Can you do a NP program 1 class at a time with minimal stress?

mrsboots87 · Sep 23, 2017

I have not personally heard of this anywhere. Much like nursing school, NP school is structured in that theory moves with clinical. So you have a class or two week (many online so you don't actually attend class most of the time) and then a clinical day or two depending on how many hours are required for that area of practice. You would be hard pressed to find a one day a week NP program anyway just based on the clinical requirement.

PixieRN1 · Sep 23, 2017

Most programs have a maximum time to completion. For example, if the program is about 3 years full time, you can take no more than five years to complete it. The best idea would be to cold call the admission departments of some programs you are interested and ask them personally. It's usually set in stoneâ€.

shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 25, 2017

I'm concerned that you say you are sick of the floor, so want to become an NP. Is that your only reason for being an NP? Have you spent time shadowing an NP? You really need to want to be an NP because you love NP work. It is understandable that you want to advance your career or make a change, but NP is not your only option. There have been a lot of posts here from RNs who became an NP for similar reasons who end up being very disappointed.

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 26, 2017

There are programs out there that are only one class at a time. On paper, that seems optimal. However, when you actually take the class, you find out that you are required to spend a certain amount of time posting discussion board questions on separate days. You have papers to write which take significant research and writing time. Those papers are difficult to write in a single day. I'm in a program where I'm taking 2 classes per semester. My kids are grown and out of the house. I spend most of my free time on school. I purposely schedule myself to work on the weekends so I have Monday through Thursday to work on school assignments & study. When I start clinicals, I will have to drop to part-time or per diem at work because I will need to spend three 6 hour days in clinicals (or two 9 hour days), plus continue my course assignments along with it. I can't imagine going through this and having very small children. There are some students in my cohort who have young children and I applaud them for working so hard, but they are exhausted.

As stated above, you should really understand why you want to be an NP. It is very different from being an RN. You will be the one responsible for the diagnosis, treatment and care plan. You will not simply be the nurse carrying out the orders any more. If you're burned out at the bedside, have you considered other aspects of RN work, such as legal consulting or working for a health care company in an administrative role?

You should only want to pursue the NP route if being the sole provider for your patients is something that is intriguing for you. It might not be the "escape" you wish it to be. There is a lot of paperwork, billing/coding, diagnostics, etc., that eat up your time, in addition to trying to see patients every 15 minutes.

Try to see if you can shadow an NP to get a true idea of what it would be like. I really loved shadowing the NPs where I work. I'm still a student, but I'm really excited to finish now.

Good luck with your decision :)

treeye · Sep 27, 2017

I'm enrolled part-time and is taking 6-7 credits per semester. I have a 10 weeks old and a three year old and works full time. I find it very manageable with theory classes only, not sure about clinical though. I guess it depends on your support system.

Julius Seizure · Sep 30, 2017

It would be a easier thing to just change to a different field of nursing rather than go back to school. Have you considered outside-the-box options like working away from the bedside?

aok7, NP · Oct 2, 2017

I respect that you are realistic about the amount of energy and time you want to devote to school at this time. The end result is that you need to be ready to function as a provider with that knowledge base, and as much as the fast-track or trade-school promotion of ease, there is really no way around getting this much information in your head. I am in my 5th semester, and if I had taken my core courses years ago I would be at a great disadvantage during clinical. If you get the kind of training and clinical experience which you need to be competitive when interacting in the real world, it is going to be brutal. I think you are wise to set yourself up for success and be ready if you want to be a NP. My two cents, and forgive me if I sound mean, but getting out of a nursing position is not a good reason to go to NP school. I would look into a new job and consider if you want to be a NP separate from your current job experience.

smileyfacefee · Oct 4, 2017

I am not aware of any NP school that you can get away with only doing work 1 day a week. Most online schools require you to do posts on 3 different days a week. Also have essays that require research, tons of reading, tests. And to make matters worse..if it's a "find your own preceptor" school...that takes time and effort on top of the school work. Then you will have clinicals...which many schools require a certain amount of hours...but keep in mind the school work doesn't stop just because you are in clinicals. My school requires 144 hours that has to be done over 10 weeks/semester So I would definitely say no to the 1 day/wk thing! Some other degrees in nursing don't require as much clinical time but it's all about what you want to do.

allnurses Guide · Oct 4, 2017

My question is, if I do one class at a time, could I devote just one day a week for school?

The simple answer is no.

Even if you took one class at a time, which would be less-than-ideal, as you approached the end of the program you would be looking at a minimum of one class day plus the outside-the-classroom work plus between 1 and 3 clinical days per week.