lavendou

Finding clinical preceptors was one of the most difficult parts of my FNP program. I had a particularly difficult time with pediatric preceptors. For me the two biggest issues were: 1) I selected an out of state program and there are several local programs I was competing with. I found many clinical sites simply had a preference for local schools. 2) I was not specializing in Peds and many pediatric primary care opportunities only offered preceptor opportunities to pediatric NP students. Others had a waiting list of one to two years. The sooner you start to look, the better! I wound up doing my primary care peds rotation in a remote area that was about a 4 hour drive away. I stayed at an Air BnB for a pretty low cost relatively speaking. I drove home every Friday to work on the weekends and back to the clinical site Sunday nights. It was not easy, but that clinical rotation was amazing. I was exposed to more variety and technical skills than my rotations in the urban setting. Although stressful, I appreciated identifying my own clinical opportunities because it allowed me to customize my own experiences. I cannot emphasize enough the need to start EARLY to identify your preceptors. There are many willing preceptors, but they tend to get booked up early.

Do you have a particular school in mind for your post-master's certificate? I had my MSN in healthcare mgmt and went back to school for my post-master's FNP certificate with Graceland University. They had the 3Ps as a part of my post-master's certificate. Several schools I looked into had this same option.

I have a fever, diarrhea, and YES, I did just get back from the Congo.

I recommend you verify that those hours count towards your degree program. Also check with the state board of nursing if those hours would count. In my state they would not. From a learning perspective, you would gain some great information, but I question whether it would prepare you for passing the boards. The Boards focus heavily on national guidelines, and ND do not operate off the national guidelines.

I graduate with my FNP next month and have often felt like you, and after talking to many Nurse Practitioners, they often feel the same - that hey felt like they did not learn enough. Some things that helped me feel more comfortable: 1. Youtube - it is a magical world of learning! I found MD USMLE prep videos especially helpful. MD programs have a great way of using memory tools like mnemonics to help you remember information. DirtyUSMLE is one of the youtubers I follow. 2. Consider using board preparation courses now - very informative and I learn a lot that my program never even touched on. I started listening to the programs a year ago when in the car. I have Barkley, Fitzgerald, and APEA (Amelie Hollier) and so far, APEA is my favorite. You can buy them used on ebay or amazon to save a little money, but do not get CEUs if you go this route. 3. Try to have some MD preceptors if you can. I learned very different information from my MD preceptors. The depth of knowledge of MDs was a great experience for me.

I am just about to finish the Graceland program and plan to take my boards next month. I am satisfied with my choice of schools. The instructors have all been great to work with and the assignments are meaningful - a lot of case studies that are great to look back through as you prepare for boards. I chose Graceland over other schools because of its reputation for its FNP program, high pass rate on the boards, and the on campus visit for skills validation. The absolute hardest part of the program was finding a preceptor for peds. It is never too early to find your preceptors, so start at least a year in advance. Many potential preceptors are booked a year or more out. Graceland provides a list of preceptors that have worked well in the past, which is helpful.

I did my ADN, then BSN, then my MSN in Health Care System Management and then started by post-Master's FNP (graduate next month). I am very glad I did MSN then FNP because they are very different programs that give me different skill sets. My goal is to open my own practice and my MSN in HCSM gives me a lot more of the business side of healthcare than the FNP program does. I do not regret going this route at all, as each layer of education has helped me learn and grow. Is this route for everyone? No, but like you, I believe it gives me additional career opportunities.