NP programs that do not require RN Experience/LOR's?

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What are some good, accredited NP programs that do not require past RN experience or LOR's? My goal is to gain/attain RN experience working full-time while being enrolled in a part-time NP program. It's going to take me atleast 4-5 years to obtain my DNP so i'll have 4-5 years of experience as a RN before actually practicing as an APN. I haven't made any connections with my prof's so I don't really have anyone to ask for a letter. An online DNP program would be ideal.

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I think you're going to have a hard time finding a legitimate program that doesn't require reference letters.

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Specializes in Oncology/StemCell Transplant; Psychiatry.

What kind of NP program are you looking for and where are you located? The one I am applying to doesn't require RN experience for admission, but you have to have at least 2000 hours of experience before taking Advanced Health Assessment or any clinical classes.

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You don't need to be best friends to get a LOR from a past professor. Just give them a list of things to include in the letter.

Legitimate programs require you to pass hurdles, whether than be interviews, letters, or essays. If you find one that doesn't want a letter, you should be more worried about the education quality you will receive. There isn't much oversight with NP programs and they are a lot of very, very bad ones graduating very poorly prepared unintelligent nurse practitioners. Just go to a real school.

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Are you serious!??!

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Specializes in psychiatric nursing.

The University of South Alabama doesn't require any letters of recommendation. That is the only program that I know of that doesn't require that.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

There are no "good" NP programs that do not require nursing experience. Doesn't mean that you can get a few advanced practice nursing courses under you belt while you're getting that all-valuable experience, but they don't called it "advanced practice" nursing for nothing.

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There are no "good" NP programs that do not require nursing experience. Doesn't mean that you can get a few advanced practice nursing courses under you belt while you're getting that all-valuable experience, but they don't called it "advanced practice" nursing for nothing.

Are you unaware of the kazillion "direct entry" NP programs, many offered by very good, legitimate schools, for people with no nursing experience whatsoever? These programs have been around for several decades now. I'm always surprised at how many people here will post about how you can't get into an advanced practice nursing program without a nursing license and clinical experience. It's just not true.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
There are no "good" NP programs that do not require nursing experience. Doesn't mean that you can get a few advanced practice nursing courses under you belt while you're getting that all-valuable experience, but they don't called it "advanced practice" nursing for nothing.

This is getting off topic, but I went to an excellent APN program that did not require RN experience for matriculation. I can rattle off a dozen top caliber programs that do not require RN experience.

Can you cite me a study that shows RN experience correlated with improved NP outcomes? There is very little research on the topic and the largest study actually demonstrated the opposite.

This doesn't mean I am in favor of NPs not being RNs first but there really is no evidence to strongly support it. I have had great NP students with no RN experience and I have had challenging students with years and years of RN experience. And vice versa.

Sent from my iPhone.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

As other have said, the quick, cheap, and easy route is often not the best route when consisting an investment in your education.

Why are you looking for a program without and LoRs? These can essentially come from anyone, but professors would be your best option. How did you complete school and not have a connection with any of your professors?

Sent from my iPhone.

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There are no "good" NP programs that do not require nursing experience. Doesn't mean that you can get a few advanced practice nursing courses under you belt while you're getting that all-valuable experience, but they don't called it "advanced practice" nursing for nothing.

Nursing experience required, from my research, is the lowest admission criteria on my list as to what makes a top NP program. Those that want GRE scores, interviews, essays, and top GPAs tend to be the best. Most of the best NP programs actually DO NOT require RN experience, including all of the Ivy League schools (Columbia, Yale, UPenn) and top programs such as Georgetown, Duke, and Simmons. Where did you get your information??

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

I went to an Ivy League school and I'm so sorry that it has become such a weak program in my specialty. They seem committed to keeping fannies attached to their seats, paying tuition and not complaining. Almost everyone thinks that their nursing program was "good". What would be the definition of "good"? One of my criteria is that the school keep their numbers low enough to provide university paid instructors in all clinical sites. The students are PAYING for it but they're not getting it. The mission no longer is education. Too many places are merely "graduating." I have cited this case before but will do it again only because the patient died. Young health female has lap choly and shows up at office 2nd day post-op with complaint of upper abd. pain. She is sent home and died. Now, the first problem is that a fresh post-op with complaint should be seen by the surgeon, not an NP. The second problem is that this NP didn't appreciate the seriousness of the situation (who wants to drive to an office to complain of pain? Young people don't crash until they fall because of reserve).

This happened in Albany, NYabout 10 years ago. This person didn't "get" the crisis because he/she had never seen one. The NP who takes care of me just has to follow the cookbook because I am healthy. But she has never seen a critically sick patient because she has never been a nurse! I guess if one is just taking blood pressures, coordinating needed maintainence tests according to patient"s age and filling out forms, you don't need nursing experience. That's fine for people like me who can take care of myself but for patients who are totally dependent on the system to do the right thing by them, I can't believe that someone without nursing experience can REALLY get patients to modify their behavior. My NP doesn't do anything that any good RN couldn't do. But I know a lot of NP's work in different environments and I would think that they sometimes have to fly by the seat of their pants - that's where experience really counts.

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