Walden University has new FNP and AGNP Programs

Nursing Students School Programs

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Walden has started new a new FNP and AGNP enrolling now for start date in Sept, Oct, and Dec. hope this is helpful to people that are interested.

The application process for the practicums has been a little cumbersome. The hardest part for me was getting the affiliation agreements hashed out with some of the larger facilities. Smaller organizations are much more streamlined. You can petition to take 2 practicums peer quarter as I have, but that will put you in the clinic 3 to 4 days per week each quarter. You might be surprised how much money is available through the government for graduate school. I take out enough to pay for school and have some extra money to help with expenses while I am only working part time.

3-4 days per week isn't feasible in the setting that I am working. Wow I may have to switch units and work 12 hour shifts. If not I don't see myself taking a year to complete practicums ;-(

This worries me because I work 9-5

There is a clinic in less than a mile from my home that stays open to 12 midnight. I know the medical director and several of the nurse practitioners. I plan to go in from 4 til 12 whenever I make it to that point. I have 5 core courses to take and 6 speciality. going to do everything I can to successfully finish in 18 months.

How is advanced pharmacology going, are there lots of test

Did you find it difficult finding a clinical location

Has anyone heard anything about an approval from Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board?

Specializes in Certified Family Nurse Practitioner.
How is advanced pharmacology going, are there lots of test

I have a 97.5 in the class half way through week 9. Yes a timed test every week, and they are killers, but the upside is they only count 10% of your total grade.

Specializes in Certified Family Nurse Practitioner.
Did you find it difficult finding a clinical location

I did not....but I have been a nurse for 20 years and have many connections in my area.

Specializes in Certified Family Nurse Practitioner.
3-4 days per week isn't feasible in the setting that I am working. Wow I may have to switch units and work 12 hour shifts. If not I don't see myself taking a year to complete practicums ;-(

This worries me because I work 9-5

in order to finish the practicum in 6 months you will have to put in at least 24 hours per week in clinicals. Sounds like you may have to change jobs or go part-time. I have quit work all together and will start clinical in about a month. I'm taking a break and doing some fishing before get down to business.

Hi Mark, thanks again for posting your experiences. I am finishing up EBP and Informatics; it has been a struggle for me while working full time, but I have maintained A's in both classes so far. As I may have mentioned before, I must work full time and my original plan was to take one class during fall and spring and two classes during summer and winter. After reading the time requirements for the classes with practicums, I'm thinking about adjusting my plan. I'm assuming the NURS 6053 is the same level of difficulty as 6050 and 6051. Can you describe what Adv. Pathophys was like related to level of difficulty and time requirements? Also, I'd like to know about Health Assessment and Adv. Pharm. if you don't mind. If I change my plan to take 6053 & 6501 in Fall 2013 then take 6511 & 6521 in Winter 2013, I can take the courses with practicums one at a time and still finish in my original goal time without quitting my job. (Part time isn't an option for me.)

Thanks again for all the information, it truly has been helpful with the decisions I've made so far.

Tatum

Tatum, if you are on Facebook there are groups for Walden MSN FNP students and they are a wonderful resource. :)

Specializes in Certified Family Nurse Practitioner.
Hi Mark, thanks again for posting your experiences. I am finishing up EBP and Informatics; it has been a struggle for me while working full time, but I have maintained A's in both classes so far. As I may have mentioned before, I must work full time and my original plan was to take one class during fall and spring and two classes during summer and winter. After reading the time requirements for the classes with practicums, I'm thinking about adjusting my plan. I'm assuming the NURS 6053 is the same level of difficulty as 6050 and 6051. Can you describe what Adv. Pathophys was like related to level of difficulty and time requirements? Also, I'd like to know about Health Assessment and Adv. Pharm. if you don't mind. If I change my plan to take 6053 & 6501 in Fall 2013 then take 6511 & 6521 in Winter 2013, I can take the courses with practicums one at a time and still finish in my original goal time without quitting my job. (Part time isn't an option for me.)

Thanks again for all the information, it truly has been helpful with the decisions I've made so far.

Tatum

I am finishing the last of the specialization courses as we speak...I have not found the specialization course to be any harder than the core courses to be honest, but personally don't like theory, and love the nuts and bolts of the specialization courses. Health assessment was the hardest of the 3 specialization courses because of the 6 video recordings that have to be done while you are assessing someone. To me the research and writing in the specialization courses was easier than the core, due to the fact that you are writing about specific disease processes and medications as apposed to the theoretical concepts of nursing. There are weekly quizzes in the specializations courses, and they are NOT!!!!.... easy. The up side is, they only account for 10 to 20 percent of your total grade, depending on the class. For example, I missed 9 out of 40 question this week, which gives e a quiz grade of 78, but it only pulled my overall grade down about two tenths of a point. I do know however, that many of my classmates have found the specialization classes to be much more challenging than core courses, much will depend on what your good at, and what you enjoy doing as to how difficult you find them....Hope this help.

Thank you Mark, as always it's a big help! Good luck... And Stacy, thank you as well! I'll check it out.

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