FNP program at University of southern indiana

WitnessRN · Mar 6, 2009

Thanks for the info on USI. So with Indiana State University ~ it is the MSN professors that are probmatic? Do you think that has currently been worked through?

Good info on hooking up with Dr. Hall. Will do.

I am a bit concerned about no PA's...that is the main mid level we have and the MD's do not usually precept anyone but medical students here. I am wondering how difficult it might become to find a MD to do the preceptor with.

Thanks so much for all your help. BTW, did you know that USI has a two, three, four and now five year track for FNP? Did you do the two year? I will be doing the two year. I guess I will call around and find out if I can find any Family Practice MD's that will take on a FNP student. I think it will be difficult here.

Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C · Mar 8, 2009

Thanks for the info on USI. So with Indiana State University ~ it is the MSN professors that are probmatic? Do you think that has currently been worked through?
Good info on hooking up with Dr. Hall. Will do.
I am a bit concerned about no PA's...that is the main mid level we have and the MD's do not usually precept anyone but medical students here. I am wondering how difficult it might become to find a MD to do the preceptor with.
Thanks so much for all your help. BTW, did you know that USI has a two, three, four and now five year track for FNP? Did you do the two year? I will be doing the two year. I guess I will call around and find out if I can find any Family Practice MD's that will take on a FNP student. I think it will be difficult here.

Wow, you are very intuitive. This is a very difficult question for me to answer. I would say, at least for me, it is fair statement that the Indiana State non-nursing professors within the graduate program are extremely problematic. Here are just a few comments about just one--the adv. stats professor, MacDonald

http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=358349

She was by far the worst instructor I have had over the last 253 college credits or so. The adv. patho prof at ISU was just as bad. The notion that there are insturctors out there who live for tormenting others is alive and well within these individuals.

As far as nursing facutly go at ISU in the grad program, they only had two FNP professors there. One had never worked as a FNP outside of diabetes. The only other professor there was my advisor. My friend, who was a professor in the undergrad program told me that my advisor was acutally out to get me because she did not like me for some reason. Up until I was told this, I had some really strange vibes from her that couldn't put my finger on. When my buddy dropped the dime on her, coupled with what I had been through with stats and patho, it was time to head to St. Elsewhere.

At USI, what you see is what you get. You have the top three NP's in the state teaching with over 120 years exp between them. Mother Hubbard was actually the first NP in the state of Indiana. There is no mickey mouse crap of back stabing and you get a strong sense that there is an active learning partnership between student and faculty. They never belittle you or interfere with you asking questions during lectures in real time via stream casting.

As far as the time line, I'm not sure. But do and try and get a solid NP preceptor first. If you can't find one, then go to the second option of an MD or DO. Your preceptor is not only a solid role modle, but also will be helpful in reducting the info for measurements for exams and whatnot.

WitnessRN · Mar 9, 2009

Thanks Tammy, Sounds like Indiana State has some serious professor issues in attitude and in experience. How can they only have two FNP professors....that is nuts. I did go to the website for ISU and they give very little infomation on their faculty credentials.

So given all you know....it sounds like you would recommend Southern Indiana verses ISU.

Thank you so much!!!!

WitnessRN · Mar 10, 2009

Tammy, When you took Patho was the instructor Hughes??? Are you familiar with a Francesca?

Indiana State University also will allow you to use PA's, FNP, MD.

I know that Southern Indiana will only allow FNP and MD... I am wondering if they ever have or would make an exception?

Tammy are there any books that you found especially helpful that you would recommend?

Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C · Mar 10, 2009

Yeah, Hughes was that patho numbnut over at ISU. Franchesca over at USI? If so she is super nice. She is always such a wealth of info.

I'm not sure if ISU will allow PA's, but I know USI won't. I'm not sure I'd ask either. It might make them think that you don't understand the difference in roles and responsibilities between the two (i.e. one is dependent on the license of a physician in a different profession: medicine-not nursing; and the other is an independent provider in the field of professional nursing). Although similar functions, paths and professional development a bit different.

Here are the clinical books you will need.

DeCherney, A.H. & Nathan, L. (2006). Current obstetric & gynecologic diagnosis & treatment (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill/Appleton & Lange.

Dickey, R.P. (2007). Managing contraceptive pill patients. (13th ed.). New Orleans: EMIS Medical Publishers

Dunphy, L.M., Winland-Brown, J.E., Porter, B.O. & Thomas, D.J. (2007). Primary care: the art and science of advanced practice nursing (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.

Edmunds, M.W. & Mayhew, M.S. (2003). Procedures for primary care practitioners (2nd ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.

Fenstermacher and Hudson (2004). Practice Guidelines for Family Nurse Practitioners (3rd ed.). Saunders (Elsevier), Philadelphia.

Habif, T., Cambell, J., Quitadamo, M. & Zug, K. (2005). Skin disease: diagnosis and treatment. (2nd ed.) St. Louis: Mosby.

Kennedy-Malone, L.D., Fletcher, K.R., & Plank, L.M. (2004). Management guidelines for nurse practitioners working with older adults. (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.

Mertens and Underwood, (2005) SimClinic INTERACTIVE CASES Primary Care. Elsevier Mosby.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Richardson, B. (2005). Practice guidelines for pediatric nurse practitioners. St. Louis: Elsevier: Mosby.

Richardson, B. (2005). Practice guidelines for pediatric nurse practitioners. St. Louis: Elsevier: Mosby.

Siedel, H.M. Ball, J.W., Dains, J.E., &Benedict, G.W. (2006). Mosby’s Guide to Physical Examination (6th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.

Recommended References:

Chernecky, C.C. & Berger, B.J. (2004). Laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures. (4th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.

Committee on Infectious Diseases American Academy of Pediatrics. (2006). Red book: 2006 report of the committee on infectious diseases (27th ed.). Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy, 2008, (38th ed.). (Pocket or PDA version)

Focus on Dunphy for exams. Also, "Suture and surgical Hemostatis" by Pieknik is pretty useful if you have not sutured before. If you are not familar with interpreting X-Rays, "Essentials of Radiology, Second Ed." by Fred Mettler is really good. Also, if it has been a while since microbiology, "Clinical Microbiology made ridiculously simple, 4th ed" by Gladwin & Trattler really helped me a bunch. Lastly, get a copy of Harrisons Internal Medicine. This will help with the take home exams.

The other books for theory, research and what I call the busy work courses: get as cheaply as you can on amazon.

WitnessRN · Mar 10, 2009

Wow, thanks so much for the book list! I really appreciate it. Great to know that the same patho person at ISU is still the one teaching... what a shame.

I do understand the difference of PA and NP...and the background teaching medicine/nursing. However, they do allow you to preceptor with an MD and they come from the medicine model as well. I was just curious. I won't ask.

Everyone that I have met at USI is extrememly kind and helpful. I believe it is a wonderful university. Your feedback has been invaluable.

I will get that microbiology made simple asap!

Thanks so much for all your feedback and advice.

You are almost done. I have seen other say they are using Margaret Fitzgerald's book and recorded seminars to gear up for the certification exam...do you plan to use a source like that? Aslo, what PDA do you and your classmates find the best ~ along with the software? When would I need to have it?

Thank you!

WitnessRN · Mar 14, 2009

I just looked at the faculty at ISU and of the 25 on faculty over 15 have FNP or WHNP, or CNM or CNS. But of that 15 there are 12 FNP's on Faculty. I guess they must have increased the number of FNP's since you were there Tammy.

I also noticed that Hughes still teaches Patho for BSN and MSN but on Rate my professors he was rated very high...although it was all undergraduate comments not graduate.

I also noticed that one could avoid McDonald as there are three Stat's teachers at ISU.

I just wanted to clarify that there are more than two FNP's at ISU..the majority of the staff is FNP...also they have quite impressive resumes.

I am not sure what happened to you over there...sounds like it got off to the wrong foot with Stats and Patho. ...and Pharm..which as you noted are not actually Nursing Faculty.

I haven't made a decision yet on USI or ISU.. I have two weeks to make my decision. There are pro and cons to both schools. :)

I really appreciate all your impup, help and advice. I am still struggling here. :)

Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C · Mar 14, 2009

I just looked at the faculty at ISU and of the 25 on faculty over 15 have FNP or WHNP, or CNM or CNS. But of that 15 there are 12 FNP's on Faculty. I guess they must have increased the number of FNP's since you were there Tammy.

If you look at the credentials of most nursing faculty at ISU, you will note that the vast majority are advance practice nurses (NP's or FNP's or APRN's, etc). Unfortunately, if you look at the roster of FNP courses, you will note that only two are (or at least were when i was a student there) are assigned to the FNP program. For example the PHN undergrad course is taught by an MSN-FNP, but she doesn't teach at all in the FNP program.

I also noticed that Hughes still teaches Patho for BSN and MSN but on Rate my professors he was rated very high...although it was all undergraduate comments not graduate.

Very true. Hughes, much like Obama, is very charismatic yet the product produced by the two are equivalent. Although he is not malicious like the stats professor, he is every bit, in my oppinion, as ineffective of an educator as macdonald.

I also noticed that one could avoid McDonald as there are three Stat's teachers at ISU.

Too true. But, at least for me, you have to question the integrity and the wisdom behind a senior nursing advisor recommending this individual with all of the baggage she has. For me this was a bit over the top.

I just wanted to clarify that there are more than two FNP's at ISU..the majority of the staff is FNP...also they have quite impressive resumes.

Again, I would say the vast majority are APRN's, but only two (posibly three now) are assigned to the FNP program, proper--not including the adjunct courses like theory, research, patho, etc).

I am not sure what happened to you over there...sounds like it got off to the wrong foot with Stats and Patho. ...and Pharm..which as you noted are not actually Nursing Faculty.

True, the patho and stats were not nursing faculty, but pharm was taught by nursing faculty and that was pretty much a complete waste of my time. The other faculty, I trully believe set me up for failure with recommending that stats professor. When my undergrad faculty pal tipped me off that my advisor was out to get me, coupled with similar feelings of the same, it was time to move on.

I haven't made a decision yet on USI or ISU.. I have two weeks to make my decision. There are pro and cons to both schools. :)

Both USI and ISU are good instituions. Please don't let my extremly poor and negative experiences at ISU sway your decision. I know and still keep in contact with a few people that completed the ISU FNP program that have had positive experiences (except for patho, pharm, research, stats and theory) and are glad they went to ISU.

WitnessRN · Mar 15, 2009

Thanks Tammy for all your feedback. Lots to think about. I believe that I am leaning toward Southern although I am a bit worried about not being able to use PA's which are what are mainly used in my area. Could be a bit more challenging which is what has me a bit worried. At ISU I could use a PA if needed.

So theory by Saucier is not good.... I saw that over the summer the regular research class is not being taught by the Korean instructor but by Sherie Howk I think was the name. I think White teaches Pharm...Are those the ones that you had that were horrible.

Where in you their undergraduate program as well?

Thanks Tammy... Did you hear that Dean White at USI got promoted from assistant Dean to full Dean. I am so happy for her. She is awesome!

Thank you so much for all your reponses they have been so helpful.

Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C · Mar 15, 2009

So theory by Saucier is not good.... I saw that over the summer the regular research class is not being taught by the Korean instructor but by Sherie Howk I think was the name. I think White teaches Pharm...Are those the ones that you had that were horrible.

It's funny. Although most had trouble with her, I thought Saucier was one of the best instructors I've ever had. She is a bit aloof but is very good. She has traveled with all of the brightest theorists so her exp is all first hand, which is pretty impressive.

Thanks Tammy... Did you hear that Dean White at USI got promoted from assistant Dean to full Dean. I am so happy for her. She is awesome!

No I did not hear that. She is super nice and really makes the program. I'm always the last to know stuff, though. I keep hearing that the FNP program is impacted until 2012, then its not...then it is again. It's hard to keep track.

WitnessRN · Mar 15, 2009

Well, at USI I know that they put new FNP students into 2,3,4 and even 5 year tracks.... crazy. Apparently, nurses are trying to get the masters in case they change it to doctorate soon. So it is true that they have a lot of students and the program is over flowing to these other tracks. :)

Dean White only got promoted this week. The past Dean was promoted to provost.

What do you know of Howk?

Your analogy about Hughes makes me laugh. :)

Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C · Mar 15, 2009

Well, at USI I know that they put new FNP students into 2,3,4 and even 5 year tracks.... crazy. Apparently, nurses are trying to get the masters in case they change it to doctorate soon. So it is true that they have a lot of students and the program is over flowing to these other tracks. :)

Wow, that's cutting it pretty close. So, if they start now, the 5 year track will put them right on the line of that 2015 deal. What happens if they don't meet the board deadline--will they have to get a DNP then to take boards?

Dean White only got promoted this week. The past Dean was promoted to provost.

Wow, that's even better! On a side note, I'm boycotting commencment in May because they will not let us where our Sigma Theta Tau and Phi Kappa Phi honor cords with our hoods. I'm a huge STTI fan and Virgina Henderson Fellow. Ann said she would work to change this policy. Now that Nanette is the new provost, I doubt this will be a problem for future graduating classes.

What do you know of Howk?

My buddy who use to work with her (the one who tipped me off about Eley) said Cherie is really nice and the students really like her. She was new and teaching undergrad when I was there. I never had her as an instructor.