American Sentinel University - FNP

Hi everyone! Quick post- just wanted to give back to the community...when I was looking into various FNP programs that both fit my budget and had a challenging curriculum, American Sentinel was one of the schools that I looked into. Unfortunately, although I could find decent information regarding their RN-BSN program, there wasn't much about their FNP program.

It took me months of speaking with them, going through the catalog and finally occurring to me to look at the profiles of NPs on LinkedIn that graduated from American Sentinel to make a final decision. So, even though I don't start my first class until February 17th, I thought I'd just throw this out there in case anyone has questions later on as I progress through the program?

[pbj20, BSN]

ChristineS2004 said:

Hello,  

I graduated from American sentinel/post University, May 2023 with my adult gerontology nurse practitioner.  I completed the program in 28 months without any breaks. It was such a great experience for me. I had no problems whatsoever. I was working full-time, and I have children.  The classes are completely doable. You have a discussion post every week sometimes 2, but rarely and some written assignments for some of the classes. You may have a midterm or a final in some of the classes. You can look on Quizlet for questions related to the textbook for some of the classes.  And the 3P exam you can find a blue print if you go to the APEA website it is helpful, but I think you get most of the questions basically from the work you do in the first three classes.  After finishing the 3P exam, you have three more classes before you get to the core NP classes these three classes are pretty easy, their leadership, research and something else I can't remember pretty straightforward.   After you finish these six classes, you'll go into the core program of eight classes where you have your didactic and clinical.  I don't think I mentioned this but all of the classes are eight weeks long. Sometimes you get a week break in between.   If you are an adult Gerontology, Nurse, Practitioner, like I am you can use the same preceptor for all clinical rotations.  I personally did not want to work with children, so decided not to do the FNP.  For the FNP program during your third clinical and third didactic class you will have a rotation with peds and OB.  For that clinical you have to have two separate preceptors one for Peds and one for OB.  I noticed that it was difficult for some of the students which is mentioned on the facebook page. I also have a friend who did the FNP program while I was doing the AG NP, who worked at Kaiser, so she had no problem finding Preceptors.  Kaiser also paid for her whole program the only thing is that you will have to take breaks if your program paid for by Kaiser so she did take one break the entire time and she took four months off so two classes and she's finishing her last class right now. It just started so she's at her last eight week class and then she'll be an FNP.  Some advice I would give you about the facebook page is a lot of the stuff written on there is coming from an anxious place I believe because I never had any problems with any of professors.  All of the assignments are straightforward they give you instructions as long as you follow those instructions you'll get an A.  Also, I'd like to mention there's been a lot of changes recently for the good for example, they have reduce the amount of soap notes.  During my last clinical rotation I had to do six soap notes a day for each clinical.  The previous class that was probably a year ahead of me they had to do 12 soap notes for each day of clinical for their last rotation, because each clinical the soap, note requirement went up.  Now, right after I graduated, they change the requirement to only one soap note a week, which is quite amazing and let you really focus on learning in your clinical site instead of trying to write a bunch of soap notes.  The other great thing that changed actually changed during my last class, an exit exam which is a APEA.  Before this test was worth 40% of your grade so you had to score pretty high to pass with an 83% in the class., but now it is only worth 30% of your grade and remember the other assignments are writing a discussion post you're going to get A's on those and watching the  APEA videos.  My entire class passed.  The awesome thing is the school does give you the question banks there are four of them and they also give you the APEA videos do not buy these. They provide the Qbank in the second to the last class and the APEA videos within the last class.  I only use these two resources, and passed APEA exam and got an A in the class.  This was truly an awesome experience at American set an all post university, so much so that I talk to one of my friends and they're going back to school and she will be starting the program July 2023. Another one of my peers who did the AGNP with me, and graduated talked his wife who is also an RN will start the program in July 2023 also.  Another thing I'd like to mention is both my classmate and I took her a NP certification exam quickly after graduating, I took mine 16 days after graduating, and my classmate took his three days after graduating and we both passed the first time.  I feel like all those writing assignments all of the soap, notes and everything you do in school really prepares you for the certification exam.  I only studied for two weeks and pass the first time.  Whenever the negativity sets in or the worry of not passing or finishing the program, just keep telling yourself take it one class at a time and that you can do it!!  You got this!!   Please forgive any errors this is voice to text.

take care 

Christine 

Hi Christine!OMG thank you so much for all that information! That was very informative and very helpful! I start my 3P classes in August.

 

Is there any way I can ask your classmate/friend who's also a KP employee some questions about how she tailored her program schedule accdg to our Ben hudnall program? Bec my plan was to also take breaks so I won't have any out of pocket costs. Im just trying to figure out what my program schedule might look like if I do it that way. Thank you! 

[gtrebyari]

Hey this is a great school, a lot of self study but I can imagine it'll probably be the same with every other online school. The most challenging part is getting clinical sites. I'm in my last class and we have to pass a APEA predictor exam, hopefully I pass so I can get done with school. I'm also using BH trust fund, I did not have to pay anything, except my time LOL. Yes you would have to take a semester off because they only cover about 5k a year, granted that's a small price to pay. Best benefit for kp employees, IDK why everyone just doesn't go back to school, it's practically free. Christine how am I gonna pass this last class LOL n599, I was in your class before with Brit. There's no way to study for that APEA 

[pbj20, BSN]

ChristineS2004 said:

Yes I will ask her and get back to you.  We were in all the same classes with no breaks up until 20 months and Kaiser paid everything I believe and then she took a 4 month break and came back for her last 8 months.  She finishes in September.  Yes, she used the Ben hudnall program.  There were many times I thought about a break and I just kept pushing myself.  Take it one class at a time.  FYI It been a long time since I went to school too and if I can do it u will too.  Now I am working my first NP job and love it.  R u in CA?  OK write back when I hear from her.  

Yayy thank you I appreciate it! ?? Yes I am IN CA as well (SoCal). Yeah I wanted to know more about the set up for taking breaks and what not! 

[pbj20, BSN]

gtrebyari said:

Hey this is a great school, a lot of self study but I can imagine it'll probably be the same with every other online school. The most challenging part is getting clinical sites. I'm in my last class and we have to pass a APEA predictor exam, hopefully I pass so I can get done with school. I'm also using BH trust fund, I did not have to pay anything, except my time LOL. Yes you would have to take a semester off because they only cover about 5k a year, granted that's a small price to pay. Best benefit for kp employees, IDK why everyone just doesn't go back to school, it's practically free. Christine how am I gonna pass this last class LOL n599, I was in your class before with Brit. There's no way to study for that APEA 

Hey! 

OMG yeah that's what I thought too, if I can have Ben Hudnall pay for the entire thing, then I am definitely in! I didn't know it was possible! Can I ask when you took your breaks? Like after how many or which classes? And were you able to use any other KP education dollars whatsoever for all the other stuff in the program that you need to pay for? The advisor was talking about unlimited education dollars or something but I wasn't sure if I understood her on that part because apart from the annual BHMT, I only know of the stipend that we can use while working. But yeah if you can enlighten me as to how your program schedule looked with those breaks just so I can kinda map out what it'll look like for me too, maximizing each dollar I get from BHMT ? TIA! 

[ChristineS2004, MSN, NP]

gtrebyari said:

Hey this is a great school, a lot of self study but I can imagine it'll probably be the same with every other online school. The most challenging part is getting clinical sites. I'm in my last class and we have to pass a APEA predictor exam, hopefully I pass so I can get done with school. I'm also using BH trust fund, I did not have to pay anything, except my time LOL. Yes you would have to take a semester off because they only cover about 5k a year, granted that's a small price to pay. Best benefit for kp employees, IDK why everyone just doesn't go back to school, it's practically free. Christine how am I gonna pass this last class LOL n599, I was in your class before with Brit. There's no way to study for that APEA 

Is this Osa?

Is this OSA?

 

[AM35]

gtrebyari said:

Actually your right LOL! I just checked it out it's about 25k, so out of pocket 5k. Actually this is one of the cheaper school that being said it's probably because you would need to find your own clinical sites 

For N589  do you need two different clinical preceptors for pediatric care and women's care? 

[ChristineS2004, MSN, NP]

Yes, this rotation has a peds and ob/gyn clinical.  

[NurseEmerald]

Hello I am looking to start with the 3 P's can anyone give insight on how these classes were and the comprehensive exam? Thanks 

[Alexandra Champagne Taylor]

Osamudiamen Edebiri said:

Sounds good. I put my email too

how is Post University Program?

[Alexandra Champagne Taylor]

ChristineS2004 said:

Hello Ashley 

This is ChristineS2004.  You are correct  I graduated in 5/2023 from Post/ASU.  I live in CA and yes you are required to take Barkley Pharm Course after graduation for your furnishing license.  The pharm course  at Post does not meet CA requirements  

let me know if you have other questions.

Christine

how was the Barkley Pharm Course ?

[StephaniefutureNP]

Hello all, I've I'm so glad I've found this forum. I wanted to go to POST but wasn't finding any reviews online. I'm so glad I found you all, and after reading the reviews especially from Christine I'm sold! I'm gonna reach out to my advisor and enroll hopefully in April 2025! I work at KP and are using the Ben Hudnall trust fund. I didn't know about taking a semester off to qualify to have it paid 100%. I wonder if I should contact POST about it. Does any othe socal kp employed know ? Thank you! 

[ChristineS2004, MSN, NP]

There was a lot of KP students.  In my school group which we talked pretty much every day during school one of the girls was KP employee. Basically you don't need to contact the school because anyone can take any time off at any time most people take off like just a semester I think Brittney took off two semesters and then went back and finished. Yes anytime that you need a break. You can take off the eight weeks for vacation or if it like one girl took off for Christmas or the holidays I did not take any breaks and went completely through along with another person in my group.  This program is easy to do while working.  They have made it even easier with the requirements much less then before when I was still in school.  They have a FB group too.