Confused!! Post masters or DNP

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Hello fellow nurses!!

I started working as an NP House Officer at this university hospital 4 months ago. I mostly deal with medical patients. We have our own RRT. I work at night and therefore deal w/ mostly episodics e.g. SOB, CP, N/V/D etc. etc.

I graduated from a Primary Care NP program. Most of you know, most primary care programs teach us about out-pt care/management. I work side by side with two docs, they are willing to teach me and a great resource. There are also specialists that I can ask here and there.

I am thinking of going back to school for an Acute Care Cert. NYU offers post cert, but it will cost me an arm and a leg. I am thinking of going back because I feel incompetent sometimes. Another reason is I am planning of moving to NYC in a year or two but city hospitals prefer acute care cert NP over primary care NP - pls. correct me if I am wrong.

Regarding the DNP, My hospital can pay for the degree, but I am really not sure if its going to help with my current situation.

HaHa!!, I really don't know what to do, I just really want to be competent of what I do. On my nights off, I read and review, I know, such a nerd :geek: . Is taking the Fitzgerald

acute care review and update will help or am I just thinking too much.

JayJay

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

If they pay for a DNP would they pay for a APRN-DNP and get your new certification that way.

You are probably learning as much if not more with the mentoring and self study you are doing now.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

What is your specialty?

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Specializes in Cardiology, Research, Family Practice.

If your concern is your acute care skills, then I recommend pursuing the acute care certificate. BONs in some states are pushing forth legislation that only allows ACNPs to work in hospitals. If your goal is to work in the hospital, and you're responding to acute situations, it seems most fitting to pursue to the acute care certificate. Perhaps you can find a dual ACNP-DNP, feed two birds with one worm kind of thing, but at a minimum go for the ACNP.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

Couple NP's in our hospital are pursuing post master's primary care to AGACNP at Penn. It's a distance program that is streamlined but requires 1 year experience in the acute care setting as an NP. Cost isn't high from what I hear.

Streamlined Post-Master's Primary to Acute NP

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I completed the Upenn program in 2014 and it was awesome, distance based and able to complete at my own pace, the content was excellent, had no problem passing ANCC AG-ACNP on first attempt.

You need to be certified as ANP or FNP with at least a year in an acute care setting to qualify. Cost was for 3 courses, around 15000 total in 2014.

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Thank you all for the reply! I really appreciate your input!

UNCNP - How was the program? I am not be able to apply until the Fall of 2017. I am probably "strong" by then and hopefully breeze through the program. Fifteen grand isn't that bad. I am assuming that you chose your clinical site. Was it hard to get into the program?

NYU's post master cert has a lot of nsg fluff incorprated within the program.

Thank You!

Jayjay

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The content of the program was great. You have either videotaped or recorded lectures to complete, you write 3 papers during the clinical course and take exams online during the other courses. I had been a Hospitalist NP for 6 years at that point and I learned so much.

I don't know about hard to get in as it was all online, I don't know how many people apply or anything like that.

If you are working in acute care you can use your work hours for clinical, they have to contract with your employer and you have to submit notes, H&Ps, etc for review. They also give you so many EKG, XRays to read, etc.

This is only for certified FNP or ANP working in acute or critical care while in the program.

AGACNP exam was much harder than FNP to me but I passed on the first try with Penn's FNP/ANP to acute care classes. You are getting the same lectures as the on campus students just doing it at 10 pm after work on your laptop.

The lecturers were first class as you would expect from Penn.

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Oh and also there is no fluff, it is all clinical except you do write one paper comparing the scope of practice for primary care vs acute care NP, this however was helpful for me as I understood better the issues around this whole debate better after reading through it.

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I'm in the same boat!! I'm an FNP but all my background was in ICU so my first NP job is as a hospital's cardiac NP. Just for liability purposes I just feel the need to go back and get a post masters acute care cert but I am thinking of doing Brandman's dual DNP/post masters acute care cert program just to kill two birds with one stone. Is a DNP worth it though? I already have so many school loans, am hoping I can apply for a federal public service loan to help pay for my loans. I'm not sure what anyone else thinks about getting a DNP??? Any advice would be helpful!

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Hey how are you? By any chance, do you still have the copy of the contract? I started talking to the managers at my job and they are not really sure about it? What exactly do you mean by sending my notes and H&P? I know its a stupid question lol. Is it like lets say I see Mr. Jones, and when I get home I'll do my notes and send it or the school wants my note from my job? Thanks

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You could pick up a copy of xyz hospital medicine book in the mean time and read it thru for comfort

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