Hellpp!! Advice on going to graduate school!!!

UVA Grad Nursing · Jan 25, 2009

There are really two answers to this.

One is when will schools allow me to apply? Most NP schools want at least one year of full-time RN practice before you enter an APN program as a fulltime student. Some will allow you to enter as a part-time student without a year of practice.

The second question is "what is best for me". That is very individualized. Most graduate nursing education is specialty-based. I encourage students to pursue a graduate program when they know that a specific specialty is right for them. I don't recommend pursusing one specialty for a MSN and then having a "V-8 moment" and realizing that you made a mistake and pursue something else as a Post-Masters student. So the questions to ask yourself include (1) is a NP role right for me; (2) is a family specialty right for me --- and not one of the other dozen plus types of NP; (3) do I want to be fulltime/parttime.

A third thing to consider is whether you want to do about the DNP. AACN has issued a statement that all APN preparation will be done at the DNP level by 2015. I encourage all that who are considering APN education now that a DNP degree will likely be in their futures. So you need to consider whether to pursue a MSN first then a DNP, or to pursue a BSN-DNP program. I believe that BSN-DNP programs will become more plentiful in the next year or two as more DNP programs become fully accredited.

So there is no easy answer to your question. And what is right for you may not be what is right for your clinical buddies.