AGNP

I agree with the previous post. Some schools in rural areas don't have acute care programs though, so they use the FNP and AGNP grads for hospitalist and critical care. For surgery, if you want to do first assist you may need to get an extra certification after graduation. If you live in a area where there is acute care available and you want to do acute care then I would recommend that, as it would get your prepared for the job after graduation. As far as outpatient goes, anyone can work in an outpatient clinic if the place is willing to train.

From my experience it depends if the school you are going through has had previous students from your area. If so, then they may still have active contracts with various organizations around you. That being said, just because the school has a contract with a organization does not guarantee preceptors. Most schools are willing to make new contracts with organizations to get their students in, but this can take a few months, so get ahead of it and start contacting the educational director at the facility and connect them with your schools clinical coordinator. Most hospitals and/or clinics do not keep ongoing (or make public) any list of people who want to take on students. Your best bet is to connect with NP's or MD's you have worked with or indirectly with and ask if they would be willing to be preceptors. The only schools I know that have all the rotation sites set up for students are Universities with their own hospitals.

I'm new to being an NP but I am signing simply my name and ARNP.

Awesome! Go enjoy some summer~ My test also did the same to me, but I took AANP this month, and after i submitted the test went to the testing center's homepage. What a load off our shoulders!

So sorry to hear you did not pass. Everyone learns at different paces and in different ways. I have read in various places that the exams questions are weighted, so each question does not get allocated the same number of points another question does. Also, I have seen 500/800 floating around the internet and for some reason i remember seeing that in an old Fitzgerald print out. 1. For me, I like visual so I did the FHEA/Fitzgerald online review at my own pace, working through the workbook that came along with it. This took me about 2-3 weeks (I started this at first at the end of my program since we were required to take a predictor, but then dropped it after ch16, then picked it back up again 2 weeks after graduating) 2. After making my own notes in the workbook and finishing the recorded lectures I started practicing on review questions from the Leik review book. I did all the questions in the back (about 630) throughout a little under 2 weeks. 3. I took my second predictor after the Leik book (for AGNP), the one that comes with the FHEA/Fitzgerald review (scored in the low 80's); then I moved onto doing more questions. 4. My last resource was the FHEA/Fitzgerald NP Cert Exam and Practice Prep book (this book is for either FNP or AGNP). I have read online reviews on Amazon that says the 4th ed is similar to the 5th, but I wanted the new one so I got that. The code inside the book gives you access to do the questions that are in the book through the DavisPlus website. You can customize the number of questions you want to do, what system/chapter, or even sub-systems like STI, Male GU, Female GU all in one sitting. Only thing is, this book doesn't have rationales printed for you right there with the answer, so you have to look at the actual chapter and dig a little. I did about 500-700 questions? I didn't really count. Total in the book is like 2,000. I did end up taking another predictor after this with APEA (who my school used for our final predictor after our course) and scored in the high 60's. This scared me. After scoring 70-80's a 66?! But I didn't push my test date back. I just zeroed in on the weak spots of that test. Took more questions from the FHEA/Fitzgerald Cert Review. 5. Finally, I took the AANP practice test with a score in the high 70's. The last few days leading up to my exam I stopped all the questions and reviewed. wrote out from what i knew and/or had to look up the common problems I was noticing throughout all my questioning and/or reivew books by system. I didn't get through it all in the last few days but it helped me see what i was forgetting and got me to memorize first line antibiotics, classic presentation, etc I would start with your weakest system/area and go from there. I hope this helps and wish you luck. Maybe all you needed was a bit more organization in your studies, or focus on weak areas.

I had one page resumes with concise bullet point style sheets printed out for prospective clinical sites when I was going through my NP program. This was me looking for my own site, and when meeting with the clinical manager I wanted to hand them something to have as a reference and remember me by. I included a headshot of myself at the top along with my contact info.

Congrats on deciding to apply for NP school! When I first started I thought I could do full time student and 0.8FTE (I couldn't take it anymore the third semester) and so when looking for schools I would say: - yes, in state tuition is nice -but there are distant programs that have "in-state" tuition for the students through grants (I believe, correct me if i'm wrong) for students who apply from certain states. Overall, I would recommend going to a school with a brick and mortar campus. -if you aren't in school yet then start saving and budgeting smart. There are so many apps and websites that are out there now to help (mint, i need a budget, etc) throughout your course or before to help you save. -don't be ashamed to ask family if they can help. doesn't have to be cash $$ but maybe in other ways like having you come over for dinners, etc if you live close by? -I ended up selling my house, but I don't have kids to consider, and I used that money for the rest of my tuition funds after going per diem as a RN -you can even look into applying for jobs or getting clinicals somewhere you can get a job at that has loan forgiveness programs.