Fast Track Your Way to a Fulfilling Career

Do you have any advice for prospective and incoming Second Degree students? 

For prospective students, if you're on the fence about putting off a year of your life to come back to school for Nursing, do it. It's well worth it. I had considered the switch to Nursing for three years before actually starting the program. It can be scary to make such a major career change depending on your first degree and background, but I wish I would have had someone telling me to go for it and how worth it it would be. My previous degrees were in Business and Psychology. I worked in Advertising and Marketing for 5 years previously. If you're not feeling fulfilled or like your work is meaningful in your current career, you will absolutely find fulfillment with Nursing. I wish I had made the change earlier. 

For incoming students, enjoy the more relaxed pace of the Fall semester, because Spring semester and Summer semester are very busy. On the positive side, since you're eating, sleeping, and breathing nursing for an entire year, you'll gain more confidence as you get more entrenched in the program. You really feel like all of the knowledge you've learned comes together in the Summer semester. It's easy to get caught up in your work, but I would encourage you to do something for yourself once a day that's not school-related. The power center is great for a workout during your lunch break or even doing something as simple as stepping off campus and getting a quick bite to eat in the city with classmates. Duquesne's location is great with it being in the heart of the city. 

What does an average "day in life" look like for a Second Degree student? 

It depends on the day. In both the Spring and the Summer semesters you'll be in a full day of lectures both Monday and Tuesday with clinical rotations on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. On the lecture days, you'll spend a lot of time in class and most likely complete assignments that are due when you're out of class. I found clinical days to be a good time to study for the next upcoming exam when I got out of the hospital. 

Why did you decide to attend Duquesne University School of Nursing? 

There are a few reasons I chose Duquesne. I was looking at two other accelerated 12-month Nursing programs back home in New York. Neither of those programs started students in clinical rotations until the second half of the program. With an accelerated program being so fast-paced, I wanted to start my clinical experience in the hospital right away. Having classroom lectures paired with the clinical hands-on portion really helped solidify what I was learning in class. We started in the hospital during our second week of classes which is huge and uncommon for many other accelerated programs. I also knew Duquesne had an excellent reputation for Nursing. The most successful nurses I know attended Duquesne. Along with being a reputable school, I wanted the fastest program possible. I appreciated that Duquesne offered the 12-month option.

The professors were always available to meet for office hours in order to clarify information taught. The director of the ABSN program and professor, Amber Kolesar, was incredibly helpful and understanding of my learning style. She worked hard to give her students tips and tricks to remember key nursing knowledge that I still use in my job today.

Wright's Experience

I chose the 16-month track because, although intense, it is a little slower paced than the 12 months. One would think that it would be overwhelming, but I never felt that way. There are busy moments, sure, but you learn to work through it and how to plan around classes. Personally, I liked the way that the program was structured. The classes gave me a strong foundation of scientific concepts and nursing practices before leading into a heavier clinical schedule.

Kruger's Experience