elmtree

I hope not! I need as much on side as possible! :) I applied for FNP. What about you?

Thanks an2d and mma22664 for commiserating with me. I called them this morning and the woman I spoke with looked up my account and told me it was a mistake, and changed me to early priority since it was submitted by November 1st. Thank God! I truly hope the mistake hasn't already affected my chances of getting an earlier review. Still a little concerning for me, but what can you do.

Thank you for all the information you provided, TangoDeux. Very helpful! I submitted right on November 1st; one of my recommenders was unable to submit her letter prior because she was out of the country. I was under the impression that if we submitted prior to, or on Nov. 1st we would still be considered early action. I haven't spoken to them yet. I tried to call earlier but I think they were closed for the day. I'll try again tomorrow and update for those who may be in a similar situation.

It says, "your fall application is complete and will be considered as part of our rolling admissions process".

Did anyone who applied by the Nov. 1st deadline get an email saying your application will be considered on a rolling basis? I even have a confirmation email from the school that they received my application by November 1st so I am a little confused and also worried.

Thank you for the reply atki! Where are you finishing your degree, and what did you specialize in? Congrats on your upcoming graduation! :)

Personally, I think it is a bunch of BS. People need to get a life and stop acting like direct entry programs are the demise of the nursing profession. Where is the evidence (anecdotal evidence does not count) that indicates this is true? Where is the evidence that indicates "direct entry NP's" are not as successful as their counterparts who have years of RN experience? Anyone??As these programs have been around for at least 10 years, one would think that this evidence would exist. Until there is actual data that suggests all this negativity is true, I call BS and shame on you to all of the people who continue to perpetuate negative attitudes regarding the "direct entry NP". People learn the most about how to do their job on the job, not in school. Perhaps the direct entry NP will be on a steeper learning curve in comparison to an NP who has 30 years of RN experience, but that does not mean the direct entry NP will be any less effective or successful. In general, this forum is highly negative. Perhaps it is a result of horizontal bullying, which occurs in many female dominated fields, or perhaps the protection of the screen allows people to get really brave. Whatever the case, it is sad. People should be using these forums to provide support, not to tear each other down. Also sad to see that based your post (OP), the negativity is not limited to this board; however, just remember that a person's negativity says more about that person's own experience than it says anything about you. You have chosen a fine path and have worked hard to meet your goals. Based on how you describe yourself, I have no doubt that you will be good at what you do. Don't let the naysayer's get you down now; be proud of your accomplishments, and challenge their beliefs by being the best you can be. Good luck to you OP!

Thanks for your input BCgradnurse, it's greatly appreciated. I have thought about doing psych but I am afraid that if I did I'd end up just peddling drugs and I think that's a big problem. In my current district I see tons of young kids on 5 different types of medications and have strong feelings against it. If I did, I'd definitely want to incorporate psychotherapy, but I don't know how realistic that is. I've been interested in the health tge health field since before I got my graduate training in school psych. I think I have a great temperament to be a nurse and I have a genuine desire and compassion to help others. Anatomy and physiology was my favorite class in undergrad, and I really enjoy learning about how the body functions and holistic alternatives to diseases or health issues. I want to work one on one with patients and educate them to empower them. Another reason why I hate my job now is because I can't see the value in it or that I am actually helping kids due to the bureaucracy of the school system. The pressure of meeting the deadlines that I in no way have the ability to meet also causes me a great deal stress. I really want to make a difference in people's lives and I see there is need for that in healthcare-- so many doctors are in too big of a hurry to prescribe medication after medication, and want to get to the next patient that they aren't listening to patients and meeting their needs (this is not to say that all doctors operate this way, I just see this a lot). Anyway, I appreciate your feedback. May ask what program you went to? I'm considering Vanderbilt and Emory but looking at others as well.

I appreciate everyone's responses. Ocra I think you make a very good point and I agree with you. Pappa2v EMT B, epidemiology does sound interesting, but I would rather work with people one on one instead of in an administrative role. I think you're making a big assumption regarding your comment, "making a shortcut to the prestige of a medical career." I have already completed a graduate training program that took me 4 years to complete, and I do not want to work in a hospital setting or in acute care, as I don't think either of those would be a good fit for me. This seems like the best option to me when it comes down to area of practice, time and cost. Sue Demonas, I am sure you are right that nurses who have built a strong bedside nursing foundation have a leg up compared to those who when the direct entry route. However, I don't think that means those who decided to take this path to being an NP aren't good at what they do. BostonFNP, thank you I think that puts things into good perspective when considering the stress of the job. Same to you fognmm. I think it is a great idea to speak with a counselor to help. I actually am going to speak with one tomorrow morning! :) Just out of curiosity, why do you say low reward environment? I would think nursing would be a highly rewarding field...

Thanks for the comments Dee angel, scuba nurse and MelEpiRN. No offense to anyone with a master of public health degree, but that does not sound interesting to me. I've considered going to other districts, and sort of hit on that in a prev. comment. It seems that the majority of the comments indicate that nursing is a highly stressful career. Are any of the posters that have commented about this NPs in private practice?

Thank you meaghann3! That video was super helpful and opened up a whole other avenue of useful info-- who knew there were so many videos about becoming an NP via direct entry! Cococure, thanks so much for that suggestion! That sounds like a great way to see firsthand what an primary NP does on a daily basis and pick their brain. Good luck to you in your MSN program and in future practice!

Cococure, yes I would like to shadow, and am going to start volunteering at a hospital to see how I like it. I haven't spoken to anyone who has done a direct entry program, was really hoping to hear from a few on this forum... What do you think is different about NP stress compared to bedside? I would be naive to think that there isn't some significant stress with nursing, especially since you are dealing with people's lives; however, at this point I am trying to quantify how that stress will be different and if I could handle it. I got a very specialized degree and am not able to practice in the private sector without getting my doctorate. At this point I don't like my job well enough to do that. There are other districts I could work for, but long story short, the state which I live in does not practice the way I was trained, and what I was taught to be best practice. I am not willing to move back to where I was trained for a $20,000 pay decrease, especially when most of my family and boyfriend are here. Not to mention, most of the people I graduated with do not like their jobs, and most of the people that I know within this field are unhappy. I hate that I am not doing what I was trained to do and I am not helping kids. So, I am re-evaluating where I want to be and what other field would be a good fit for me. How much longer until you're done with your program? Thanks for good luck wishes!

Thank you both for your reply. Ruby Vee, yes I understand that as a direct entry student I will be doing a significant amount of clinical nursing in a hospital setting. I am not too concerned about the money, but that definitely is something I am weighing into my decision. I am not a spring chicken, but I am not old either. I am 33. It sounds like nursing has it's own stressors for sure. Sounds similiar in the aspect where you are describing charting and being pulled in a million different directions. May I ask what type of setting you work in? delawaremalenurse, I am aware that the program itself will be highly stressful. I am willing to study like crazy and deal with the stress of learning something new if I know it will be worth it in the end. May I ask what your path was to being an NP? Where do you currently work and do you like your job? Also, I have read on this forum that many skills a RN floor nurse utilizes are different than what an NP uses. I have also read that some people did not find their experience as a RN helpful to being an advanced practioner, although I am sure this varies significantly based on a number of things? I appreciate additional feedback... just trying to get as much info from as many different sources as possible in order to make an educated decision. Any NP's reading this that may have gone through a direct entry program??

Hello, I have been lurking on this site, and finally decided to post. This community seems very supportive and helpful! I am writing because I am looking for some advise. I am currently a specialist level psychologist working within the school system. Long story short, I do not like my job and am beginning to feel like it is not a good fit. Prior to deciding on this career, i was taking prerequisites in order to get my BSN. I am now considering going back to school to become a nurse. I have decided that if I do so, I would apply to one of the alternative (direct) entry MSN programs because it is faster and more cost efficient. I am also leary of working within another "system" like a hospital, as I know there can be political agendas and complexities that may prevent good practice (my own personal experience within the school system). I want to make sure I am making a responsible decision before applying to these programs, and I am no spring chicken so I am trying to figure things out as quickly as I can. I guess I have a couple of concerns going into nursing. For one, I feel my job is incredibly stressful and wish to get away from that. My current stress consists of deadlines that are impossible for me to meet (due to the amount of work I have been given), being pulled in a million directions by administrators, teachers, and parents, which prevent me from working with kids, endless amounts of paperwork, and meetings, which have no value. Do you think the stress of nursing is similar? Is there less stress in private practice? My other concern is that I will not like the "grossness" of the job. I am sort of a "hypochondriac" and slightly "germaphobic" (neither of which are actually pathological). On the positive side, I love researching health, figuring out how a particular set of symptoms may correlate with one another, and identifying possible causes of these symptoms. On the negative side, I do have a tendency to worry when something out of the ordinary is happening to my body. I do like a challenge, so I believe it is possible to get over this, but what if these tendencies linger and prevent me from being good at the job? I also do not necessarily know which speciality I would be interested in. I am currently really interested in women's health and hormones, but I do not know if it would be wise to limit myself to one area. What if I get bored and want to do something else? Thank you in advance for any advise anyone has to offer.