St Joseph's College of Maine FNP program students

Nursing Students NP Students

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I wanted to start this thread for all of the new (and current) students at Saint Joseph's College of Maine FNP program.

Any info, news, updates or questions/concerns could be asked here for all the new and current students.

Any advice that the current students can give us new students would be greatly appreciated :)

For example...

1. How many books are required for NU 501?

2. Has setting up clinicals been difficult?

3. Have the current students had any trouble communicating with your advisors? Do they get back to you promptly?

4. Overall, how has the experience been? Are you glad you are in this program?

Thanks so much!

LJames13

Specializes in ICU/CCU.

Thanks for the info Shannon,,,,there are hiccups :)

Specializes in ICU/CCU.

congratulations!! also to the student who passed Boards...

Specializes in cicu,pccu.

Did you see they added 6 more courses as of july 1st..it's going to take forever to finish.

http://catalog.sjcme.acalog.com/preview_program.php?catoid=20&poid=960&returnto=527

Specializes in ICU.

No they didn't add more courses... They just changed the numbers. Many of us ahead of you are adult nurses who "griped" (for lack of a better word) about doing peds and OB first. As one who has done peds/ OB..... I thought learning the peds/OB theory was hard, like learning a whole different language from peds to adult. So now those of you behind us will start clinicals with adult theory and clinical, not ob/ peds. Hopefully, it will take some of the hiccups out of the program for you behind us. There is a group starting Adult theory at the end of the month, this is the first group starting in the new course numbers.

Specializes in ICU.

No they didn't add more courses... They just changed the numbers. As one who has done peds/ OB..... I thought learning the peds/OB theory was hard, like learning a whole different language from peds to adult. So now those of you behind us will start clinicals with adult theory and clinical, not ob/ peds. Hopefully, it will take some of the hiccups out of the program for you behind us. There is a group starting Adult theory at the end of the month, this is the first group starting in the new course numbers.

Specializes in cicu,pccu.

So how many credit hours is the program it says 48 on the page i counted 53.

No they didn't add more courses... They just changed the numbers. As one who has done peds/ OB..... I thought learning the peds/OB theory was hard, like learning a whole different language from peds to adult. So now those of you behind us will start clinicals with adult theory and clinical, not ob/ peds. Hopefully, it will take some of the hiccups out of the program for you behind us. There is a group starting Adult theory at the end of the month, this is the first group starting in the new course numbers.

Hello I have a question about clinical . Can you work 4 days a week and di clinicals onc a week? How far in advance you have to have preceptors line up. Should it be one or many? I have accesss to preceptors (FNPs) in the nursing homes. whould this be good?

Also classes on nursing assesments , phrmacology.. They are not clinicals , correct? TX NOrik 95

Specializes in ICU.

Norik,Yes, get many preceptors to at least say yes. Things happen and even though they say yes, it might be a no when the time comes. Nursing home fnp is ok, one of my classmates did NH clinicals this past semester. But in the second clinical you will have peds/ woman's health so you should find md/ np in this area. Yes, you can work 4 days a week. Just know for each clinicalYou must have completed 200 hours per 15 weeks. If you dont, you don't go forward! And you will be held up. During clinical and theory it is VERY stressful. For every 8 hours of clinical, you will have 4 hours of homework at home. Nursing assessment and pharm does not incorporate clinical. Also of note, don't plan on going with one preceptor each semester, try to go with 2 for 8 hours each week. I and another classmate this past semester got burned this way. She had one preceptor. The preceptor would only work 2 weeks out of the month and vacation the rest, so her clinicals were horrendous in that during those 2 weeks she had to do 32 hours a week plus try to hold a job. She almost did not get tge required hours due to this.I had 2 preceptors, the one guy took a week's vacation every month. So when he was gone, I went with my woman's health preceptor twice in that week. I just don't want u putting all your trust into one preceptor a semester and they take vacation, get sick, or kids get sick and it leaves you suddenly scrambling to find a preceptor. Plus it's good to see differences in preceptors and pick what you like about each one to incorporate into your own practice.

Canchaser...and other students further along in the program,

Do you guys feel well prepared now that you are in clinicals? Do you feel like you will be prepared to take the FNP boards? Also, for anyone who took Anatomy/pharmacology? Did you guys take the full 15 weeks to complete? I know all the MSN classes I tried to get done as soon as I can but I am assuming you need to slow down once these start!

Any feedback is great!! Thank you so much to the students that are helping the students behind you! It makes a huge difference.

Specializes in ICU.

In my first clinical, I was not prepared at all. I was learning woman's health/ Peds. All a new language since my background was in critical care. As I start the second clinical I feel more prepared. I'm studying for boards now by listening to tapes and doing practice test base questions. I'll be done next May.

Hey I joined for my FNP in may 2012 in ST Josephs maine, how long it took to gradute from the FNP program and I am currently in my Nursing leadership course, do we have to go through all the core courses to get into the actual FNP classes.And is the fnp classess also going to be writing papers with out any tutorials.

Specializes in Pediatric.

Priyaj,

Yes, you have to go through all of the "Core Courses" before you can start the FNP courses and Yes, they are a ton of papers!!

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