graceofone

I applied late Friday night and had a DEA number/license available online today with a hard copy on it's way with an ETA of 5-7 days. DEA FTW!

Thanks!

Anyone recently apply for an inital DEA license? What was your wait time? I know the site is saying 4-6 weeks but I just wanted to see how long others have waited. Thanks!

Zenman, Unfortunely, it does come up. Especially in areas where there aren't that many NP's and someone new comes in. I'm in South Dakota and a FNP. And while I know it is illegal, I have been asked in EVERY interview if I'm a military spouse. I've even just simply stated that we just relocated to the area when asked and they still dig it out of you. And I agree, I so wish I could say it's none of your damn business but they still ask it and with a VERY limited job market I just smile and go on. I would be up to relocating away from my spouse, however, we have children and so I'm getting ready to start a RN job just to keep up with the profession and hope to network this way. It's especially frustrating because we were in NW FL and it seemed like the hospitals there viewed being a military spouse as an asset. Here, it's apparently a fault. :/

As jillarnp pointed out it is HARD to find a job as a new grad with the added title of military spouse. Even without out right saying you are a military spouse, employers still have asked me (yes, it is illegal but what can you do). We moved abroad (Italy) as I was completing my FNP coursework and I was unable to work there (we were on an Italian airbase, not one of the American bases) and now here I am 18+ months after graduation still trying to find my first NP job. It doesn't help that we are in South Dakota either. Even with the VA, you do not get preference and a lot of the government jobs on base are contracted out and the contractor could care less who you are. Just something to think about. As much as I loved FNP clinicals and as much as I think I will love being an NP, I really wish I had waited until my husband was separating from the service. Right now, I am just in the mindset that I wasted money for nothing. Good luck to you though!

Something to add here...ALL agencies aren't bad and from what I have seen and experienced you MUST also be in contact with the contracting officer/official at the clinic in which you are applying. They can give you the real deal of what is going on. For example, a local military facility is looking for a NP, they put the position out for bids. 22 companies are elgibile to place a bid. Once awarded the bid the company has a certain amount of time to supply a NP, usually no more than 30 days. So instead of awaiting until the contract is won by their company they will place ads asking for NPs to submit applications/CVs as "feelers" and if and when they are awarded the contract, they are immediately able to supply a candiate to the facility, keeping in mind that background checks, base access, and other security measures take time. Most agencies that I have talked with or dealt with have been honest with me to say they are still in the bidding arena and don't actually have the contract yet and actually have encouraged me to apply with other staffing agencies that are advertising the same position.

Just wondering what different schedules FNPs have, more specifically those in outpatient clinics. I thought moving from floor RN to clinic FNP would be better, but at the end of my clinic days I can barely function to make dinner, etc.

Just a heads up on the University of South Alabama...a majority of the students are NOT happy. That is true in the MSN and DNP programs. Several MSN prepared nurses who have wrote several research articles dropped the USA program because of lack of guidance. That says a lot!

Just curious did you all have phone interviews for the DNP program and which track did you all apply for? I am trying to switch from the MSN track tothe DNP track and mailed my application in late, so I will be considered only on a space available basis...

The DNP at USA is very new (maybe 2 years if that?). I don't think you are going to have much luck finding anyone with personal experience with the DNP program at USA. There are multiple threads on the MSN program there.

Those are all extensive writing courses with the exception of Assessment. Quite a few have longer 10-12 page assignments and strict APA...

Tests are online, timed, and they are closed book per honor code...they recently told us that all finals will now be proctered at a test center per your expense. Tests are typically 35 ?s 35 minutes.

It is a master's program, do not let the fact that it is online fool you. It is hard! No master's program is going to be easy and the person that tells you it is lying. Nothing worth having is easy! The workload is extremely heavy. I am finishing up the first clinical semester of the FNP track and it has been a whopper. Expect 200 plus pages of articles and 3-4 chapters in at least 3-4 books for one test. In the promotion class for the FNP track we read the entire Bright Futures book (look it up) for the first test with at least 300 pages of articles. That class is only 2 credits! The instructors are a different story feel free to PM about that. While tuition may not be an issue, there are other costs associated with this program that could make you go broke, i.e. not working, the cost of printing out everything, etc. Again I am in the FNP track not AC but I personally know other RNs in the ACNP program at USA and it is just as hard and time consuming. Good luck!

It depends on which semester you enter. I would recommend doing all of the pre-reqs (pharm, patho, theory, roles, research, economics) first, no matter where they are in the curriculum. I was able to work 2-3 weeks while just taking pre-reqs but I was a spring entry and so I will have pre-reqs with my clinical courses (the FNP track courses) and it will be impossible for me to work. Even those without pre-req courses They do not expect you to work at all starting with the first clinical semester. USA is okay, there are very few taped lectures and no direction, so you are teaching yourself. I would prefer a sit down come to class program but those are few and far in between. Good luck deciding

As a military spouse, I would recommend going for the ADN first, because chances are you will never be anywhere long enough to finish a 4 year on campus program. You can always go back and get your BSN and/or MSN online through several reputable colleges. As far as the military having special programs, there really are none. I am half way through an online FNP program and have been completing some of my clinicals at the local AF base. In August, my husband who is AD AF got orders to a small geographically separated unit, with only about 100 American troops, which of course has no hospital. The nearest military base is Vicenza Army Base, and to put it politely, they were in no way welcoming to students. Landstuhl in Germany also turned me down. So right now, I am not to fond of Army health professionals, especially one chief nurse! However, I did contact Aviano another AF base (2.5 hourse away from we will be stationed) and they have been extremely accomodating! Good luck and btw look at militaryonesource.com for CAA accounts to help pay for school...it's paying for $6000 of my MSN!

Ditto what shortlittlern said working even part time is beginning to take it's toll! With the reading and tests every week it has been exhausting and thats with only 60 clinical hours for this semester (4th semester FNP)! I can not imagine working with all of this and 180 hours of clinicals!!! If at all possible, I would recommend not working! Our instructor at our meet and greet said "You are setting yourself up for failure if you plan on continuing to work while enrolled in the program." Yikes! Overall I think the program is disorganized and I would prefer an in class setting but very few FNP programs do that anymore...Good luck!

I am not an alumni but I am also beginning my first clinical semester and my god the reading is ridiculous! I have heard that the clinical paperwork is a bear but I am thinking that is referring to the next 3 semesters! Hang in there! We CAN do this!!!

Background, I am enrolled in a FNP program and will begin my first clinical classes this fall. Our school is offering a new adult health nurse practitioner program with added geri focus. My first question is for any adult health nurse practitioners (not acute care!), have you more difficulty finding employment versus your FNP counterparts? Where do you work? My second question is to those that are FNPs (not specializing), do you see many kids? My background is adult oncology/med-surg and I am not interested in working in a critical care area and my feelings re: treating children are neutral. Any advice/suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

Congrats!!!:yeah:

1. University of South Alabama 2. MSN-FNP 3. I will be working somewhere between part-time and full-time (2-3 12hr shifts/wk) 4. Full-time 5. and I'm probably going to have a nervous breakdown before it is all over!

Starla76: I am interested in how you went about joining while in school. I am a BSN in school for my FNP. Also what rank will you come in with? You mentioned they paid a stipend, do you still get an accession bonus? Did you have to go through any waivers? I am all ears about your journey! Thanks in advance and good luck!

In regards to #3, there is little room for error in health care. Just because you have pass a test in no ways makes you competent, it means you know the material you were tested on. This scares me that you think that you can just learn it as you go without previous expereince. A lot of the time, depending on your state, the NP is the one treating/diagnosing without other independent providers. I would hate to be wrong about diagnosing someone who presents with uncommon symptoms of a common disease, a skill experienced nurses have. I, myself, am a little worried about practicing as a NP with the 5 years of experience I will have when I graduate.

Are there any University of South Alabama grads on this board? I am first semester of the FNP track and already worried about clinical sites! I know on their site they list their clinical affliations but did anyone arrange their own with sites not previously approved? Or did anyone come across problems with finding sites? Any insights on the program would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks for your reply...but it sparks another question. How in the heck were you able to get a job in an Army clinic-we are Air Force and I can't ever seem to find a job on base--I would love to have those hours (I think!) and the benefits. I am in my first semester at the University of South Alabama and we don't start clinical rotations until the third semester (Fall 2009) for me. Luckily, it's an online program with clinical affliations pretty much everywhere, including a lot of military installations. Are you all still AD? Where are you working now? Sorry, for so many questions, just excited to find someone who was in a similar situation. Thanks again!

are there any nps out there married to the military? i would like to know what your biggest challenge has been being a professional and frequent relocations. were you able to complete np school at 1 location or did you have more than 1, and how did this affect your clinical experiences? what kind of jobs have you had? my concern is having lived at our present location for almost 3 years and having developed working relationships with nps and mds in my area and having to move right about the time i am to begin clinical rotations for my np program.