Published Jan 13, 2014
AQEELSMOM
121 Posts
Hello All,
I have been reading a lot on the forum as well as online, but still have some questions that I am hoping some of you can help with.
I am a canadian, currently in an ADN program in the US. I was originally planning to do an RN-BSN part time after I started working, but now think that ADN-FNP is a better choice for me as that is my ultimate goal.
My ideal trajectory is as follows: finish school/licensing and secure a job in a rural area for a year under my OPT, and then start looking for work in the US with a travel nurse agency, under a TN Visa. At this time I would also like to commence a part time ADN to FNP online program. My questions are as follows:
1. What is the difference between a US FNP and a canadian PHCNP? When I complete the ADN-FNP, would it be easy to go back to canada (ontario) to practice there? Is it just a matter of sitting for licensing exams and providing documentation, or is the process more complex?
2. I have seen some ADN-FNP programs that grant a bachelors partway through the program, and others that do not. What are all of your thoughts on this? I have not ruled out returning to Canada one day, and as the minimum requirement to practice as an RN there is a BScN, I guess I will have to find a program that grants a bachelors, in case I do not finish the program, or have to return to canada before i finish the program.
3. Do employers care very much about the school you graduate from, ie: from a strictly online school, or a brick and mortar school? What should I keep in mind when selecting a school to attend? Does anyone have school reccomendations? I have been going through the list of all the schools that offer ADN-FNP, but i am not familiar with the reputations of various american schools.
4. Does anyone see an issue with working as a travel nurse while doing ADN-FNP part time online? Has anyone done this? I would like to hear about your experiences. I am concerned with the whole preceptorship and clinical hours part, if its going to be difficult for me to fullfill the clinical hours, for example if i changed cities during a semester.
5. Do these schools that offer this program give scholarships/grants based on academic merit? As an international student I am already very limited in the type of funding I can receive. I maintain a 4.0 GPA and would hope that I could get some type of grant/scholarship to help defray the costs of the ADN-FNP. I know this isnt the subforum for this question, but if any international student happens to read this, I am interested in finding out where I can get any kind of scholarship/grant.
6. Do travel nurse agencies offer any kind of educational grants/funding?
Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!
Thanks :)