Is anyone here a December 2026 nursing graduate who applied to CHOA’s nurse residency starting February/March 2027? I completed my video assessment in August and still haven’t heard anything. My application just says “In Consideration.” Has anyone from this cohort received a recruiter call, interview, offer, or rejection yet?

Hi all! I'm applying to ADN programs for the Fall 2027 cohort and would love some perspective from people who know Oregon nursing.

TL;DR:

Strong GPA, zero patient care experience. Trying to decide if getting my CNA is worth it, and if so, whether to work full-time as a CNA (pay cut) or keep my current job and potentially pick up per diem shifts on weekends, if I proceed with a CNA program.

My background:

- BS in Computer Science. I currently work full-time in a non-clinical healthcare IT role.

- Cumulative GPA: 3.799 (all previous undergrad plus my first term of nursing prereqs, all A's so far). Should be around 3.8+ after this fall term.

- Prereqs on track to be done by March 2027.

- I don't live in the Willamette Valley, so I'm mostly focusing on ADN programs in central and southern Oregon. Going ADN because ABSN programs look significantly more expensive.

- I'm originally from the South, where my understanding is nursing admissions are much less competitive than on the West Coast. Honestly, I have no realistic sense of how competitive Oregon programs are beyond what I've read online.

Why I'm considering CNA:

I have no direct patient care experience, and I think it's the weakest part of my application. That said, I'm not sure how much CNA experience would actually change my odds.

My questions:

1. How much does CNA experience actually help with Oregon ADN admissions for someone with a strong GPA but no patient care? Is it a nice bonus, or closer to expected?

2. Would full-time CNA work look meaningfully better than one per diem shift a week, or is it mostly about having the certification and some hours?

3. Is it realistic for a brand-new CNA to get hired per diem with weekend-only availability? Should I aim for a hospital or long-term care?

4. Most of my deadlines are in February 2027. If I got certified in the next couple of months, I'd only have a few months of hours. Worth it for this cycle, or mainly a safety net in case I have to reapply?

5. Has anyone counted a behavioral health direct-care role (like a QMHA position) as patient care experience? I'm wondering if admissions would see it like CNA work.

6. For anyone who's applied in Oregon recently: how competitive are these programs for a ~3.8 GPA applicant?

Thanks so much in advance!

Hi! I would love anyone's input or opinions on whether I should aim for Joyce University's hybrid ABSN program or OHSU ABSN. I'm 29 and work full-time in tech now, hoping to get out asap and thinking either NP or CRNA long term. Tuition price is similar between the two.

pros and cons:

Joyce:

pros:
- earlier start date (Jan)
- already accepted
- hybrid format (asynchronous online classes) so I can keep working until clinicals (or whenever things get too busy)

cons:
- clinicals can be anywhere in Oregon, so I may have to drive quite a ways
- need to be in Salt Lake a few times throughout the program (adds logistical complications and cost)

OHSU

pros:
- better school reputation
- local program to where I live
- in-person classes and local clinical placements

cons:
- later start date (summer)
- not yet accepted and more competitive admissions so may not be accepted at all

Any thoughts are helpful! Thanks!

Hiiii, wanting to know how does the residency like at Tuality Hillsboro?? I know it's one year but is it all in person ?? Also please let me know, how it is working at Tuality ! Thank you

Hi everyone! I’m considering Concordia University St. Paul’s ABSN program at the Portland location and would love to hear from current students or graduates!

If you could mention which semester you’re in or when you graduated, that would be really helpful! I know it’s a lot of questions (10) so no pressure to answer everything! Thank you so much!

1) How many students are typically admitted per cohort?

2)What does your typical weekly schedule look like? How many days are you required to be on campus?

3)Are lectures mostly asynchronous, or are there mandatory live online classes?

4)Are labs and clinicals usually scheduled on consecutive days or spread throughout the week?

5)Are clinical schedules assigned, or can students choose their days, times, or locations?

6)How long are clinical shifts (8, 10, or 12 hours), and how many days per week?

7)Are exams taken online or in person? Are they proctored?
Approximately how much do you pay in tuition and fees per semester?

8)Have you received any scholarships, grants, or financial aid? If so, approximately how much?

9)Were you ever waitlisted before being offered admission? If so, how long did you wait?

10) Overall, would you recommend the program? Do you feel it’s worth the tuition?

My question is basically the title. I was accepted to U Pitt’s ABSN for Fall ‘27, but as a Portland resident I’m looking at some pretty steep out of state costs. Between moving/living expenses + tuition, it’s reasonable to expect taking on $55k-$60k in loans to complete the 12 month program.

I’ve also applied to OHSU and Linfield’s Summer ‘27 cohorts which are much more financially reasonable, but I won’t hear back from them until February/March if at all. My lack of medical experience and community involvement also probably hurts my chances with OHSU specifically. If I don’t get into either campus, I’m committed to biting the bullet and going to Pitt.

I’m also open to entering loan assistance programs in exchange for service for a few years, or pursing other options to help pay off any loans, but I’m currently focused on working in the ICU after graduation. If you have any advice or perspective please share, thanks!

Hello! I am a 23 y/o first year student starting prereqs for a Healthcare profession and have been seriously looking into the nursing program offered through PCC, CCC, and MTCC. I do not have any previous credentials, and likely won't be getting any before I apply for the program, so most of my points will be based off of my GPA. Despite a few bumps that are specific to the different colleges, i.e. MTCC offers a point or two for first generation college students. I currently work as a direct support provider, and will be taking on some roles at my job (medication audits/planning for group homes), so hopefully some of that experience will be applicable to the point system but I don't think it will be from what I've read on the different advising guides. I plan on applying to all three schools when the time comes to boost my chances, as they are all locations I could get to from home okay.

Curious for people who have been accepted to a school offering this program, what points were you allotted that got you accepted past Phase 1? Is it worth spending the time to get online credentials while getting prereqs complete & getting some experience there, or saving my cash and brain power for getting the best grades I can on prereqs? I know this is all very circumstantial, but I'm curious to find some stories about others being accepted and have had trouble finding that on existing threads.

Hey all. I'm an ADN working on my RN to BSN through Chamberlain's online program. Part of the curriculum includes a community health practicum. Unfortunately, Chamberlain does not have any sites set up in the Portland area, so I'm on my own to find one. Does anyone currently work in a community health setting that takes on students or have any recommendations for possible sites?
Everywhere I've contacted so far isn't taking students at the moment. Thanks in advance!

hi! i’m relocating to portland once i secure a job (i know the job market is entirely oversaturated and that it will take a while. Im fully prepared for the grueling process) but i was wondering if anyone had insight:

what are the benefits/health insurance premiums like for the part time jobs through the main hospitals: OHSU, Providence, Legacy? (24hrs a week/0.6 FTE)

i’m seeing some part time job openings and couldnt find the exact benefits on the ONA website, other than the premium seemingly very low at Providence?

i pay $350 month right now for full time, limited benefits in the South for just me. Are they typically lower than that?

Ideally i would take a part time position and a PRN position in a different speciality if the benefits to pay ratio was good enough.

Thank you in advance!

Asking for a friend, allegedly… but does the required drug test for the ABSN at OHSU care about weed? Trying to plan my timeline of when to stop if I-ahem-my friend ends up getting in next year. Thanks!

Hi all,

I work at a residential SUD treatment facility, and I can find info on staffing ratios for long term care, psychiatric hospitals, and medical hospitals, even medical detox services, but I cannot find anything specific to residential SUD tx. I've been concerned about my work load & patient care.

Who would you recommend directing this question to? ONA? OHA (they seem to have a board for medical hospital staffing ratio questions)?

Hi everyone! My husband and I are both BSN RNs currently working in CO, and we’re considering relocating to OR. We’re looking into OHSU and are hoping to hear from nurses who currently work there or have worked there before.

My husband is an experienced dialysis nurse and is interested in applying for the acute inpatient dialysis position at OHSU. We’d love to hear what the culture is like in the dialysis department, how management treats the nurses, what the nurse-to-patient ratio is like, and how the workload is overall. Also, is the pay competitive, and do they give credit for previous nursing and dialysis experience when determining your starting rate?

As for me, I’m also exploring nursing opportunities at OHSU, but I’m still trying to figure out which departments would be good to apply to. I’d appreciate any recommendations, especially from nurses who can share their experiences with staffing, management, work-life balance, and the overall work environment.

We’re also wondering how OHSU compares with other hospital systems in OR. What do you think are its biggest advantages, especially when it comes to pay, benefits, retirement, and work culture? Would you recommend OHSU, or are there other hospitals in the Portland/Vancouver area that we should consider?

We’re hoping to make an informed decision before making the move, so any honest feedback or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

I have a family member in the hospital who will need to transition to a skilled nursing facility. I would love to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly about all of our local facilities in the Albany and Corvalis area.

Hey everyone! I’m graduating in May 2027 and want to start preparing early for new grad jobs and residencies.

What helps a new grad stand out? What do hiring managers look for in applicants, and what can we do during nursing school to be more competitive?

Thanks for any advice!

Looking at options for getting into school sooner rather than later, but have seen a lot of conflicting reports on the program. (Yes, I’m aware of the cost difference between private and community college programs. But I’m not willing to wait several application rounds and/or another 1.5 years of prereqs to get into a cc program)

I am a second quarter student in Clark's nursing program and am also using my summers to take BSN courses at WSUV. I really want to get as much experience as possible to not only make myself a competitive hire but also gain as much knowledge as I can since my previous career was not in healthcare. Are there many internship options in the area for students? I had heard a classmate mention doing one over the summer and was curious how readily available something like that is. I am currently a patient transporter at Emanuel and plan to switch to being an ED tech next year for even more experience.

Anyone here works at RRMC med surg unit? I am nurse and my wife is a hospailist. We both got job at RRMC and will be starting around February of 2027. During the interview we felt the vibe was okay.

I wanted to know more about my wife's job. do you know how many patients does each hospailist have? They told us 15-16 in interview but we doubt that's true 🤣.

hello! i’m applying to the OHSU ABSN portland campus with a 3.96 undergrad GPA (psych) and 4.0 in prereqs. i have long-term care CNA experience and critical care hospital CNA experience and am working on volunteer hours. if anyone has any suggestions on holes in my application to make me a more competitive applicant, i would love any advice!

I'm from southern Oregon and our hospital allows us consecutive day incentives where past 5 in a row we get 1.5x and beyond that we get double time.

Are there any other hospitals in Oregon offering that kinda money?