AGACNP - to do a fellowship or not?

[ArmaniX, MSN, APRN]

Soon to be graduate of an AGACNP msn program, curious on everyone's opinion in regards to doing a fellowship post graduation. If anyone is a part of, or did, a fellowship please share your experiences.

I've seen various options, Vanderbilt seems to offer one in conjunction with their DNP program and as well there appears to be one at UCLA.

Really considering the options and general consensus on these programs versus standard employment. My ultimate goal is to work in critical care as a nurse practitioner.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

Fellowship programs have the advantage of a year of structured training focused in the specialty but I think an important question you should ask yourself is if you could afford to have a year of earning less than an NP or possibly even making less than an RN. Many of these programs are funded from a source that could not afford to pay market NP rate. The guarantee of a job after fellowship can be attractive. We have a Critical Care fellowship for new grad AGACNP's at our institution that's been going on for 3 years now and we've hired all the fellows who have graduated including two who took a Critical Care position.

[ArmaniX, MSN, APRN]

One would wonder if they'd be able to afford the high cost of living in some of these locations given this reduce pay.