BSN to DNP (FNP or AGNP)

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Hey y'all,

I am going into my senior year of a BSN program. I have not been an RN or CNA before so my experience is limited to clinical times and a nursing study abroad. Does anyone have suggestions for BSN-DNP programs (FNP preferably) that I can apply to during my senior year of nursing school? I have a few in mind, but I am just looking for more suggestions. I know nurses have mixed feelings about entering a DNP program straight from undergrad and I understand, but I also think I can handle it and so do my preceptors. Anywhere that has conditional acceptance (graduating, passing NCLEX) would be great in addition to schools that I can apply to right after earning my license.

Thanks so much,

Cole

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Specializes in school nurse.

Sorry, but you haven't even graduated, let alone passed the boards. Put my vote in the "don't do advanced studies in a discipline that you haven't practiced yet column". Honestly, you may not even like nursing once you start practicing it- there are many, many posts on this site from new grads to that effect.

Also, consider the debt issue; don't get buried by loans.

Good luck with your final semester!

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Thanks, I appreciate your opinion. My primary is an FNP with no bedside experience outside of her clinical work and I would put her against anyone.

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Specializes in Varied.

Truthfully, the 2 years experience I have feels like nothing in comparison to FNP school. I am in a BSN to DNP program and applied shy of 1.5 years experience. I am a straight-A student, with excellent critical thinking skills and academic potential. That being said, while I do not struggle with content and am making great grades, I know additional experience would have truly prepared me to feel confident in my skills.

If you are adamant about applying, I would recommend waiting until you pass the NCLEX and start working. If you graduate in May and take the NCLEX sometime in the summer, you are not giving yourself enough time between degrees. Likely, BSN to DNP programs, especially those with NP specialties are not going to accept you, even conditionally. For-profit schools, with rolling admissions, may be able to get you in once you've taken the NCLEX.

If you want to apply for the Fall semester a year after you graduate (Fall 2020), ODU's MSN program allows you to matriculate into their DNP program. It is a total of 8 semesters. No GRE if you have a 3.5 BSN GPA. They only accept 35 students roughly for each specialty program.

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Thanks, inthecosmos! I will definitely look into that program. Personally I think it would be better to get experience first also, but I am scared that life will happen and I'll never get back to school. My friend goes to ODU now so I'll see if he knows anything about it too.

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I would really discourage a doctorate program at this point. It is heavy on program development/evaluation/quality improvement. Pretty much all of my classes required you to pick a clinical problem and complete a project on it. Without any experience, all your projects will be based on theoretical problems or ones youve only read about. It would be so much more meaningful for you to get experience first.

If you're gun-ho about graduate school right away, I'd recommend a master's program that would contain more clinical, less the other stuff I mentioned.

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Thank you for that. I am trying to figure out what to do. I plan on working as an RN during the DNP program (which the school I'm looking at says is doable for the first 2 years). In your opinion, cleback, would you recommend an MSN in FNP or a concentration without APRN degree? I do have ambitions to do grad school ASAP but I also want to do what would make the most difference in the long-run.

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Thank you for that. I am trying to figure out what to do. I plan on working as an RN during the DNP program (which the school I'm looking at says is doable for the first 2 years). In your opinion, cleback, would you recommend an MSN in FNP or a concentration without APRN degree? I do have ambitions to do grad school ASAP but I also want to do what would make the most difference in the long-run.

I'm not sure what you mean by a concentration without aprn degree? Is that a non-np degree? That would really depend on what you want to do.

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