Online NP Education and Skills retention:

[PatMac10,RN, RN]

I just thought of something. I wanted to ask....... Do any of you Online NP students who are approaching or have completed their clinical practicum plan on doing any thing "extra" to help you become more confident and get more practice with the various "provider" skills? I mean skills like: I&D, Suturing, IUD placement and/or removal, casting, diagnostic imaging and EKG interpretation etc.... I know some online schools require their students to come to a physical campus for a "skills intensive/ fair" type of thing before they start their clinical or periodically throughout their clinical. For schools who don't have the "come to campus " option, what will you do to ensure you get to learn and practice these skills to feel more comfortable in doing them in clinical? Will you attend CEUs workshops for advanced skills for the mid-level provider type of things? How does your program go about teaching these skills if they don't have an on campus option? Do you really only become comfortable with that the more you do it in clinical? Thanks for the answers! I know that there must be a way that online NP students become competent in these skills, bc many of the NPs I know got their education fully online and now suture, do i&d's, etc... Like pro's and most of them have only been in practice for 2 to 3 years.

[kguill975, MSN, APRN, NP]

I didn't do an online program, but I learned all of those skills in an ER rotation. I did more I&Ds and suturing up small lacerations than believable. My ENP preceptor reviewed EKGs with me, but they had to be signed off by a MD. I did a few reductions and casting. I LOVED that rotation. If I hadn't been almost done with my ACNP track, I would have done an ENP track.

[cowgrlnurse]

@kguill975 What school are you going to? I am looking for school that offer an ENP track. Thanks!

[kguill975, MSN, APRN, NP]

@kguill975 What school are you going to? I am looking for school that offer an ENP track. Thanks!

I graduated with my ACNP in Aug '11, and I'm working as a Surgical NP. There is an ENP certificate offered for FNPs through UT Houston. Basically, you complete the requirements for the FNP program, and the option do the ENP certificate is available. Here in Houston, ENPs are utilized a lot, so it was a good idea for the school to offer it.