Are you, or have you ever been an APN student?

[pacnwRN]

I have been applying to NP schools, and overwhelmed by all the information out there! Where did you/do you attend NP school, and how did/do you like it? Any advice for those of us who are just starting out? ANY info is helpful. I have done a lot of searches online and on this website, but there's a lot more information about those of who are just applying to schools, and it would be nice to hear from some of you who have actually lived it. :) Thanks!

[Riburn3, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP]

Riburn,

Am one of those students who is about to spend almost 80k to be an NP. I start at georgetown in January. Am more than glad that I got admitted there. Almost everyone I have talked to thinks the cost is too high. I do too. But am sure with hard work, I will come out well prepared. I attended an online school for just one class and hated every moment of it. I may have come out with an A but I literally taught myself. I don't want to have such an experience again.

Everyone is different. I personally prefer self directed learning, but I know that isn't for everyone. I'm also one of those people that learns better through actually seeing something in person, and value the clinical experience so much more. While I would love Georgetown simply for being in DC, and it's probably the only school I would seriously ponder forking over serious dough for. That said, the cost of living on top of the tuition cost is outrageous. Especially when you can get the exact same degree and credentials for 1/4 the cost elsewhere. Nursing isn't a prestige profession where your degree matters. Experience and credentials matter.

[Soon2bAGNP]

2015,

Congratulations on getting accepted into Georgetown!!! I have also heard from others that $80k is to much money but for me it is an investment in my future. A lot of people will say it doesn't matter where you go to school but where I am from it absolutley matters. There are 2 local schools that have FNP programs that put out alot of FNP grads. I work in a large academic hospital and have spoken with many of the attendings about who they would hire. Hands down they all said they would hire the" New Grad" ARNP from the more prestigious school over a lesser known school. Two of these MD's offered me a job for when I graduate once they found out that I was going to Georgetown. I think that most new grads are on a pretty even playing field as far as skills but when we are wll applying who gets chosen for an interview??? In a market that is saturated with FNP grads my belief is that the Georgetown name may not get me the job but it will get me the interview. That is just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions....

I agree. The market does appear to be saturated and the school you attend may very well be the one advantage you have over another applicant. Cost should a factor when making a determination as to what program you will attend, but it should not be the most important factor. I got into all three of the programs I applied to and ended up choosing the most expensive one because it had all the criteria most important to me. School is an investment in myself. I would not buy a house just because it was the least expensive one I looked at, I would buy the one that gave me as many of the items I was looking for in a home within a certain price point (possibly even going a bit over budget to get the most important things). That was the same approach I used when deciding on a NP program. Good luck to you.

[Soon2bAGNP]

Well I went with my gut, and will start my AGNP program in Jan. 2014. I really feel like the advice I received on these forums helped tremendously with my decision. Thanks y'all.

Good luck to you !! I am sure you made the right decision.

[Riburn3, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP]

I guess it just depends on what market you live in. In my market, they could care less if you went to Harvard, Georgetown, or BigBoxOnlineSchool so long as you have the degree and certification to back you up. Pre NP school experience also plays a big role, especially if trying to be hired by private groups out of school.

I guess I have a nursing mentality that most of the knowledge comes from your clinical experiences and after you get your degree. Sitting in a fancy ivory tower is nice, but doesn't really translate into the real world for me. The important things that matter are passage rates for boards after graduation, and graduate employment rate. If your school prepares you to pass your certification exam and leads you to a job, they've done their job whether. If you can find that for a good value, even better.

[2015]

Davesbride,

We should connect. Will you be doing fulltime? I will be.