Seattle U - APNI 2012 - Page 12

Hey Flaneur,

What caused you to lose interest in psych and choose adult/gero instead? Did you have to make this decision before applying or were you able to make the decision during the RN portion once you had already started the program? Thanks!

Flaneur,
Thanks for your thoughtful responses. It is so valuable to have the perspective of you and current classmates on this board. Good advice to just relax and not "freak out" about acceptances and the future when (according to last year's thread) you guys didn't hear from CON until March and later! The program sounds amazingly rigorous and your personal perspectives and advice add a lot of value. I applied to the AGNP tract and am encouraged to hear you are happy with this specialization!!!!

Hello,
I am new to this forum, but I also just applied for the 2012 cohort FNP. Sounds like I might be one of the "older" applicants and this is certainly a career change for me. My undergraduate work was done almost twenty years ago, so it's been exciting to be energized by learning again. My BS is in Environmental Studies, so this is a radical shift for me. I'm doing well on my pre-requisites and think I've got a decent GRE score. It's helpful to read the comments from the student's currently enrolled. I'm looking forward to getting to know you all here and waiting out this nail biting time between now and interviews/decisions.

It wasn't so much that I lost interest in psych (I plan on staying involved in psych), but more that when I was working in outpatient mental health as a social worker, I found that a lot of my clients with severe mental health illness had a very difficult time finding a primary care provider that wanted to see them and did a good job balancing their physical needs with their mental health needs. I'd like to be able to do that, so I figured that learning how to be an adult primary care provider would be the way to go. However, I love the idea of being a PMHNP, and could see myself specializing in psych later in life, perhaps if I pursue a DNP sometime in the future.

However, this decision needed to be made before-hand. We are not able to change our specialty once we start the program, so there isn't a lot of flexibility that way. I think this is because they like to keep the specialties split fairly evenly so they have enough clinical placements and faculty for each track.

No problem! I can remember exactly this day, a year ago...right before the deadline to apply. It seems so long ago, now, and I've learned so much. I really think the AGNP specialty is a great option. For me it made the most sense since I do not have an interest in working with children, and instead I would get more class/clinical time working with adults with serious and chronic illness. And you're right...December is a hard month because you've applied, but you will hear absolutely nothing during this month. So, relax whenever possible and have a great holiday! It will be plenty stressful later on waiting to hear back.

I don't think you're alone in this...while most of the students are in their later 20s or early 30s, we have a handful of students in our cohort (2011) who are in their 40s or older. Many people in the program are parents of several children. I think SU values the experience someone brings when they are changing their career. Best of luck to you, and everyone during this time! We're happy to give you whatever support or information we can, as students a year ahead of you. If you ultimately end up starting the APNI program next year, you will certainly get to know us!

So who on this board has officially submitted their APNI Application and to which specialization? I'm glad the deadline has come and the waiting can begin...

Scout,

I've officially applied to the midwifery track. Let the waiting begin

I applied to the PMHNP program. I had a minor breakdown while writing my letter of intent, but I got it finished, thankfully! Just playing the waiting game now. Sometimes it slips my mind that I finally completed the application, and then when I remember, I get nervous all over again