook has NCLEX style questions at the end of the chapter or even online on the textbook website. Do them!
      • By the way, NYU has nearly all of the textbooks on reserve at the Bobst library. That means you can borrow it for 2 hours at a time. If no one else has requested that some book, you can re-borrow it over and over again.
      • Some students used additional NCLEX books. The one I liked the most was Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment by Linda LaCharity.
    • If that doesn’t help, make an appointment with the professor for office time.

Nursing school is really about gathering a working knowledge base. It is not about memorizing something, cramming everything in, and then forgetting everything you learned. Even if you spend 30 minutes everyday reviewing the slides, it will help you retain the information.

Review everyday or at minimum every other day. I did shorter study sessions and even studied on the go when I was busy. I tried to get in 1-2 hours daily. That doesn’t mean it has to be all at the same time. It was just 1-2 hours over the course of the day. Remember, quality over quantity!!

1 week before an exam, I would increase my study hours to around 3-6 hours per day, or even more (yes, I have woken up at 7:30am, got the library by 8am and studied past midnight… only to repeat it again the next day. It didn’t happen too often though… just for Adult and Elder 2 or Med/Surg 2.).

 

Studying on the Go

Traveling on the train is common in NYC. Instead of taking out all of my paper slides on the train, I whip out my iPhone to review the slides. The program I used is GoodReader. I downloaded the PDF version of the powerpoint slides onto GoodReader. You can do this through wifi, signing into the nyu.edu website and downloading it directly, Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive, Google Doc, etc. You can also highlight and write on the document  and create folders using GoodReader.

Anyway, good luck! Let me know what has worked for you.

How to Donate Blood at NYU

Posted on by

This location is open EVERY Thursday from 10am to 5pm and is diagonally located from Gristedes (Mercer Street and West 3rd Street). Check out the map below for the location.

The day before you donate, please remember to drink a lot of water (to quicken the flow of your blood) and to eat iron-rich foods (such as meat or spinach).

Please do not exercise before donating. Your blood pressure may be too low and your pulse will be too high and you will be asked to come back another time.

You may donate every 56 days (8 weeks). If you donate, you will receive a free Regal movie ticket and a t-shirt!

Throughout my 15 months here at NYU Nursing, I’ve donated 4 times. The people there are really great and it is truly satisfying knowing that you are helping to save a life or three. Hopefully down the road, if you ever need a blood transfusion, you know that you helped too.

What’s left of nursing school

Posted on by

I am almost done. It is so exciting! These are the last assignments and exams.

Statistics – 3 homework assignments (due 4/16, 4/23, 4/30), final (on 5/8)

Critical care – case study #2 (finished! Due 4/16), quiz #2 (on 4/16), final (on 4/23)

Community – health education project (due 4/16), quiz (on 4/16), simulation (on 4/20)

Leadership – simulation (on 4/17), final (on 4/25)

Community health profile: Evidence-based practice for smoking cessation among Chinese American smokers in NYC

Posted on by

For my community nursing class, it requires a group of 8 students to write a community health profile. We divided up the work, and I’m responsible for writing about the evidence-based practice section. Considering that the NY Times has recently highlighted the fact that all of NYC residents has decreased smoking rates EXCEPT among Asians, I decided to write about that. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/02/nyregion/asian-new-yorkers-resist-anti-smoking-efforts.html

Using Google Scholar, I was able to search a couple of articles and settled on one through PubMed. I went through the NYU Library website to download the PDF file. In case you’re interested, here’s the citation (APA format):

Wu D, Ma GX, Zhou K, Zhou D, Liu A, Poon AN. (2009). The effect of a culturally tailored smoking cessation for Chinese American smokers. Nicotine Tob Res, 11(12):1448-57. Epub 2009 Nov 13.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19915080
Considering that the study takes place in NYC, it should be relatively easy to implement in Chinatown. Now, we just have to get more organizations involved and train CHWs.

NYU Nursing Accelerated 15-Month Program FAQs

Posted on by

I recently had a former classmate ask me about NYU College of Nursing – Accelerated 15 Month Program. I felt that she had some good questions and thought that others may benefit from this information. Feel free to contact me directly at jesschang07@gmail.com for any other questions or comments. At the time of writing this information, I have completed my 3rd out of 4th semester through the program.

Where did you take your prerequisites?

I took my prerequisites at my first college. However, you can take nutrition and lifespan development online and other courses at any accredited community college or university.

Is the program really intense or is doable?

The program is intense, but it is also very doable. You will learn how to balance your school-home-social life.

How much of the 15 month program is actual lecture and how much is clinical? What is the schedule for classes?

It is about half and half. Two days are clinical days and two days are lecture days. For example, Monday and Wednesday are lecture days. Each class is about 3 hours long, except for Integrative Seminar, which is a class developed for students and the professor to give feedback to each other and gain a greater understanding of nursing as a whole. Then Tuesdays and Thursdays are clinical/simulation days. Each class has a slightly different clinical schedule.

How much is the program? How much is tuition? Are there scholarships?

As of December 2011, tuition is about $19,000 per semester. The program is 4 semesters. Scholarships are available, especially through HSRA. However, I know that most students take out a student loan.

Where do you do clinicals?

I have done my clinical at New York Presbyterian – Cornell (GI), Bellevue (oncology), NYU Langone Medical Center (telemetry), Hebrew Home (rehab and dementia), a local housing site (psych), Mount Sinai (Maternity), and Maimonides (pediatrics). In the spring, I will be at Lenox Hill Hospital and a community health center in Chinatown. You will be able to pick where you want to do your clinical. It is also recommended to go to different hospitals (private and public) to get a feel for the differences in the hospitals.

What is the schedule like for simulation days?

During the 1st semester, the simulation day is from 7:30am – 2:30pm including a 1 hour lunch break. It is crucial to review the skills by reading the book and watching the videos so that you are prepared to perform those skills during class.

During the rest of the time at NYU, the simulations are 3 hours long. There is a scenario posted on Blackboard and pre-simulation questions that must be completed and submitted 48 hours prior to simulation.

Is 15 months = 4 semesters?

Yes.

Do they expect you to remember a lot from the prerequisites?

It is strongly recommended that you understand anatomy and physiology for a first semester class called pathophysiology. If you do not remember, then you will have to play catch up during the semester.

Nutrition will be helpful as well. As long as you understand the basics of microbiology and lifespan development, you will be set. Chemistry – you should understand osmosis. Statistics will play a bigger role in Introduction to Research (taken 2nd semester), but you will be provided a quick refresher at the beginning of the semester.

How are the professors? The exams? The grading? The amount of homework/studying?

I believe all professors are doctorate prepared. Majority of them are great – they care deeply about their subject. The exams and grading are fair. During non-exam weeks, I study and do homework for about 10-15 hours per week. I begin to prepare for exams one week in advance and study for 30-40 hours that week. Most classes also have podcasts available. Some podcasts are directly from the lecture and other podcasts, the professor expects you to listen to them before the exam (they aren’t discussed in class).

Do you recommend the school and program?

Yes. Make sure your finances are okay first though because it is a big investment.

How does specialization work with nurses anyway?

Once you graduate, you will become a BSN, RN. You are allowed to choose any field that interests you. If at any point you want to change, you have the ability to change fields without consequences. Dr. Ea wrote a book called 201 Careers in Nursing, which goes to show you the width and depth of nursing. Johnson & Johnson has also created a fantastic website on exploring nursing specialties, detailing the setting, education you’d need, the typical salary, job characteristics, and some nurses’ stories about the field. To specialize as a RN, you will do certificates. To further specialize, you can return to school for Masters, DNP, and PhD.

What is the dual degree program? When do you apply for it?

NYU College of Nursing allows students to apply for the dual degree program in their 2nd and 3rd semester. It allows students to work for a year after graduation, and return to NYU for their Masters of their choice.

—-

For current new graduates and NYU Nursing students, I wrote a brief outline of what you can do for you to get a job shortly after graduation.

Update 5/27/2015:

Read NYU’s Accelerated Nursing Program FAQ’s Part II, which is an email of questions from a prospective nursing student, find out if NYU Nursing is worth it, how to pick a good nursing school, and find out if you can afford an accelerated program. Or if you have any further questions, email me.