BSN2DNPFNP

I think you make a great point. I was watching a news interview recently in which they were discussing side effects that individuals are still experiencing long after they were diagnosed with COVID-19. We still don’t know how long any of these symptoms will last. What if they are life-long? Perhaps in that case, getting the vaccine does not sound so risky.

I agree with the caution in high risk individuals. Hence, these individuals are those that I would probably not recommend the vaccine to initially. I would want to see long term use of the vaccine on healthy individuals first. Would you agree on this, just curious? I also welcome a vaccine to eliminate or decrease this virus, and hopefully get us back to a somewhat normal life. I don’t, however, feel comfortable pushing or encouraging other in getting the vaccine, not just yet anyway.

The DNP vs MSN program has an additional focus on leadership, research, and management. I can't speak for all programs because I have only been enrolled in one, but the DNP program should provide you with all of the same education that the MSN program provides with the addition of the above topics. That is why the DNP program is longer. It gives you additional education/skills to utilize throughout your career. Many that have a desire to take a leadership position or complete research in the future will chose the DNP track. It's really a preference based on your future goals.

There has to be a better, more time efficient way. I'm curious do you have nurses/MAs/other office staff that work on this for you. And how much time in a day do you feel is spent on this on average in your setting?

I can’t agree enough with this. There are true benefits to being and NP, and having the background as an RN that you don’t get as an MD. There are advantages to both career paths, but both providers focus on bettering patient outcomes. Same end goal, sometimes different approach.

I know NPs that work in specialty areas and they are just as knowledgeable and capable as their MD colleagues. Again, I believe it has so much to do with amount of experience. And you did contradict yourself by stating "medicine vs advanced nursing" but then stating that NPs practice medicine. NPs bring a different outlook to the game due the background as a nurse, as would a DO vs MD. Not that there is a need for the NP to call themselves an MD, personally the title NP provides a title of a type of provider that I would prefer to be.

Did you spend a week covering this due to your specialty or was this provided to all students in the ACPCNP program? I wonder if geriatric focus provides more of this education due to the prominence of this topic in that population?

Has anyone read the book Dear Life: A Doctor's Story of Love and Life? I read this recently and it brought to light the idea that we really don't discuss end of life care in family practice. At least not in my program. I recently had a patient in my clinic experience which this topic was brought to life, without giving too many details (HIPAA). Hard discussions with the patient and family had to be done about starting the patient on hospice, the family was not ready to "give up". It was apparent that the provider I was precepting with was uncomfortable with the conversation. I am curious about other's experiences in the family practice setting. Did anyone have specific training in their NP programs on this, more than just a short lecture?

Thank you for the tips, very helpful! I plan to take a review course and then the exam in March. Just curious, if there was a reason you chose ANCC over AANP?

I do feel that the reputation of the school is very important. I attend a school that is in another state from which I live and was concerned that if a future employer did not know the school I attend, they would not realize how great of a program they provide. I specifically chose a well know school and I feel it will pay off. I have recently been discussing with providers at my current employment about graduating NP school. When I tell them the school I am graduating from there is always a positive response. Comments such as "Oh, that's a great school!" This information goes on your resume and will be brought up in an interview, it can give you a leg up.

I will soon be graduated as a DNP-FNP and live in the Denver area. Due to the pandemic it seems that jobs for new graduates are even more sporifice. Also curious of NPs in the area, what your pay/experience is. The cost of living here and increased significantly over the years and nursing pay has definitely not caught up yet. Curious if that is also the case with NPs. Also, any tips for studying for the certification exam and starting as a new provider in general would be greatly appreciated.

I am following this post for better insight to this topic. Thank you for bringing it up. There has to be a better/easier way about this.

I have to say that I agree with your concern for individuals being educated as APRN’s and not having any experience as a nurse. At both of the graduate programs I had applied to, it was a requirement to have at least 2 years experience as a nurse. That is concerning. There is so much you learn as a nurse. Even general things such as how to converse with your patients during their most vulnerable moments, building rapport with them and their family members. In response to your concern for wishing the DNP had a higher bar for entry and offer more clinic hours. Perhaps this depends on the school you are enrolled in. My program requires more clinic hours for the DNP degree as well as additional courses on leadership, a more intense capstone project. Continued encouragement for looking in to current practice and finding ways to improve. Really the focus of the DNP vs MSN degree is research, leadership, practice improvement. It has much less to do with the amount of clinic hours or the clinic setting (although, as stated, more clinic hours are required). What is wrong with standing next to an MD/DO and stating you are the same? NPs provide the same assessment, diagnosis, treatment. I would expect an experienced NP to out knowledge and new MD in certain areas, and vice versa.