NP in less than 2 years. Seeking programs

[Barinbass]

I am seeking a shorter program than those that are 2 plus years long. There are schools that are this short. I am a nontraditional student and do want to complete the work online and be able to practice sooner. Knowing those schools which are very used to older students would be very helpful too. I will transfer in courses from another accredited MSN program. I hope you can help me narrow down the schools that offer online NP programs that are shorter than 2 years and are very used to nontraditional students. Thanks, Barinbass.

[MERCEDES674, MSN, RN]

Try University of Alabama Birmingham, University of Southern Alabama, and Samford University. I believe all of those FNP programs are less than 2 years. I am in a 3 year program at University of St. Francis and I don't believe that I would want to do a program that is shorter because it is hard enough to digest all that information in such a short period of time. Good Luck.

[cnmbfa]

Be careful what you wish for.

Advanced practice programs expect you to learn an overwhelming amount each and every semester. I went over three years and worked 20-30 hours per week, and could barely keep up. All of my classmates who worked full time and went over two years failed the board exam the first time. Others who didn't work and went over two years passed.

I would only consider doing it in LESS time if you have no other commitments (kids, job, partner). Even then, it will be really intense, as it should be. Just think about all of what you need to know to be a novice practitioner: assessment, differential diagnosis, labs, diagnostic tests, meds, epidemiology, statistics, how to evaluate evidence, a bit of informatics, latest issues in your specialty, and more.