Salem State University

Date: Apr 13 2009
Major: Nursing (This Major's Salary over time)
There are two reasons one should attend Salem State: Nursing or a degree in Education (if you want to be a teacher). As a mature nursing student, most of the students had families and commuted. The faculty were good; some had egos that needed appeasing but most were approachable. Overall, I would say the joke is on the BC students paying all that $$ for the exact same education…nursing is nursing is nursing; how you evolve into a highly qualified nurse varies from person to person. It will depend on your own personal drive, commitment and passion, especially AFTER you graduate when you can put some of that THEORY into real-life experience (the clinical rotations really don't give you that).

Speaking of clinical rotations, I think this aspect of a nursing program is crucial to choosing where to attend. For example,if you're going to Salem State, your clinicals will most likely be on the No. Shore; hence you won't have to drive into a big city (esp. important on winter mornings). Overall, this program was a bargain compared to others. The quality was good and for the most part, the profs were decent. Any nurse with a BSN will have an advantage over those with a lesser degree (ADN, etc.), if those still exist. Your fellow students will be supportive, but don't expect much from your 'advisor'. My biggest piece of advice: be sure you ABSOLUTELY LOVE NURSING before going into it; do some aide work first. It's a tough program, not for partiers or slouchers. Once you've done all the required coursework (lab sciences, etc) just to begin your nursing 101, it will have taken you so long to get to this point that if you are having doubts about nursing, you won't be able to turn the tide because it will feel like you're at the point of no return, so be VERY sure nursing is your thing…