Interview for NP program -- hints appreciated!

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I have to do a face to face interview as an applicant for a FNP program. These are always nervewracking. For those of you who were accepted into programs, any hints on:

1. appropriate dress?

2. What to say?

3. Any further pointers?

Any help is appreciated! I feel that the reasons I'd like to become an NP are that I'm very interested and very much a believer in good in primary care -- feel it is highly important, and basically, I'm more interested in what the doctors do than the nurses. It's not a slam of nursing -- I BELIEVE in nursing and I believe as nurses we are far more in tune w/ patients -- I'm just highly interested in patient treatment methods, what tests are ordered, what is prescribed, how the patient is managed medically. So, I'd love to combine those two areas and become an NP.

Are those good things to mention? Or too simplistic? I did pretty well in my BSN w/ a high GPA. I Loved patho, loved pharmacology. I love to study, basically. I also have a journalism background, so I'm a pretty good writer and communicator. I feel my communication abilities have served me well so far in nursing.

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Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

My thoughts...first-dress professionally, as if you were going to a job interview. It's respectful and shows that you take this seriously. As far as what to say, I think you should focus on why being an NP is what you want. Talk about why the nursing philosophy is important to you and why you think preventative care is important. I personally think it's a bad idea to intimate in any way, shape, or form that you want to "practice medicine" (for lack of a better way to say it) as an advanced practice nurse. I think it's fine to talk about wanting autonomy and the ability to use critical thinking skills to make clinical judgments. I would also suggest going to the AANP website and looking at their overview of what an NP is and the basic scope of practice. I'm sure you're very well informed, but it will just give you a little more background info.

Just my thoughts...I'm sure there are others out there who will have more to add!;)

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Thanks again, BC nurse! These definitely give me a starting point.

I also perhaps have a chance to take a job part time at one of those free standing ER's. I would think that would be a good place to work while I"m in school -- maybe less demanding where I am now. I'm not sure.

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I hope to be in your position, SoundofMusic, early next year--preparing for a NP program interview. BCgradnurse is spot-on: This IS a job interview.

You should certainly dress professionally, and be prepared to answer questions about why you're hoping to become a NP. From my years in high-tech and as a hiring manager, I would have to assume that anything you submitted in support of your application is fair game for questioning by the person or people who will interview you. If you've made your way to the interviewing stage there's obviously something the program found attractive about your background. (Having been briefly in journalism myself, and a long-time technical writer, I'm sure it's your writing background!)

Those who have gone through the process of interviewing for a NP program will obviously have more pertinent, specific advice than I.

The best of luck to you!

Reglet

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