tuckers19

I had a similar problem. I moved to Texas for NP job. I'm glad I did. It seems the economy hasn't hit Texas as hard as other places ( I could be wrong, I've only been here 3 weeks). All my job offers and interviews were in Texas. It took very little time to get my APN license here here since TN and TX are compact states.

I'm a fairly new NP. I graduated in December 2008 passed my boards in April, and started job hunting with my resume that we were assigned to complete in the last semester. It flopped. I decided to totally revamp and do a CV instead. CVs are not only for academia, but as everyone has said they are also for professionals. As a matter of fact when I switched from just a run of the mill resume to a great CV the phone started ringing and I landed a great job. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of hours, but my product looks like a million bucks. I went to my public library and checked out the following: Resume Magic Cover Letter Magic Resumes for Healthcare Professionals Read them from cover to cover. I just tried to skim what I though were the important parts and missed out on some great information. It teaches you how to format in Word and how to properly save and send via the web, among other things. The "Resumes for Healthcare Professionals" is filled with CVs and resumes for all healthcare professionals including several nurse practitioners. All the books help me word all the things that help me stand out at my job even though I have about 2.5 years of nursing experience, but to me it was just doing my job. Jobs are limited in this market so you want your CV to stand out.

I just passed my ANCC certification exam on the 22nd! Now I'm on the search for a job. I'm pretty sure when I went into school, I found listings for FNP jobs everywhere. Now that I am looking and really need a job, there are very few. Curious has anyone ever used a recruiter? Good or bad experience?

I think that if you don't want to limit yourself then the FNP is the way to go. Before school I was a pediatric neuro nurse. I've only wanted to work with the pediatric population so at first I thought about being a PNP. Well, after speaking with the nurse practitioner that works on our floor, she told me that she was able to do more with her FNP degree including work in pediatrics. Pretty much every specialty at my hospital has a nurse practitioner and the majority of them are FNPs (even the ones in the ED). The FNP scope of practice includes every one from babies, to kids, to adults, to the elderly and pregnant patitients. You still have the option of teaching, adminisration, and research to go along with it. I was able to get a job working at Kaplan teaching NCLEX review because of my master's degree. For me FNP was a win-win situation.

I've definetly been there, but in a different manner. The older nurses were just kinda hateful because I even had the thought of going back to school. Just think of it this way "haters will hate," that's what they do. I talked to so many older nurses who said they wish they would have gone back to school but got married or had kids. I knew from the start that I didn't want to be put in that situation. Hence, at 25 I had my FNP degree. Think of it this way, soon you will have your advanced degree and moving on to bigger and better things, those nurses will still be back there griping and complaining because others are living out their dreams. Just brush your shoulders off and keep it moving.

I graduated with my MSN at 25 and this was working a year as a RN before I applied to the MSN program. My first goal was to go straight from BSN to MSN without working, and decided not too. We had several students in my program to do this. I believe the youngest was 23 and she had the highest GPA in our program.

I agree with everyone who says enjoy the time. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started my BSN or MSN program. Personally for me, I wish I would have taken a review course before my clinicals started for the NP program. I had worked as an RN for about a 2 years, but personally I think it would have helped out a lot.

So all my years of nursing school, does not compare to the frustration that I have from trying to apply for this test. I just feet like some how I was not getting the memo. I graduated Dec 5 and I still have not receieved my test authorization. It's mostly to blame my director for not returning her part in a timely manner. After weeks of calls, e-mails, and visits from myself and other students I finally got the material needed on Jan. 31! A classmate just called last night to say that ANCC is holding up her application because even though should had an official sealed transcript, since it has "issued to student" (she picked it up from the registrar to be included in her packet) they will not honor her transcript and she has to wait until the recieve another. It has already been seven weeks since she sent it off. Of course I did the same and I just went ahead and had another transcript sent just in case I have any problems. Now I wish I would have just done the AANP. I just found out the ANCC has resiprosity and if you have a certification from AANP all you have to do is give ANCC your money and you are certified in both. Does anyone know if AANP has the same? I didn't see any specific info and I just maybe overlooking it.

Totally felt that going through school. I've always wanted to be a NP since I can remember. Never wanted to be a doctor and definitely never thought about being a CRNA. Just the thought of being a CRNA is not appealing to me. To each their own. I enjoy my BMW from the BSN. It's called being responsible with your money and good credit.

Hi everyone. I'm fairly new around here. I graduated this past December with FNP degree. I'm looking to test soon with ANCC (waiting for director to give me my paperwork). At the beginning of the month I took a review class with APEA and have been studying every day since I graduated. I debated taking the Margaret Fitzgerald live course. I thought the the APEA live course was great but didn't seem to give me any tips and strageties for taking the test. Has anyone taken either live course? Any regrets? I'm wondering if I should shell out more money for the Fitzgerald course.