MathewB

A little thread necromancy here! Just to round out this discussion, I graduated in May, with a 3.9 GPA. Passed the AANP boards on the first crack, and have had a few interviews so far. Looks as though I am well on my way. Thanks to everybody who provided input and insight. It definitely was a factor in continuing to pursue my DNP-FNP. Good luck to you all, in all your endeavors!

Thanks! I would love to go back to Alaska, but my wonderful wife has deep roots here in the midwest. I plan to look into Summer locum temens work once I get some experience under my belt.

Not sure anyone cares, but I was accepted to a brick-and-mortar nursing school with a DNP program. I am graduating in a month with a 3.95 GPA. If I can do it, you can do it.

Do you know what they call a nurse who graduates at the bottom of their class? A nurse. My point is, try not to get to spun up comparing yourself to other people. All that matters is your learning. Let them do them, and you do you. If they snicker when you ask clarifying questions of your instructor, don't let it get to you. You are paying to learn. The instructors are paid to teach you. Your fellow students don't figure into it. And you know what? I'd bet my salary that you aren't alone: There are probably a lot of people in your class who feel the same way, you just can't hear their internal dialog saying it. Hang in there. Focus. Exclude the unhelpful negatives from your consideration. It will be over before you know it, and you can get through it.

This is huge, if enforced.

Thanks! I think going forward with education is kind of like having kids. There's never a "good" time to start. In 3 years, you'll be 3 years older, whether you've gone to school or not! Personally, I wish I would have started this journey 10 years ago. Good luck whatever you decide!

This is just sort of a reflection post. If that kind of thing bores you, now's the time to click the "back" button! I had my first day last Wednesday in a brick and mortar NP (actually, DNP) school. Wow. I had thought that the workload would be significant, but I think I did not realize the extent to which that would be true. I am wrestling with a few confounding factors. a) I am no spring chicken. I'm in my late 40's, and I know I don't absorb information as I did when I was in my 20s. b) School was a while ago. I am continually checking the course material to make sure I haven't missed an assignment. This school has tucked some assignments away, rather than in the big "what's due when" chart. c) I live in a rural area, and my home internet is S-L-O-W (1.5mbps) on it's best days. Plus I have two teenage daughters who are data leeches. They looked like I kicked their puppy when I asked them to read a book or something, because I was trying to do homework. It's not going to work to study at home. On the plus side, the instructors were kind and encouraging. Additionally, this University arranges clinical experiences, which -as I have come to learn by reading many posts here on Allnurses- is infinitely easier. So, onward and upward,I guess!

I think more NPs would like to precept, but are constrained by their facility's policies. Before being accepted at a local B&M university, I had applied to some "reputable" online universities. I began talking to NPs with whom I worked about being a preceptor for me. All of them said they would be willing, but my institutions forbade it: They already had agreements in place with local universities to precept students. I have spent a year here on Allnurses. I am saddened to read posts literally (not practically, not metaphorically, not figuratively...literally) begging for a preceptor. There has got to be a better way.

How was your first day?

I don't think officially there are any jobs that we can't do. However, I think there are several jobs that you almost never find men in. For example, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. There are other instances where you man not be welcome as a male. When I was in the ER, I was not allowed to know the street address of the "battered women's shelter." When I went up to Women's Health department to put in an IV, I sure got the stink eye from a lot of patients and even a few staff. But hey! Nobody said life is fair. It's best to do the best you can, and let negativity roll away. We're men after all: Complaining doesn't become us.

There are two questions I would be willing to bet $100 they will ask: 1) Why do you want to be an NP? (Includes subquestions such as: Why do you want to be an FNP or a Pediatric NP or an AGNP?) 2) Why do you want to go HERE to be an NP? I spent a great deal of time formulating my answers to these questions, and it paid off. Other questions were things like: 3) Describe a time you failed. 4) Tell us about yourself. 5) How do you resolve conflict. 6) Where do you see yourself practicing Take it for what it's worth, but it's my theory at this point that if you have been selected for an interview, you are 90% accepted. They just want to talk to you and see if you are a calm, rational, smart and stable person. Look, we all know a nurse who has behavior that makes us wonder how they got to be a nurse, right? Somebody we wouldn't want taking care of our kid? I feel that the interview is there to weed out people like that. If someone's answer to question 1 above is "I want more money" and their answer to question 2 above is "Short commute, I guess" it demonstrates a lack of passion, social skills, and judgement. Those are not people that the University wants representing them, even were they likely to sucessfully complete the program. Again, this is just my theory. Take it for what it cost you. Lastly, I did a lot of research preparing for my interview. There is a YouTuber with the screen name of "Nurse Liz" who has a really great and concise video titled NP School Interview Tips. I watched it after I interviewed and found that she was pretty spot on. Good luck.

Honestly, I just kept applying. As I mentioned in the earlier posts, I was really looking for a Masters level program, so I had delayed applying for this DNP-FNP program. But as my options were whittled down, I elected to apply. The good news is that it's only 3 years (year 'round), I'll have a terminal degree when I am done, the program arranges clinical sites, and it's only 25 minutes away. Good luck, and if I can help further, please PM me.

I think conscientious people are frequently their own harshest critics. I am sure everybody has at least a moment of self-doubt, but don't let it paralyze you. If your honest and level-headed introspection shows you a genuine area for improvement, improve. Otherwise, keep on keepin' on!

Congratulations!

I cringe every time I read a newspaper story about some male nurse doing something bad. It just seems to reflect poorly on all of us. There are ways to protect yourself. I frequently have a female nursing assistant, or even family member in the room with me when I have to do EKGs, or cath UAs, or the like. I usually offer to have a female coworker do it. I say that it will probably delay their care by a little while, as my female coworker is busy right now, but I always give the option. I have found that if you are friendly and professional, most of the time women are happy to allow you to do your job. Some are uncomfortable with it, and that is OK. I don't know their background. Maybe have been the victim of abuse in the past. I don't take it personally. In short, I would say keep it in the back of your mind, but don't let it make you afraid to care for women.

First, congratulations on the interview. You know what that means, right? They think your application, grades, references, essay, etc. show that you can succeed in the program! You're way more than halfway there! Just relax, and see these folks as other humans, and you are just finding out about each other. As to the interview: They WILL (probably) ask: 1) Why do you want to be a DNP? (Don't say "money") 2) Why do you want to go to school at University of Utah? (Don't say "easy commute") 3) Tell us about a time you failed. (Don't say "I haven't failed at anything") What they are looking for is your honesty in owning up to the situation, and how you learned from it. They don't want to hear "The doctor had horrible handwriting so he made me give doxycycline instead of dicloxicillin." They want to hear "I did not clarify an order I was unsure of, so I administered the wrong medication. I learned that if there is ever any doubt, I need to get clarification before I proceed." Those questions are almost certainly going to be asked, along with some others. But these are the big ones. If you can nail these with honest, thoughtful answers, you probably have a great chance of being accepted. Lastly, they will ask if you have any questions for them. Now might be a good time to ask about the program retention rate, the board pass rate, max distance to clinical sites, whether they arrange clinical sites at all, etc. Good luck! They have all the reason in the world to want you in the program!

Hi Cardiac Queen: I think that the best answer for you is also the least satisfying: "It depends." My acceptance into a brick-and-mortar DNP program at a small midwest university is only a month old. I start in two months, summer semester. If it's any relief, my cumulative GPA was CONSIDERABLY lower than yours. You can read about it on the thread here on AN: https://allnurses.com/student-nurse-practitioner/haunted-by-my-1106824.html The program to which I was accepted is well-known for being non-traditional student friendly. They never mentioned my poor overall GPA at all during the interview. If I had to guess, I would say they put equal or greater weight on the grades from my RN-BSN classes at another university, the results of my Miller Analogies Test (vs. GRE) and my essay, along with my interview. The program for which I was rejected -Concordia University- did not require a GRE or MAT, and the rejection letter I received clearly said that I did not meet all the requirements. The only stipulated requirement I did not achieve was the cumulative GPA. So, some schools sort by GPA, some have other means by which to select. In my case, I think being rejected from my first choice was a good thing for several reasons. Good luck: You have an awesome GPA, and are probably a contender for any program you choose!

I can give you a little insight, but just from the RN aspect: I haven't graduated with my DNP yet. My first position was in a small, rural ER. There were no board-certified ER docs, just Family Practice docs. We obviously flighted a lot of serious stuff out. That said, it was an amazing learning experience. Those ol' country docs knew a lot of tricks which I learned. Later in my career I worked in a more urban setting, and those tricks served me well. I found a had aquired some skills which were normally -at least in that urban institution- assigned to other departments. Little stuff, like hematoma blocks, casting, etc. Nothing super complicated, but it was usually "farmed out" to other departments. Excessive EtOH is common everywhere, even in rural areas. As well, methamphetamines seem to be the abused drug of choice. We saw way more farming injuries in the rural setting (as you could imagine), and the gunshot wounds tended to to rarely come to us in the rural setting, as the firearm of choice was a hunting rifle versus the comparitively puny hangun and therefore the victims more frequently died prior to EMS arrival. Being from a rural area myself, there was no culture shock, but I heard a co-worker or two from Chicago complain that it was "so boring" there in "Hicksville." While it's true that there was not a whole lot in the way of big city entertainment, High School plays can be fun, as well as outdoor activities, local fairs and festivals, fishing and the like. My grandpa used to say "Only the boring are bored." On that note, I am not certain where you are from, but NOBODY likes to be told "The way we did things back in XXXXX was better. The way you do it is dumb." Be friendly, observant and respectful, and you'll fit in in no time. Kind of brief, but those are my two cents worth! Edited to add: I would love to work at the place you described!

I can't watch you take a BP, so I am just sort of imagining your technique from your description. The diaphragm of the stethoscope shouldn't move when they breathe. I push the diaphragm against the skin with a bit of firm pressure.

I will be starting at Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI. Clinical sites and preceptors are arranged for us, including at Mayo Clinic Health System.

Thank you! I start in May. It's a 3 year, year 'round program. I am excited but nervous!

An update for anyone who cares: I had an admission interview today at a local brick-and-mortar University with a DNP FNP program. At the end of the interview, they asked me to step out for a few moments. After about 5 minutes, they called me back in to tell me I had a slot in the program!

Thanks again for all the wonderful advice, insight and encouragement. I am humbled and grateful!

Do you think they would ask for the transcripts of the school from whence the transfer credits came? If they did, would they accept my statement that "That school was not related to my degree" if I refused to send them? Again, I am not trying to nitpick, I just want to fully understand my options. BTW, thanks to all who continue to provide advice. I am very grateful.

The applications I have seen and the one I filled out for Concordia were some variation of "List each College or University you have attended." Do you mean that if I do not list a university, they will not know about it? What about my transcipts from my RN to BSN progam? Will they not indicate the use of credits earned at a different university toward the BSN? Don't get me wrong, I would be overjoyed if I can simply ignore the college where I earned my abysmal grades. But abysmal as they are, I am using some of those credits. It seems as though if they would accept that, they would say "List each College or University you have attended...that are pertinent to your degree."