Rhfish2

I really feel if your ultimate goal is to get a BS in health science then you should just go that route. By limiting yourself to an LPN and not going to the RN level it almost decreases the importance of the BS degree since you limited the nursing end.

Kristie is correct. I learned the devices by attending the training programs by the big 3 and then doing hands on with the reps in the room. I currently work with 7 cardiologists and am the only NP, I do all of the device checks, the AV-opts with the CRT's as well as the stress tests and see patients. I have opted not to do hospital based care due to being so busy in the office and setting up many new programs. There is never a dull day in the office, as for murmurs, heart sounds etc, as Kristie said listen and learn and if your not sure let the patient have an echo and that will diagnosis the murmur for you.

Most definitely. There is usually always work for an RN

Besides being an FNP i'm also a respiratory therapist and I have found over the many, many, many years that having the patient purse lip breathe helps open and relax the airways.

I am an FNP in a cardiology practice. My background as an RN was emergency department. I have with my practice 13 months now and have faired very well. I did my elective rotation in cardiology and used that to help me get the position. I have a friend that recently graduated as an FNP and she also got a position in a cardiology practice.

I live in NY and there are multiple programs that offer wither FNP or PNP degrees but the majority of NP's in pediatric practice are FNP's. A friend of mine (recent grad 5/20/07) was offered a position in a pediatric office.

I am a male nurse, not gay and happily married for the past 28 years. I have worked with MANY straight male nurses over the years. Matter of fact I have worked with more lesbian female doctors and a few lesbian female nurses than I have gay male nurses. This is one of the problems with stereotyping people based on gender, race, religion, etc.

To be honest with you most of the courses for nursing school are NOT the same as for med school. I know quite a few nurses who have gone to med school and have had to take many additional core courses

That's correct, you are helf to your highest license and can be considered in a lawsuit eventhough you cannot legally do "nursing"

Very few acute care facilities in the NY area are using LPN's they are strictly RN for many good reasons. LTC facilities usually use LPN's and that me be a good starting point for you.

My son's girlfriend just graduated from Temple with her BSN and has a job at CHOP, I asked her about others in her class and the majority have gotten positions locally. You may be correct about the BSN protion because of all the BSN programs available locally at Temple, U Penn and Drexel.

The majority of ACLS programs help walk you through the process. It seems intimidating initially but it all starts to come together. As razorback mentioned know your drugs and basic rhythms.

College network is purely a middleman for Excelsior College. EC gives you all the necessary information you need. They made it very easy for me to gather the needed books and by following their study guide I passed every exam the first time. It was clear and succinct

Excelsior gives you plenty of study guide information to follow. When I took the program I followed their program and had no problem passing

I went directly through excelsior and found that their material was very helpful. Why pay extra when EC gives you all of the information that is needed.

FNP's often work in the ED for the same reason noted above. we can care for all ages, I have a friend that is an ACNP and she had a hard time finding a position in an ED that had peds, she had to travel to an ED that is only adult.

First of all, I myself am in a DNP program at this time. What I'm saying is that NP's are autonomous and we should act that way. Most programs "assist" the students in finding preceptors, but the RN should take the lead in looking on their own. Nursing is a different breed than many other medical disciplines, as NP's we can be totally autonomous, we may not always like it but its incumbent upon us to forge ahead as nurses and continue the autonomy that we have striven for. Randy MS,FNP,BC

I worked one fulltime job then I did agency work and was able to schedule the agnecy around my main job. It worked well and helped with my kids college tuitions

Every hospital is different. I've worked in hopsitlas in NY where I had to work 3 weekend shifts a month. It didn't matter which weekends. Sometimes during NP school I would work 3 Sundays in a row so that I was able to do additional clinicals on Saturdays.

I tell patients to call me by my first name. I find that it relaxes them and allows for an easier, more comfortable relationship. Some do call me doc and I correct them immeidately.

I understand everyones concerns about their schools not getting them a clinical site. But come one, we are being master prepared individuals in a totaly autonomous position. If we can't take the leadership role to find a clinical site and cold call a few people, then how are we going to work independently in practice and make decisions. Its not like we are in nursing school anymore!!!!!

My NP school gave us a list of possible clincal sites. Not all panned out for all students, many students called NP's and MD's of their family members. When I did my peds clinical I called my childrens pediatrician and he gladly made arrangements for me to do my peds rotation.

The doctors are extremely supportive, they teach me something new almost daily. None of them get upset of I ask questions. They often send me their patients to see and evaluate. The senior MD of the practice is on vacation for 1 week over memorial day oliday and she has any of her patients seeing me.

Do not buy a cheap one. Especially as a student. It can make all the difference in ausculatating blood pressures and heart rates for digoxin administration. I always tell my nursing students to buy a better stethescope.

I did the UOP program and graduated in 2003, I loved it and had no problem getting into Grad school and getting my FNP