Anyone else rushing to become an APN before 2015?

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Reality is beginning to sink in and I'm getting nervous. I became an RN four years ago and have put off getting a BSN since. Actually in 2008 I enrolled in an RN to BSN program at a local University and took 2 classes. Since then I've had a baby and life was kind of a roller coaster so I hadn't gone back. I am now enrolled in a different school and am trying to figure out my time line to obtaining my MSN as an FNP. At this point, going full time for the entire graduate program isn't an option, as I have a family and work full-time. I hope to finish my BSN by December 2011, and am trying to determine whether I have the stamina to push it up to September 2011. The soonest that I figure that I will complete my FNP program would be December 2014. Talk about pushing it!!!! At that point, I may not even be permitted to test because of the 2015 deadline, and I'll find myself with another 2 years ahead of me for the DNP before I can begin working as an NP.

Now I'm struggling with how I'm going to do this!!! I may have to suck it up and go full-time, UGH!!! Anyone else feel the time crunch?

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
It's a recommendation, not a law. You have plenty of time.

Only IF your school isn't jumping on the bandwagon, mine is and whether it is a law or not they will only be offering the DNP.

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there arent many DNP programs i wouldl hedge a bet not enough to accomodate all the new FNP/ANP's out there!

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Only IF your school isn't jumping on the bandwagon, mine is and whether it is a law or not they will only be offering the DNP.

If one school isn't offering what you want or need, there are plenty of other schools out there ...

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).

I feel the time crunch!!! And I hate hate HATE it! I will graduate in May with my BSN (God willing) and I wanted to get a decent amount of experience before jumping straight to an APN program...but what I don't understand is what is the freakin rush?! I mean I don't understand why this is such a huge movement so quickly. I'm kind of a conspiracy theorist, so of course this just seems fishy to me lol. I have NOTHING against diploma or ADN prepared nurses, but I have a hard time wrapping my mind around why the BSNs isn't being pushed as hard to be standard FOR DECADES, but DNPs are already overpower *perfectly good* MSN programs in a matter of, what seems to be, a few (maybe 10) years. I personally can't have no desire to have a doctorate (PhD or DNP), unless someone else is paying for it. I never cared too much about theorists, or research, or writing papers. I just want to deal with the clinical aspects of nursing. I honestly thought the PhD in nursing was more than enough, IMO. But I guess not...

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
If one school isn't offering what you want or need, there are plenty of other schools out there ...

Well good luck with that depending on what speciality you are interested in. All I was saying is that for someone who is concerned about getting it done before they might be forced to do the DNP route they shouldn't just figure that they have plenty of time without further investigation.

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I'm in agreement. I think they should worry about standardizing the degree/training/education to become an RN before requiring a doctorate for advanced practiced nurses. I don't think it's done enough for pharmacists or physical therapists collectively so why assume it'll help a nurse? I think the fact that so many DNP programs are available by distance education is making a mockery of the so called "professionalism" behind the degree. What professional degree (law, medicine, dentistry, etc) is available by distance ed?

I know a JD is out there, but I think the only bar you can sit for is in Alaska. Creighton has a distance ed. PharmD program, but they still require an equal amount of clinical time. How is a DNP with courses mostly geared toward nursing theory and policy going to help?

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Specializes in LTC.

I heard rumor too here in KY about the 2015 deadline for the DNP. Am currently in an ADN program and will apply straight into an RN-MSN program that I can begin when I finish next July. The Pharmacy and Physical Therapy fields did it and I see us nurses being taken too with the Doctorate tide soon enough. Just a matter of when exactly.

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