Duke University PMHNP Post-Grad Certificate

[Freckledkorican, MSN, APRN]

Hello

Has anyone gone through their program? What did you think? I am considering it and will appreciate any opinions.

Thank you🙂

[dualboardNP, MSN, RN, NP]

I graduated from Duke with my MSN in an NP specialty and knew that I wanted to become dual board certified and pursue my PMHNP postmasters after graduation. While the process for me to transfer to the specialty felt straightforward and I was essentially accepted before graduation, some things to consider:

1) My DUSON experience overall was one that I am satisfied with. My emails would be answered promptly by my professors, all of which were doctorally trained nurses. I felt my education was fantastic and loved the campus.

2) The on-campus intensives once the clinical portion began was a nice way to build community. I choose Duke because I wanted to continue nurturing and growing as an RN, earning as an RN in my area and they were able to support this with the asynchronous learning model.

3) Clinical placements are not promised no matter what they have listed on their website and this became an incredibly stressful part of my DUSON experience while an MSN student there. Despite their pricey tuition, I was doing ALL of the leg work and networking for myself, essentially doing the placement office's work, which took time away from my studies. I made miracles happen and sourced all of my rotations as a DUSON student except for one and never paid a penny to any preceptor registry. For the price that I was paying Duke, I found it unacceptable to have to source my own preceptors. While this seems to be a nationwide issue across the board with preceptors nationally, I felt the school could be more transparent on this and not say they have an extensive alumni network. Not knowing if you are able to graduate on time or progress due to clinical placements isn't a nice a place to be each semester.

4) My experience with clinical placements was not unique to me and something that many students, including those in PMHNP specialty, must grapple with no matter where in the country they're based out of while a DUSON student.

5) The PMHNP is cohort based and starts only once a year, in January and goes on until May of the following year. If you take a leave of absence, you will be delayed as classes are sequential. There are three required in-person intensives for PMHNP each semester that last approximately 4 full days, 7am-5pm. 

6) My partner is a PMHNP and saw me go through the MSN at Duke. He told me to really consider my experiences as I told him that I was leaning towards Duke for PMHNP. In the end, despite receiving a great education for my initial specialty, I ultimately chose another PMHNP program over Duke as a result of the subpar clinical placement experience. While Psych offers more options in terms of placements with telehealth, etc., I felt the price was much too high for me. What I mean is, not only would I be paying tuition, but I'd be paying with my own mental health as a result of all of the sleepless nights, worry and networking to find someone to precept me. Obviously having a partner who is a PMHNP would make the process easier for me, but it was still something that I did not want to deal with. Eventually I found a program that was half the cost and was very happy with pursuing the postmasters elsewhere. 

Best of luck to you. Duke is a GREAT nursing school and even with everything described above, I'd do it all over again (just once) because it suited my life, goals and enabled me to work as an RN the entire time that I was a DUSON student, but the clinical placement situation was truly disappointing.

[Freckledkorican, MSN, APRN]

dualboardNP said:

3) Clinical placements are not promised no matter what they have listed on their website and this became an incredibly stressful part of my DUSON experience while an MSN student there. Despite their pricey tuition, I was doing ALL of the leg work and networking for myself, essentially doing the placement office's work, which took time away from my studies. I made miracles happen and sourced all of my rotations as a DUSON student except for one and never paid a penny to any preceptor registry. For the price that I was paying Duke, I found it unacceptable to have to source my own preceptors. While this seems to be a nationwide issue across the board with preceptors nationally, I felt the school could be more transparent on this and not say they have an extensive alumni network. Not knowing if you are able to graduate on time or progress due to clinical placements isn't a nice a place to be each semester.

Well, crossing Duke off my list. I have a major problem with a university not securing clinical placements. Thank you for the reply!