Winnie04

Although the AACN recommends that the DNP is the required degree for entry to practice by 2015, it does not have the authority to mandate it. It will depend on each state and whether or not the state changes its practice act to require the DNP for NP's.

Hi, I am a NP student and I just wanted to note that there are some inaccuracies in the prior post regarding NP autonomy and authority to prescribe opioids. There are indeed states where NP's may practice without any physician supervision/collaboration (New Hampshire is just one example). Also, the ability of a NP to prescribe opioids is dependent on state regulations. You might find the Pearson Report helpful- it is a report that provides an overview of each state's legislation in these areas (but fyi it looks like you have to have a subscription to read the 2011 report): http://www.pearsonreport.com/ However, the 2009 report is still available without a prescription: http://www.npwh.org/files/public/PEARSON.pdf

Hi, I finished the accel. program in 2008. Good areas on the shuttle are 1) Mount Vernon, which is closer to school and downtown, and 2) Charles Village, which is a few more minutes away and closer to the undergrad campus ( fyi undergrad campus and medical/nursing campus are a few miles apart). Other fun areas are fell's point (some people walked from that neighborhood to school but I am not sure I would feel comfortable doing that) and federal hill (although you you would need a car to get from that neighborhood to school.) I agree the shuttle was pretty easy to use, don't have to worry about paying for parking. I would advise you to visit the city if you can. In Baltimore, good neighborhoods can be very close to not-so-good neighborhoods. When I first drove to the neighborhood where the nursing school was, it was on a Sunday in the summer, and the area was so concrete and desolate- it made me depressed! But during the week there are tons of people (students/hospital employees) around. good luck!

Hi, I graduated from the Accel. BSN program at JHU in summer 2008. I am from Boston originally and always planned on moving back to Boston after graduating, and I had a very difficult time finding a job. (I suppose part of it was that I was applying out of state so it was harder to network?) The school did provide me with alumni contact info, so I contacted a bunch of people in the Boston area, only heard back from one (who tried to be very helpful but it ultimately didn't come to anything). I am copying and pasting a message that I previously sent to someone else on this site who had the same questions that you do: My advice is to look into less expensive options- I wish I had! The cost of JHU is HUGE and I've learned that "name brand" is not so important when it comes to nursing. I am currently in a state school for my MSN and very happy about it! Additionally, I would advise you to consider going to school in the same city where you think you might want to work after graduation, and if you can swing it, work as a nursing assistant during school in the hospital where you think you might want to work as an RN (it could be hard to work during the accel. program but a few of my classmates did it per diem). The reason I am saying this is because many parts of the country have PLENTY of nurses and have absolutely no jobs for new grads. So, making connections to possible employers while in school will definitely be helpful when it comes time to find a RN job. I was super lucky that I landed my job here in Boston- my classmates who wanted to move here were not so lucky and after months of searching either moved to the west coast or have jobs that they aren't happy with. I only got my job through personal connections (my JHU resume didn't particularly help me.) I don't mean to be completely pessimistic; it's just something to consider, because there is a misconception that nurses can find work wherever they want. Good luck with your decision!

Hi, Sorry you are experiencing this frustrating situation. Sometimes when I ask for a letter of recommendation, I offer to provide a "draft letter" to the recommender...some recommenders say "that's ok, I don't need one," but others are happy to have something to work with. When I write the "draft," I write exactly the kind of letter I would hope to get, highlighting my accomplishments, experience, and personal attributes. Most recommenders add something of their own to the letter, but once someone used my draft without making any changes (so I am glad I wrote a good draft!) This certainly speeds up the process since the letter writers don't have to start from scratch. Good luck!

Hi, good question, I will be interested to hear if anyone has an answer on this. I certainly think that a photo could be considered "protected health information" and therefore may be a HIPAA violation in certain situations if it (along with identifying information) is shared without the patient's written authorization (AND the sharing is not the type that falls under the "permitted uses and disclosures" category). However, I also thought that HIPAA only applied to certain people/organizations ("health plans, health care clearinghouses, and any health care provider who transmits health information in electronic form in connection with transactions for which the Secretary of HHS has adopted standards under HIPAA"). So this makes it sound like the HIPAA privacy rule wouldn't apply to a family member? I am curious if the patient herself is able to say whether or not she wants her photo taken? From your description of the situation, I am guessing that she is unable to advocate for herself one way or the other?? Source: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/index.html

Hi, my impression is that the "general unhappiness with the profession of nursing" that is expressed on this board has to do specifically with bedside nursing. Advanced Practice nurses (Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, etc) have a much different role and work environment than do bedside RN's. For bedside RN's who want to get an advanced degree, it seems that it is typically more appealing/logical to stay in the field of nursing and become a NP instead of a PA (both are mid-level providers, and in several threads on the topic, posters have pointed out that the actual work done by both roles is v. similar).

Hi there, I'm so sorry you're having this difficulty, I can't imagine how frustrating it is! I just wanted to ask if relocation is at all a possibility for you? I am in the northeast and know how tight the market is here. I know some former classmates who were only able to find jobs by moving our of this region. It seems like the northeast is especially bad right now and that there are still jobs in *some* parts of the country. I hope things get better for you soon!

Hi, Yes, there are some MSN programs that admit students straight from their BSN. I can't say if it's "unusual" or not- I don't know how common it is but I know it exists! Some other schools prefer/require applicants to have experience. Even at the schools that may allow entrance straight from undergrad, there may be some specialty tracks within that school that only admit students once they have a year or two of experience (ie. CRNA always requires that applicants have ICU experience..some schools might also require experience for folks applying to other specialties like CNM, acute care NP/CNS, etc). The best thing to do is to look at schools' websites and/or call them to find out for sure. Good luck!

Hi Southernbelle, So, if I understand correctly, your manager is forcing you to work overtime?? I am no legal expert but I wonder if there are labor laws about that? Is your hospital's nursing staff unionized by any chance? If so, I imagine a union rep would know more about this topic. Good luck!

Hi, There are many paths to being a NP. First of all, are you already a RN? What, if any degree do you already have? To be a NP, you currently need a MSN (someone correct me if I am wrong and there are still some states where you can practice without a MSN??) However, this may change in the coming years, because the AACN has recommended that the entry degree for new NP's be a Doctorate of Nursing Practice, starting in 2015, although each state will have to decide if that is going to be "required". Anyway, not all MSN degrees prepare you to be a NP. There are MSN programs geared towards nurse educators, nurse administrators, "nurse leaders" etc. If you know you want to be a NP, it makes sense to attend a MSN program that prepares you to sit for NP boards. However, if you end up doing some other type of MSN, you can still become a NP by taking additional coursework/clinicals in a post-MSN certificate program that some schools offer. Here are the options I know of: 1) The most "traditional" path is typically for RN's with a BSN to apply to MSN programs. 2) If you are a RN with an Associates degree, there are some RN-MSN "bridge" programs out there that you can enter without first having your BSN. 3) If you are not a RN, but have a BA or BS in a non-nursing field, there are "direct-entry" MSN programs that are typically ~ 3 yrs. These typically require some pre-requisites (like Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology etc) and most do not grant a BSN along the way. You can typically take the RN boards (NCLEX) and start working as a RN after the first year or so, but you do not get a degree until you finish the entire program and get your MSN. At that point you can sit for the NP boards and start work as a NP. 4) There are also accelerated BSN programs for people with previous non-nursing degrees if you think you want to get your BSN first, work a little while, and then pursue your MSN. Sorry I can't tell you yet what exactly NP programs are like, I don't start mine until this fall. In general, it seems like the first year is usually coursework (adv. pathophy, pharm, health assessment, etc) and the subsequent years involve 1:1 precepted clinicals along with coursework. Hope that helps, and good luck!

Hi there, You and I have a lot in common as far as past education and career choices, and I'd be happy to share info with you. Are you able to send/receive private messages yet on this website? I believe you need to have made 15 posts or so in order to do so? I think it would be easier to correspond through pm's. I am heading to bed now after working a night shift so I'll check back later : )

Hi, my impression (from reading this board and talking to former classmates) is that job prospects vary widely according to region. For instance, I am in Boston and there is very much NOT a nursing shortage here. Some of my classmates who hoped to find a job here after graduating last summer have had to relocate because local hospitals hired hardly any new grads last year and seem to be hiring just about none this year. It seems like one thing that helps is to work as a nurse assistant during school in a hospital where you would like to work as a RN after graduation (hospitals will give these employees priority for RN jobs over outside applicants). Sorry I don't know what it's like in your area- don't lose hope until you ask around and get the scoop because it may be different in your part of the country. Good luck!

Hi, If you can get your GPA closer to a 3.0 that will probably help a lot. Ultimately, you won't know if you can get in unless you apply, so I say go for it! And as far as the GRE, there are a lot of MSN programs that no longer require it (in fact, I think there is a "sticky" about this topic in the grad school forum that lists schools that don't require it). If you do need to take the GRE, then it is something you can/should definitely study for...there are lots of practice books out there. There is also software that gives you mock exams (since the GRE is a computer adaptive test) and you can do practice tests until you are satisfied with your score. Most MSN programs like at least a 500 on verbal and 500 on math (not sure about the writing score...they probably like at least a 3.5 out of 6 I imagine?) Good luck with the last year of your BSN!

Hi, I don't think that sounds crazy, as long as your state college has a nurse midwifery program that allows you to go from ADN to MSN, and that allows you to do it part-time (or maybe you intend to do school full-time while working part-time?) If I were in your shoes I would also look into how much L&D experience the program wants RN's to have before applying to the CNM program. Also keep in mind that new grad positions in some areas of the country are few and far between, and depending on your location, it might be hard to land a job in L&D right away after obtaining your ADN. Also, it seems to me that most new grad positions are full-time initially, so you probably won't be able to cut back to part-time until you are at least done with orientation, then length of which varies from one hospital to the next (at least 3 months is pretty standard for new grads, I think). Good luck!