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| Nationwide,
33 nursing schools have launched entry-level-to-master's
programs and the trend is gaining momentum. |
When Michelle Hampton, MSN, RN, earned her psychology
degree from the University of Southern California more
than a decade ago, she couldn't find a job. In fact,
she went to work at JC Penney before deciding to investigate
a career in nursing.
Her timing couldn't have been better, as the University
of California, San Francisco School of Nursing the year
before started an accelerated program for non-nurses
with bachelor's degrees who wanted to earn a master's
degree in the healing profession.
She was accepted into a class of 30 in 1993 and spent
the first year in clinical training and course work.
Two years later, she entered the mental health field
with her master's in the specialty of psychiatric mental
health nursing.
"It was very intense, but I didn't have any apprehensions
once I got into the program," said Hampton, who
is now director of staff development at Garfield Neurobehavioral
Center in Oakland.
Many others in her class had some health care background,
she said, whereas she had "a little catching up"
to do in understanding medical terms and performing
simple procedures, such as blood pressure readings.
UCSF is one of four Northern California nursing schools
to initiate an entry-level-to-master's program for people
with various degrees; 60 students now are accepted annually
into the three-year curriculum. Four hundred candidates
applied for the latest class and the demand is growing,
according to Scott Ziehm, ND, RN, assistant dean and
director of the master's entry program in nursing.
Ziehm, who is also an associate clinical professor,
said the program attracts bright, motivated people who
have strong liberal arts and science backgrounds. Those
enrolled take the RN licensure test (NCLEX) after the
first year of clinical studies and boast a 98 percent
to 99 percent pass rate. They then go on to advanced
practice studies.
"Nearly 400 people have been through the program,
gone out and gotten jobs in a range of advanced practice
specialties and have been successful," Ziehm said.
Hampton, who lives in nearby Richmond and has a 4-year-old
daughter, is working part time at her mental health
job and taking courses toward a doctorate at UCSF, with
an eye toward becoming a nurse educator. The inspiration
for the higher degree came during research study in
the master's program.
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