Future FNP Program Student!

elkpark · Jun 27, 2018

Yes, I have a tip -- choose a school that actually does its job and provides appropriate clinical placements.

darnellescott · Jun 27, 2018

Well that's not really helpful. But thanks.

Jules A, MSN · Jun 27, 2018

Yes, I have a tip -- choose a school that actually does its job and provides appropriate clinical placements.

This is sound advice. My suggestion would be use whatever RN contacts you have made to network. Ask everyone you work with if they know a friend of a friend of a friend. Good luck.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 27, 2018

Well that's not really helpful. But thanks.

No, it really is. Listen to this advice. Do not give money to schools that won't do their job properly, or who will cause you much stress and possibly an extended graduation date due to you not being able to find preceptors. I go to a school that finds all my preceptors for me and I've never had to worry a day in my life. I just got the email the other day that I got placement at my first choice without me doing a thing other than mentioning to my dean that I'd like to go there. My wish was their command.

Cococure · Jun 27, 2018

I am going to say the same thing...find a school that secures preceptors! Unless you have major contacts that can assure you placement find a school that does. Here is why NP school is already stressful and demands study time. Why add more stress with finding a site? You stated that you already have no connections well then be prepared to add about $2k in addition to tuition to pay for placement. I am in my peds rotation and found out that 2 other students paid over $2k per semester to find placements. I have not had to pay and I disagree with the practice of charging students $15/hr for rotations, just comes across as greed and taking advantage of a bad situation. I am ok for making extra money not gonna knock anyone for doing that but charging way too much...anyhoo I digress. I am in at a state school that originally placed students and then bam I was on own to find placement. From my personal experience its an absolute nightmare ...calling over a 100 providers find placement is real...trust me I did it. So instead of using my time to study, I wasted it by calling and interviewing as a potential student. Now in all fairness, I am in an area with other large universities with other NP programs/med schools and PA schools so of course, they have contracts with many offices etc. So take your location into consideration also, if you have large schools with the same program you might encounter the same dramas I did. But, if you insist on going to a program where you have to find your own placement start securing your contracts now! Find out when your clinicals start and get working on contracts now, many provider offices especially peds are already booked through 2019. Another option is to go rural and I mean rural to secure your contract. I personally know of someone who finds placement but she is willing to drive 2+ hours in order to do so and yes she works and has a family and yes she is beyond stressed and wished every day she went to a school that secured a site. The advice being given is not to be mean or harsh, it is real and it is stemming from a problem of too many online schools charging crazy high tuition and expecting students to find placement is ridiculous. Yes, my in-state school pulled a fast one on me but it was too late in the program to switch to another school so I have tough it out and I have but with so much stress it wasn't worth it. I have been blessed with good preceptors but I had to utilize all my connections.

Just my 2 cents

Cococure · Jun 27, 2018

Oh yeah and and more point to consider is that some pratices will not accept online only students...yep it's real. I have had several office managers ask me about the details of my program....again just my 2 cents!

elkpark · Jun 28, 2018

I have not had to pay and I disagree with the practice of charging students $15/hr for rotations, just comes across as greed and taking advantage of a bad situation.

I disagree strongly with the whole concept of schools expecting students to find their own preceptors but, just for the sake of argument, if that is the case, why shouldn't preceptors charge for doing so? In my graduate program a kazillion years ago, all the clinical practica were supervised by school faculty, who were paid by the school (and a lot more than $15/hr, needless to say). The schools that expect people to find their own preceptors are charging students full-time tuition while only providing half the education, the didactic half (and, in the case of the online schools, not much of that from what I hear), and expecting professionals in the community to provide the other half of the students' education for free out of the goodness of their hearts. Why on earth should people be willing to do that, and let the cheesy schools off the hook?

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 28, 2018

I disagree strongly with the whole concept of schools expecting students to find their own preceptors but, just for the sake of argument, if that is the case, why shouldn't preceptors charge for doing so? In my graduate program a kazillion years ago, all the clinical practica were supervised by school faculty, who were paid by the school (and a lot more than $15/hr, needless to say). The schools that expect people to find their own preceptors are charging students full-time tuition while only providing half the education, the didactic half (and, in the case of the online schools, not much of that from what I hear), and expecting professionals in the community to provide the other half of the students' education for free out of the goodness of their hearts. Why on earth should people be willing to do that, and let the cheesy schools off the hook?

I agree but it should be the schools compensating the preceptors, not the students, who in effect are paying twice!

elkpark · Jun 28, 2018

I agree but it should be the schools compensating the preceptors, not the students, who in effect are paying twice!

Of course I agree with that, but my point was that it's not unreasonable for preceptors to expect to be compensated by somebody for doing the school's job -- and, in that context, $15/hour is a bargain! If people (students) are willing to be so blatantly taken advantage of and abused by a school, then that's on them. That's a choice they made.

I don't understand when or how it became a reasonable idea that schools charge students tuition and then turn them out to beg for free education from working professionals in the community. Is there any other healthcare profession that has graduate programs that work this way?

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 28, 2018

Of course I agree with that, but my point was that it's not unreasonable for preceptors to expect to be compensated by somebody for doing the school's job -- and, in that context, $15/hour is a bargain! If people (students) are willing to be so blatantly taken advantage of and abused by a school, then that's on them. That's a choice they made.
I don't understand when or how it became a reasonable idea that schools charge students tuition and then turn them out to beg for free education from working professionals in the community. Is there any other healthcare profession that has graduate programs that work this way?

I agree completely. Not only that but these preceptors are impeding their own income because precepting is a time suck and lost time = less patients which in turn = less revenue. Students who sign up for these establishments are contributing to this abhorrent practice. Stop enabling this behavior! Go to a school that supplies quality preceptors and remind them that part of your tuition should be relayed to said preceptor in lieu of their lost revenue. No wonder people can't find a preceptor if they're expected to do this for free!

Cococure · Jun 28, 2018

I agree completely. Not only that but these preceptors are impeding their own income because precepting is a time suck and lost time = less patients which in turn = less revenue. Students who sign up for these establishments are contributing to this abhorrent practice. Stop enabling this behavior! Go to a school that supplies quality preceptors and remind them that part of your tuition should be relayed to said preceptor in lieu of their lost revenue. No wonder people can't find a preceptor if they're expected to do this for free!

Yes, I agree that the preceptors should be compensated by the school but not by the students after all the students are paying quite a bit attending those schools. I am also aware of the loss of revenue if the preceptors are teaching/guiding etc. However, if the preceptors have 5 or 6 students at a time with little very little interaction/teaching that's not precepting that using students to line their pockets. Sadly, this does happen I know of a student who paid about $1500 to precepted by an MD only to see at least 5 other students who paid about the same for clinical hours. Needless to say, she learned little or nothing during that rotation. Currently, there is an NP who charges about the same and has 4-5 students per day. I have never taught at that level so I don't know how she sets up her day in order to effectively precept. I know when I have students or new nurses it takes time to teach them what they need to know. I have to agree that this practice will continue as long as students are willing to go to schools that charge high tuition and expect students to find their own placements. My advise to any student will always be to attend a good program that finds placements.