Direct Entry Nurse Practitioner Masters Programs Admissions

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Hi everyone,

So I am a junior in college majoring in kinesiology. I want to become a nurse practitioner and would like to apply to a graduate school that offers direct entry into a nurse practitioner program. I am wondering what my chances of acceptance will be to nurse practitioner based on my undergraduate work.

My overall gpa is a 3.0

My science gpa is a 3.5

I currently work as a physical therapy aide. I have worked as a pharmacy assistant. I have interned at a physical therapy clinic. I have volunteered as an escort and in outpatient surgery at a local hospital. I have roughly 60 hours of shadowing a nurse practitioner. I am a member of the American Red Cross Club and American Cancer Society at my school. I was also an intern in the sports medicine department at my school.

I am just wondering if my chances of getting into a school are good enough and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of how to make myself a more competitive applicant. I know my overall GPA is low but is there any way I can make myself a stronger applicant? Any thoughtful suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Welcome to AN! The largest online nursing community!

Your thread was moved for best response.

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Specializes in ICU, IR, PACU, CCRN, NE-BC.

To be a NP you first need to be an RN. There are some schools that have RN-MSN NP, however, if you wish to better your chances get a high GPA in nursing school and from there keep on volunteering. I wish you luck!

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To be a NP you first need to be an RN. There are some schools that have RN-MSN NP, however, if you wish to better your chances get a high GPA in nursing school and from there keep on volunteering. I wish you luck!

(Actually, there are tons of direct entry programs that take individuals with a BA/BS in another subject and combine basic nursing education and a education in an advanced practice specialty. People don't​ need to be an RN first.)

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
Hi everyone,

So I am a junior in college majoring in kinesiology. I want to become a nurse practitioner and would like to apply to a graduate school that offers direct entry into a nurse practitioner program. I am wondering what my chances of acceptance will be to nurse practitioner based on my undergraduate work.

My overall gpa is a 3.0

My science gpa is a 3.5

I currently work as a physical therapy aide. I have worked as a pharmacy assistant. I have interned at a physical therapy clinic. I have volunteered as an escort and in outpatient surgery at a local hospital. I have roughly 60 hours of shadowing a nurse practitioner. I am a member of the American Red Cross Club and American Cancer Society at my school. I was also an intern in the sports medicine department at my school.

I am just wondering if my chances of getting into a school are good enough and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of how to make myself a more competitive applicant. I know my overall GPA is low but is there any way I can make myself a stronger applicant? Any thoughtful suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

It's going to be tough with that gpa. Work hard to get a straight 4.0 in your pre-reqs before you apply.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
To be a NP you first need to be an RN. There are some schools that have RN-MSN NP however, if you wish to better your chances get a high GPA in nursing school and from there keep on volunteering. I wish you luck![/quote']

Well technically you need to be an RN, but you never have to work as one. DE programs grant an RN along the way.

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Specializes in ICU, IR, PACU, CCRN, NE-BC.

Never heard of these type of programs. Very interesting.

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Never heard of these type of programs. Very interesting.

They've been around for a few decades now. They're v. popular. Basically, an accelerated BSN program and a conventional MSN program rolled into one, for individuals with no nursing background but a BA/BS in another subject.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
(Actually, there are tons of direct entry programs that take individuals with a BA/BS in another subject and combine basic nursing education and a education in an advanced practice specialty. People don't​ need to be an RN first.)

Yes, they do exist but don't believe that they should. You can't practice advanced nursing until you've practiced basic nursing. An NP with no experience just can't appreciate the pre-sepsis patients that show up in the office post-op. I use that only as an example although a young, healthy woman died in Albany, NY after cholecyctectomy because the NP she saw had never cared for a sick patient - a

REALLY sick patient. I am also very skeptical about people writing prescriptions who never took organic chemistry. This is one way of separating the wheat from the chaff. I guess as long as MD's hired them to take care of their healthy patients, they can't do much harm. However, with public health care coming to the forefront of taking care of huge numbers of patients, these NP's are going to have to confront sicker and sicker patients as more MD's drop their Medicare patients who will show up at the federally funded health centers. Too many NP programs are lackluster.

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Hi Tloneil,

I made a good friend at a jr. college who had received her BA from Cal and wanted to become a NP after working at a clinic. She was able to take her pre-reqs and did very well in them. She was accepted into a program in CA for an entry level masters with her BA and the pre-reqs that they required. She's incredibly smart and I have faith she'll make a FANTASTIC NP. With the ACA, I believe the need for NPs will be apparent. I would hope to think that schools like UCSF wouldn't have a program if they felt it wasn't safe to do so. Maybe take more science courses and do well in them to show your growth, even consider taking graduate level courses. Anyways, GO FOR IT!

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Specializes in Mental Health.

You would do better to try to change your major to nursing and get a BSN. Then go into an MSN program (not direct entry). You'll spend more time in undergrad, but it'll be worth it since you'll raise your GPA (you should have above a 3.4 cumulative GPA to be competitive) and gain valuable experience. Direct entry programs are not really for fresh graduates. They're more for people who graduated, had some work experiences, and then decided to respecialize in nursing. You're still in undergrad so just get that BSN while you can. I'm sure you'll save money in the long run since direct entry programs are quite expensive, especially the first year which is a fast track RN program that you won't have to do if you get your BSN

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Specializes in School nursing.
Yes, they do exist but don't believe that they should. You can't practice advanced nursing until you've practiced basic nursing. QUOTE]

Which is why several direct-entry programs require/recommend that you work as a RN before graduating as a NP. I'm in a direct-entry MSN/FNP program myself and working as a RN is a requirement after completing the RN portion and while taking classes in the NP portion. I completed my RN coursework, passed the NCLEX, and am now working full-time as a RN while taking my NP courses part-time.

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