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Discussion

BSN strait into DNP?

I am looking way into the future right now. PA programs used to req exp but now you can go into PA school right after undergrad, is DNP the same way or is there exp req? I am only asking because my goal is DNP, and with the market right now I think it might be better to just truck through school and get education now. So is it possiable to go strait from BSN grad to a DNP program.

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    Of course it's possible, but that doesn't mean it's smart. DNP is a clinical doctorate which means you're a clinical expert in some area. How do you choose an area with no experience? What are you going to do your capstone project on?

    It won't hurt to get more education, ever. But be aware that you'll still be a new nurse when you start working.

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    Go ahead and call me mean, but your chances of becoming a DNP at any point is about this big >

    Edit: I just wanted to further say that the reason I said that is because seeing things like this saddens me. I see people in my classes that just BARELY get by and I am afraid for patients. In addition, nursing already carries such bad social stigmas probably because so many people know nurses who really aren't that bright.

    However, I do believe school will help those who truly want to succeed. I swear I had a friend that could not spell if his life depended on it. He is now finishing up his business degree and writes great papers for school.

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    Go ahead and call me mean, but your chances of becoming a DNP at any point is about this big >

    Edit: I just wanted to further say that the reason I said that is because seeing things like this saddens me. I see people in my classes that just BARELY get by and I am afraid for patients. In addition, nursing already carries such bad social stigmas probably because so many people know nurses who really aren't that bright.

    However, I do believe school will help those who truly want to succeed. I swear I had a friend that could not spell if his life depended on it. He is now finishing up his business degree and writes great papers for school.

    Go ahead and call me mean but you are not even a RN yet, let alone someone who can give advice on Grad school. And I don't care to look over everything I write on a forum. It is a forum, not anything that is even close to formal. Granted I should have put some thought into spelling if I expected good responses. But are you really going to bust my chops for a mispelled word. Further more I have no problems getting A's in school, because in college, like in life there are no spelling tests. And You write, read, correct and submit. But I guess things are different at the ever selective National University.

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    Two thoughts to consider:

    1. Are you sure what you want to do for your specialty/subspecialty yet? Do not enter a doctoral program until you are sure of what you want to focus on. You will want to be sure that there is faculty expertise in that area to mentor you.

    2. If you are considering an APN role, you will want to go to a program that is accredited. Not many of the DNP programs in the country are currently accredited (approximately 15 of 100). Enrolling in a program that currently does not have CCNE accreditation may be a bit of a gamble if you are seeking Advanced Practice credentials. You cannot sit for the certification exams if you did not graduate from an accredited program.

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    I always advise people to get a little practical experience before making the big grad school committment. I know a lot of people (a whole lot) of people who enter college thinking that they know exactly what type of career they want forever who change their minds as they get a little experience and find out that are better suited for something else.

    You won't know whether or not you really like a particular specialty and/or have any talent for it until you actually get your feet wet (and your hands a little dirty) and give it a try. It's fine to be investigating the various career paths and educational requirements at this early stage of your nursing career ... but please take the time to try things out a bit and explore physicially as well as just intellectually before making any major committments.

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    llg and UVA, thank you for the advice. I am glad to know that it is possiable, and equally appericative of the fact that I should try the field before I commit to grad school.

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    I always encourage people to get some significant amount of experience in nursing before grad school, if only for the simple reason that most people aren't even aware of the entire, wide range of possibilities within nursing until they've been in the field a while. As llg and UVA noted, lots of people start or even complete nursing school sure that they know what they want to specialize in, but find as they gain more experience that they're more interested in something else entirely. That's a common experience in nursing!

    Most nursing graduate programs lock you into a specific career path or role. I've known several people (and I'm sure the few I've known personally are not the only people in this situation! :)) who rushed into grad school (in nursing) because they "knew" they wanted a graduate degree or thought they knew what they wanted to do only to find, after they had finished the degree, that they didn't like doing what the degree had prepared them to do. Now, they're stuck with a degree and career path they don't want (and the student loans to pay for it!), and are trying to figure out what they do want to do, and what degree they'll need to do that. That's not a happy place to be ...

    Any graduate degree in nursing will require so much time, effort and $$$ that it's well worth putting some time and effort in "up front" to be sure that you're getting a degree that will get you what you want over time.

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    Go ahead and call me mean but you are not even a RN yet, let alone someone who can give advice on Grad school. And I don't care to look over everything I write on a forum. It is a forum, not anything that is even close to formal. Granted I should have put some thought into spelling if I expected good responses. But are you really going to bust my chops for a mispelled word. Further more I have no problems getting A's in school, because in college, like in life there are no spelling tests. And You write, read, correct and submit. But I guess things are different at the ever selective National University.

    What does being an RN have to do with receiving advanced/terminal degrees? My point is that you should think through your ideas before posting them, otherwise you will not be taking seriously. Contrary to what you believe, many people do not have to "write, read, correct and submit," they do it correctly the first time without thinking a second thought. And if they did have to "write, read, correct and submit," I would give them two thumbs up for putting some thought into it. Though minor it seems, these things translate into real life, like reading a patients chart with the most ridiculous spelling/grammar written by a nurse. Why give physicians more fodder for the nursing profession?

    Lastly, what does my school have to do with you not being able to write correctly? I promise you there are plenty of people that cannot write at my school. Nonetheless, I do not want to turn this thread into something nasty either, therefore I apologize for coming at you like that earlier.

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