Jennifer0512

Everything will be okay in the end, if it's not okay it's not the end!

I used both of those books you linked to as well as the question book that goes along with the orange book. Found all of them really helpful in passing the PNCB exam (passed in June--first attempt!)

Interviews are pretty laid back (2012 grad here). Be yourself, relax, and tell them why you want to be an NP and go to Regis! :) Good luck!

That's good you're separating next semester--it will definitely make things much clearer! We used Pediatric Physical Examination and Health Assessment by Sawyer.

I recently graduated/passed my boards for pediNP. No job yet so I can't tell you in "real life" if they encourage them or not, but in school we definitely did ROS for pedi patients (and we were separated from FNP students). My pedi H&P book also does ROS. I would clarify with your instructor if you get a chance.

When I was taking A&P I bought a toy skeleton from the halloween store--it actually had amazingly detailed bone anatomy. It was SO helpful to have that sort of 4D visual aid where I could actually point to the body parts. And it was super cheap!

Ah I see you were looking for the REAL schedule for the upcoming semester. They usually post it on Regis Access a few days before you are scheduled to register, so that you can plan out your schedule and respond ASAP. I was also in the "day section" and don't remember having trouble staying that way! I just graduated in May from Regis, passed the PNP boards in June, and I worked as a camp nurse for the summer. Now I'm looking for a PNP job. I've had interviews, but there haven't been a lot of openings in peds just yet. I haven't been looking for too long though. Good luck with school! It's a bumpy road, but it's so worth it! And Regis prepares you well for the boards!

It wasn't that long ago, but I can barely remember! I know you'll take two classes: psych and acute care (aka med/surg). Each of these has a clinical-- acute care clinicals is two days and psych is one day. I do forget how many days a week the classes are. And you'll still have lab to learn some new skills. Hope that helps! That was 3 years ago, so I'm a little foggy on the specifics!

YAY!!! Congratulations!!!

I was a Biochem major in my undergrad degree and then went into a direct-entry program to get my BSN/MSN and I just finished with that. I think they are different kinds of "hard". I found the content and concepts in biochem more challenging to learn, but I found the RN/NP courses harder in terms of workload, time commitments, and as someone else mentioned the fact that you're actually dealing with people's lives--lots of pressure in RN/NP for sure!

Congratulations Reeya!! So happy that you passed--I was rooting for you!

I did both NAPNAP's online course and the PNCB prep course (which were practice exams that then gave you rationales for the right answer). I did primary care though, so just keep that in mind. I liked the online course--it broke it down into very small parts, which made it easier to remember as I wasn't looking at so much at once. That coupled with my study guides was very helpful and I didn't find there was anything on the exam that I knew absolutely nothing about--which was great in my opinion! The PNCB prep course was also nice, but more for my piece of mind that I did a practice test using something from the company that I was actually taking the test from and also it was nice to have the rationales as not all my practice questions in other prep books had that. Hope that helps!

Sorry I'm responding late--boards took priority (and I'm happy to report that I passed!!) danceluver: I actually have found the job market to be better than I expected (and I'm in MA). There's not a ton out there for PNPs here, but when there is an opening that I apply for I actually am getting some feedback even as a new grad with no RN experience. I've only just started applying, but I feel like this is promising! I have been able to at least speak to people about jobs that I was interested in--the interviews are starting to come in now that I'm certified. As far as specialties--I really just love peds primary care, so not really much of a specialty, but I wouldn't necessarily rule out a peds specialty if a job opportunity came up and I wasn't getting any primary care offers. No idea about the pay, but the grads that came back from last year to speak to our class were not complaining :) And a lot of people in my class are working as RNs even with their PNP degrees...some might stick with the RN route for a while actually--I'm hoping to jump right in to the NP role, minus a small temporary RN role this summer. Yes, I'll be paying back loans as a PNP. And in my opinion, I think that RN experience doesn't hurt, but I do NOT think it's necessary--especially in the primary care route, it may be more helpful if you wanted to be an acute care PNP. I think I answered all your questions, but if you have any more feel free to ask!!

Just wanted to update everyone that I passed the PNCB yesterday :) Good luck to all those who are still preparing to take it or any of the certifying exams!

Hi hjnurse! I was a direct-entry student, and continued straight from getting my BSN to getting my MSN, so I guess I fall into the category of the "not much peds experience as an RN". I just graduated in May and am taking my boards very soon (less than a week actually!). Throughout my preceptorships and now I definitely felt like I made the right decision. I even enjoyed my BSN rotations with adults, but I still knew it wasn't what I was passionate about. A lot of people choose FNP because they want to be well-rounded and able to "do anything", which is true I don't disagree with them for choosing it for those reasons, but I also think there's something to be said for being an "expert" in something--like pediatrics for the PNP. If you think peds is what you wanna do then I wouldn't shy away from the PNP specialty there is so much you can do with it and the pediatric age group does span quite a bit, so it's not as limiting as some people make it out to be. If you're unsure then I would give it some more thought and just be honest with yourself of what you would and would not be happy doing. Best of luck in your decision! Let me know if you have any other questions!