Need advise about ARNP grad school.

[FLoat RN]

Hello,

I'm searching for some advise about applying to the right graduate school. I am interested in pursuing a career as a nurse practitioner. However, I have a few concerns. Please help.

The college I am interested is the University of Tampa. They have a masters program available for adult care nurse practitioner, which is a two year program. Unfortunately the State of Florida now requires for ARNP's to have a doctorate. UT offers a bridge program through Case Western. I am concerned that UT might not maintain their relationship with case western long enough for me to get my doctorate. I am going to speak with a UT advisor this week and get some more information.

Also, is a 1200 on the GRE a competitive score? I'm scoring in the 1200's on my practice test. Soon I will be taking a review course through Kaplan testprep. If anyone who's been through the application process would like to adopt me as a pet project please do. I would rather learn from other people then through trial and error.

Thank you so much,

LK

[elkpark]

Where did you get the info that FL "now requires" a doctorate for ARNP licensure? So far, that is a proposal by some of the academic nursing organizations, but I haven't yet heard that any state has actually made it official yet. The proposed date for making the switch that's been tossed around is 2015.

(If the state actually required a doctorate for advanced practice licensure, why would any schools in the state still be offering advanced practice MSN programs, any way?)

[FLoat RN]

Thank you for the comment. I will do more research on the topic of DNP requirement in the state of Florida.

[nrcnurse]

The Case Western DNP program is brand new at UT. ST. Petersburg College also has the same relationship with CW through their University Partnership Program. At UT, if your bachelors degree is not a BSN, you will have to take several undergraduate classes before starting the MSN program. Also, the GRE is not required. A 1000 on the writing portion of the GRE allows you to skip one of the required classes.

[jade2711rn]

From my research the whole DNP seems merely a suggestion. Since there is no national body governing standards of practice, it should be some time before each state takes on this "suggestion" as law. So, there is no definitive change over date for DNP being the mandated degree to practice as an NP.

I am starting the Adult NP program at UTampa this fall, and I did not take the GRE, (figured I'd just take the writing course instead).

Good luck to you and if you have any questions about UT, let me know. I have been a preceptor for their BSN students for a few years and know several grads from their NP program as well. They have been wonderful there so far...