KatieRN04

Where do you get the pepid program?

Med-surg will give you a good foundation, but there are people in my program that have nver even worked with adults, just peds. And the FNP focuses on adults and peds and geriatrics, so I think you just need to get at least 2-3 years experience first to get a good foundation.

In Youngstown, the Humility of Mary (St. Elizabeth's: youngstown and boardman) and Forum Health are the hospitals. Forum is unionized and St. E's is not unionized. I went to nursing school which utilized Forum Health for clinicals and I work at St. E's during school in various positions and started as a new grad there. Between the two, it seemed to me that the nurses at Forum were not happy compared to St. E's although some might beg to differ. I worked at St. E's as an RN on med-surg and ICU and have worked in 3 hospitals since then (in different states) and St. E's isnt all that bad. I would recommend them as a place for employment. When I left there, I think I was at like $23 or so with 2 years experience. After interviewing for different hospitals, my advice would be to ask to see the pay grid to make sure you get the most that you are worth and do not get low balled.

From personal experience, the UOP is a good school, and has a 98-100% pass rate on the 1st try for the certification test. The instructors are very knowledgable. I would recommend them. Of course though, you always have to remember with anything, in any aspect of life, especially message boards, that the majority of posts are going to be negative, that is why people post, to spread the "bad word". For this question though, I would recommend them. They have a classroom based program, not online. Very informative and lots of information covered.

There are NP's in AZ with their own practice since the scope of practice doesnt require a MD be present in the same facility. There are a few other states like this also. There are even some NP's who run their own speciality clinics such as cardiology. However, that being said, even though there is not an MD present, there is a collaboration with MD's as colleagues, if advice or a second opinion is needed. Even in the government run facilities, like the VA, many of the primary care clinics (including speciality areas) are run by NP's with referrals to MD's if the case is to complicated. Although from what I am aware after talking to a few of the NP's in these positions, you are expected to have the knowledge, and many of them spent hours of studying after graduation, to get up to the pace, they were expected to be capable of. This advancement in the NP world has accomplished many feats, but not without battle from the AMA who would like to dictate the scope of practice for NP's similiar to how the PA's are practicing. Hence, one of the many reasons, for the proposed DNP as entry level to practice. This is an entirely different topic though, and like many will probably say, there are many threads on the DNP already in existance.

what hospital offers 28 as a new grad?

I have wondered the same thing. I will have a MSN with a FNP. However, if the DNP does truly take off and people buy into it, then I wonder if other stake holders like Medicare will require the DNP for billing. I imagine that there will be grandfather effects taken for certain aspects, but I wonder about the DNP in acute care also.

thanks for the responses

Hello. I am in a MSN-FNP program. We have been drilled over and over on the core competencies of APN's: direct clinical practice, expert coaching and guidance, consultation, research, clinical and professional leadership, collaboration and ethical decision making. I am sure you have heard of these concepts before. My question is this. I am still in the program. However, I have been asked my the nurse educator at my hospital where I work as an RN, to make an educational presentation for the unit on PD after I saw some other RN's teaching each other the incorrect techniques of the procedure. The educator asked me to present the topic because I am competent in it and it will apply towards a clinical ladder at my RN job. I also figured this falls into the direct clinical practice and expert coaching and guidance categories. This is not going to count for any credit for my MSN program, but I was wondering when I put my name on the presentation, is it acceptable to follow it by, MSN candidate? If I put MSN candidate, I figured I could place it in a portfolio for the future when I am job hunting for a NP position. Or should I only put BSN since that is my offical licensed credential at this moment? Any input would be appreciated.

I started an FNP program a year ago. I have all the basic MSN classes down (theory, research, politics, those sort of things) and have down the NP classes (patho, pharm, health assessment). Did this working full time, and it was hard but do-able. I just dropped down to part time down that I am starting into my adult, geriatric, peds and women's health classes that are going to require clinical hours. I cannot imagine working full time plus going to class, plus going to clinicals and studying and doing all the papers that go along with it.

Core0: I do not hope to come across the wrong way, and this is in no way meant to be an attack or insult, or any judgement in any way. I was wondering though how you always have such insightful and in depth answers on the practice of nurse practitioners, even on the different specialities of NP's such as FNP, ANP, GNP, PNP, ACNP, when you are not an NP yourself, but rather a Physician assistant? Do you work closely with NP's that you seem to have so much knowledge on the different states and scopes of practice? Once again, this is not meant to be an insult, but a simple question. I believe we all need to get along regardless of our title, to make healthcare a multi-disciplinary approach for the patient to recieve the best outcomes.

UOP is geared for the working adult, so it is awesome for me. However, you will come across people that say it is expensive, but it is grad school, and from my research, grad school costs more than undergrad school at any place you look at. Same with the private schools costing more than public schools. UOP is private, where say, ASU is not. Just some factors to consider.

It is an interesting exhibit for anyone, although the basic organs and stuff didnt thrill me b/c I have already seen that stuff many times. The information is real basic on how each system works, which as a healthcare provider, you already know, so it might just be a review. I did like the bodies taken down to the peripheral vascular and nervous system only. That was amazing for me. Go see it, it will be fun.

When you say some schools are more prestigious than others, what schools would that be?

If you work in surgery or PATS/PACU or an ER, there is alot of flexibility in shift hours compared to if you work a traditional floor. Also, this 12 hour shift thing is mainly an AZ and/or SW USA idea. Many parts of the USA offer 4, 8, 12, and 16 hours shifts in all areas of nursing.