FNP Programs that accept new grads?

Simmons College and Samuel Merritt University don't have experience requirements. Both are great programs and they both are online, find preceptors for you and are highly reputable! When I was applying to FNP school and researching various schools, a most of them didn't have a minimum experience requirement. A lot of well known and reputable programs such as Vanderbilt , Georgetown, and Johns Hopkins don't have experience requirements either! Just try researching and see what works best for you!

I know that this opinion might not be well received by some on this board but as a current NP student now and someone who teaches undergraduate nursing students as well I feel like I have a unique prospective into this issue.

If you are a brand new RN and you want to go back immediately to be an NP without any sort of RN experience I would strongly urge you to go the PA route instead. I say that because the number of clinical hours in most NP programs is between 500 - 750 hours (up to 1000 for a DNP but 250 - 500 of those hours could be working on a clinical project and not actually with direct patient care). NP programs justify this small number of hours because they state that most of their students are experienced RNs with a solid number of years of nursing experience under their belts. If you are a new grad RN it doesn't mean that you won't be successful as an NP but to go through that right away will put you at a big disadvantage because of your lack of clinical experience. However, the PA route does not require you to have any significant amount of healthcare experience (completing your BSN and your PCT time before it is more than sufficient). Like NP programs, when you complete most PA programs you will end up with a graduate degree. However, the bare minimum of clinical hours for a PA program is 1,000 (most are 1,500 - 2,000) and they tend to emphasize the hard sciences more than NP programs because PA programs are taught with the medical model (versus the nursing model in NP programs). PA programs are competitive and a bit pricey but I think that the way NP programs are currently set up is not geared to take a new grad. RN and bring them to an advanced practice nurse level with such a minimal amount of clinical hours/training. Plus I would also add that since you haven't been a practicing RN with many years of experience you aren't as likely to retain that "RN" aspect of your identity when you become an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) (an NP in this case).

To the OP, I hope you realize I am not trying to be offensive or in any way stomp on your dream and I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from being an NP. The advice I'm offering is from someone who is currently a student in a reputable NP program and because I work with other nursing faculty members who teach at NP programs (including one of the ones that was suggested to you in this thread). I think that if you decide to continue with graduate school and want to go to be an advanced practice provider then the PA route might be a better option for you and would leave you feeling more prepared to be out on your own.

Best of luck!

!Chris