Direct Entry FNP Programs

[ilovenursing42]

Ok, so I am really new to the nursing world so please forgive me if I make some faux pas. I have a bachelors degree from a UC school with a gpa of 3.6 in neuroscience. I recently took the GRE and got 85 percentile in quantitative but only 35 percentile in verbal. I did not recognize like 3/4 of the words or what they meant on the verbal section.

Anyway, I am interested in getting into a direct entry Family Nurse Practitioner program. I live in California and ideally would like to stay in California. I originally was planning to go into another field but because of unforeseen blunders that did not go as planned. So basically, I need advice from people. When I research schools online I have seen online FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) programs and part time programs also. How do the online programs work? Do people who go through online FNP programs still able to get the same jobs as someone who goes to a traditional FNP programs? I don't want to get fooled into an online program only to find out after I graduate that the degree is useless. Also, which programs offer part time FNP programs? I think I'm smart but I don't think I should have to study 24/7 in grad school just to get a decent job, so a part time program seems appealing to me. That way I can still actually HAVE A LIFE while I am going through the FNP program.

So to sum up 1- what is the likelihood of someone with my GPA and GRE scores of getting into a direct entry FNP program? 2- What are some of the better online or part time FNP programs that can be taken in California? 3-How hard is FNP school compared to being an undergrad with a science major like neuroscience? 4- I don't know if this exists but do direct entry nurse anesthetist programs exist? Any advice or feedback is greatly appreciated. Again, I'm sure some of my questions seem stupid to experienced nurses on this forum so I apologize for that but I am just trying to get some of my questions answered by knowledgeable people. THANK YOU!!!

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

Hi welcome to allnurses!

Sounds like you're interested in Direct Entry FNP programs. California has many of them and the degree of selectivity varies by program. The best way to figure this out is (1) Make a list of schools you're interested in attending and schedule a meeting with the program director or show up during an informational meeting with prospective students and (2) look up previous threads on various programs here on allnurses by using the "search" function.

California has 22 approved nurse practitioner programs and a good number of them offer the Direct Entry option. The list of NP programs are available on this website: Board of Registered Nursing - Advanced Practice Programs. Use the links to open each school website and see which ones have a Direct Entry option. You'll have to do the rest of the research basically.

Online programs fall into different categories: national for profit schools (Walden, Kaplan, Phoenix), state/public universities (Cincinatti, Southern Alabama, Alabama at Birmingham, Southern Indiana), and private universities (St. Louis, Georgetown). Reputation whether based on perception or measurable outcomes are not consistent. For profit programs seem to be on the rise and are viewed negatively by a segment of the general public.

Since your interest is in a Direct Entry program, I doubt that online programs will be an option for you. These programs follow the traditional NP educational route for nurses - earning a BSN first, getting licensed as an RN, then applying for MS/MSN later. Many Direct Entry programs do not grant a BSN although you do sit for the RN boards at some point during the program prior to starting the advanced practice component of your training.

What's also interesting about Direct Entry programs is that many are offered in well established nursing schools across the US in major urban centers - UCSF, Boston College, Columbia, Yale, Hopkins, Ilinois at Chicago, Penn, etc. They can be really competitive to get admitted to. Direct Entry CRNA programs do not exist for the mere fact that these programs require applicants to have worked as a Critical Care Nurse for a few years as a qualification for admission.