Any Vanderbilt alum feedback appreciated

sandnnw, BSN, MSN, EMT-B, APRN · May 5, 2010

I did it part time, worked 24hr week in ER, stayed current as an Air Guard flight nurse & still saw my three boys ocassionally...now my wife might disagree...but it's doable. Looking back, I met myself coming and going sometimes & I did have to say "No" a lot, there were some days I wondered if I had made the right decision...today though, I wish I had done it a decade ago. Write back if you have specific questions.

t2krookie · May 5, 2010

i did it part time, worked 24hr week in er, stayed current as an air guard flight nurse & still saw my three boys ocassionally...now my wife might disagree...but it's doable. looking back, i met myself coming and going sometimes & i did have to say "no" a lot, there were some days i wondered if i had made the right decision...today though, i wish i had done it a decade ago. write back if you have specific questions.

sweet! army dog here, and heading back to reserves in august. which specialty did you complete?

sandnnw, BSN, MSN, EMT-B, APRN · May 5, 2010

Adult, I did NOT want to see kids, as I said I have three boys of my own...I see them everyday and that's enough for me. It was a *little* more difficult getting a job, but I'm still glad I chose ANP. I still tell most folks to chose FNP, it jumps your career much more quickly.

Going back in eh, God love ya, I left after 23, still in the IRR and keep my DCUs in the basement, all my desert gear is neatly put away...just in case, you know what I mean. I wouldn't mind helping out and there is opportunity for that when you get your APN license...you just have to know the right people at HHQ. I have a few friends who continuously offer to submit my packet, I just need a break for a few years to concentrate on the boys.

The sweet deals are abound when you get that piece of paper...it changes you life, perspective and attitude toward nursing. I'm kind of a nerdy, science type anyway, but that APN just increased my nerd meter even more. My wife is amazed at me sometimes. She comments, "You study more now than when you were in school!" and she's correct. You'll see so many weird issues, different approaches and pick up on differential diagnosis, some of which will so confound you to point that just reading one source is not enough.

I'm lucky. Working for the government offers up so many free resources to read and foster knowledge far above most APNs (think academia here). I have a wealth of knowledge at my desktop...just waiting on little old me...

Keep asking, I have all the coffee to brew...

sandnnw, BSN, MSN, EMT-B, APRN · May 5, 2010

Oh, and BTW...I'm actually considering *going back* to get my DNP (ACNP)...now how crazy is that. Two years ago, you would have had to commit me for saying that.

t2krookie · May 5, 2010

Sounds like we r on the same ship. I have a couple of young boys myself and I dread being deployed away from them but the local medical commander assures me it won't happen as they would rather have me in school for a future NP than as a RN in the field (promises promises I know) but either way deployments are currently 6 months or less for medical officers (unless they volenteer extend) so it wouldn't be a total disaster. As for the nerd factor, I have so many hobbies revolving around computers, telescopes, and TKD, I'm not sure whether I'm a nerd or a wanna be jock, but it's fun vacilating between the roles:).

I do want the family cert. Simply to keep options open. I never worked peds myself but as a good friend reminded me, they are almost always self correcting and easier at baseline than adults. The big worry is comming up with a clinical site for them, and the clinical load in general. I would be financing the whole year no matter what so money is not the biggest issue rather than the workload. Did you do Vanderbilts clinical sites? I thought I noticed you were local to them.

sandnnw, BSN, MSN, EMT-B, APRN · May 6, 2010

Gosh, we are similar!

Here's what happened to me. I graduated in DEC '07 and my commander held my deployments as well. I shipped to Iraq the next month, so had to delay taking my cert exams, which, in hind sight, gave me a leg up to study ad nauseam during the down times (I took three books/1CD), which as you know, can be brutal (especially if you have kids). I had plenty of time to make thousands of 1/2 size flash cards and made several friends who actually enjoyed quizzing me, as I kept hearing..."wow, I didn't know that" or "Gee, I'm actually learning something to." I may have even stimulated a few of them to go back to school!

Vandy: They take two approaches. Since you are already an RN, you have a leg up and kinda know what you want. I would NOT just sit back and let my advisors pick clinical sites for my rotations. As well, I'd mix them up as much as possible. I don't recall reading what you wish to do with your FNP, but I can imagine, since we have a common pedigree, whatever you do you'll be successful. Uncle Sam has a way of producing the "creme de la creme" of medics, and I think you know what I mean here. I was rather lucky and cursed, looking back.

One of my best friends challenged me to return to grad school and offered up herself as a preceptor, blindly I agreed. She is a rather busy PCP in a large internal medicine practice, coming from an ICU/ER background, after my first rotation, this became rather monotonous, same history, refills after refills. My middle "Cardiology" rotation was even worse, and I only have myself to blame (I chose it!). Our advisors did recommend that we chose ONE or more rotations at a location that we might be interested in working after graduation. Taking this advice, I asked around my hospital and one NP rose to the top. After only two weeks, I started asking for other options (cath lab, general cardiology, stress test lab, echo reading lab, etc) and she complied. I learned some very important lessons about what I did NOT want to do with my new career. Don't get me wrong here, my preceptor was superb, intelligent, receptive and watched her patients like a mother hawk (very similar to her students). My other preceptor (friend) was just the opposite. From day one she pushed me "out of the nest" literally. I had my own dictaphone! Imagine going from total EMR to paper charts/dictation, that threw me for a loop. So the moral here is: take your time, do your homework and be very specific with Vandy (or wherever) you chose to go for your clinical sites. I believe the majority of your NP education will come out of those rotations, and they are so important. If you are like me, you'll find yourself jotting down notes throughout the day to take home and read up on...I still do this today! Occasionally my wife will say, "You study (read) more now than you did in school." It's true.

In summary, my clinical sites were: St Thomas Internal Medicine->VA Cardiology/Heart Failure->St Thomas Internal Medicine, about 220hrs each. I'd really do my homework and seek out options. You might consider a walk-in clinic for one of your rotations, not one of the chains, a "mom & pop" walk-in or one attached to a PCP/Medicine office. Don't forget the VA. We are a wealth of fodder for any PA/NP looking for excellent clinical experiences, and I truly mean that. If you want a RICH, broad, adult experience, I'd keep the VA ER in mind. As you know, you will see, hear, smell and experience challenging patients, families and the EMR is impressive. Our ER docs are all board cert'd, Vanderbilt faculty, so teaching flows through their veins (and you can tell). I glean from this field almost everyday!

Next time you come to Nashville, drop me a note and I'll show you our ER. Sometimes, smaller is better, and we are a family (I have the scars to prove it). Keep the great questions coming, keep in touch...hu-ah!