naptimeRN

Sounds like a dream. I'd personally fill up my free time with hobbies and stimulating activities. I did med surg for 6 years and you couldn't give me a million dollars to go back. But everyone is different, thank goodness!

Just my personal experience being in FNP school... My school "helps with clinical". I assumed this meant they helped find placement and I was very much incorrect. They send the paperwork when you find one. That's about it. Many people sit out due to not enough preceptors available in the area. It's a lot tougher than I even imagined and I knew going in it would be difficult.

Do both programs provide clinical placement? If you do not have 100% guaranteed preceptors that you lined up yourself, I would personally choose the program that finds you preceptors.

It is insane. My program used to accept around 70 students. That already seems to be a lot. Come to find out, this year, they admitted closer to 200!! Not every BSN with a pulse should be an NP, yet many of these programs make it so anyone can...because $$$$.

I am in a brick and mortar FNP program. I could go on for days about how inadequate it is. I have no suggestion other than to supplement the best you can. You realize the flaw in the education and that right there means you're likely to be a good provider someday with your supplementation of education.

I took health assessment before patho and had zero issues whatsoever. I spent time outside of the class content looking further into why we are doing certain assessments and researching deeper into disease processes. This however, was not necessary for the Health Assessment class itself (unfortunately).

HI! I was wondering how you like their program so far? I am in a program in Buffalo and considering transferring and U of R is one of the few schools that has the FNP program in the area.

I work in an orthopaedic ambulatory surgery center. I am part time and work two 10 hour shifts per week. The full timers either do four 10s or five 8s...whichever they prefer.

It's been a few months now with nearly 50 pediatric offices and clinics contacted with no luck. I've tried places up to 2 hours away. I contacted the clinical coordinator at my school for help/guidance twice and she never responded. I went to the assistant to the dean and she told me to "make a list and keep trying". I found one family Practice willing to take me. I had them run some data however, and they don't see enough pediatric patients to satisfy my 200 hour requirement. I emailed the coordinator again asking for guidance. Never responded again and it's been weeks. I contacted the chair of the program. Never responded. I finally contacted the dean and she CC'ed the head of the pediatric portion of the program to our email thread. This professor didn't realize that when she responded to the dean, I too would receive the email. She called it crazy that a student would call that many offices and said that with students calling like this "no wonder the pediatricians are annoyed with us and won't take any students". First she admits there are no placements available and then she goes and blames this whole situation on the students! I responded to her asking if she has a better suggestion since the program offers little no no guidance whatsoever. She apologized for me seeing the email and offered no guidance except that they are aware there is a problen. How can these programs continue admitting so many people and taking their money while knowing there is not enough clinical sites?!I I studied very hard this semester (to supplement the subpar teaching this program provides). I am a 4.0 student and I will likely not return because I can not find a clinical site and am not willing to spend thousands more on this poor excuse of a program.

Wrong. They also require you have a pulse ? (I know this thread is almost a year old, but I couldn't help myself).

Has anyone here had to wait out a semester, transfer.or withdraw due to not finding a clinical site? When I told my advisor about the issues with finding placement and how many offices I've contacted he told me it's nearly impossible to find a pediatric clinical placement at this point (and I am looking for Spring 2020!). When you have to sit out due to not finding a preceptor, they make you pay for that class still to keep your spot in the program. Robbery. I don't think I'm willing to continue to invest more time and money into this without a guarantee. Beyond disgusting that they continue admitting hundreds of students while being fully aware of this issue.

I would not suggest any NP school that does not place you in clinical sites/with a preceptor. Most online programs do not. I am in a brick and mortar that does not. It is a nightmare.

Today, an instructor at my school responded to an email not realizing I was cc'ed on it (My original email was to the dean asking if we could do specialty hours since its near impossible finding a primary ped clinical site). I told her how many offices I had contacted. The instructor wrote how it was crazy that students would call so many offices annoying them and "no wonder pediatricians are unwilling to take our students". I was livid and disgusted she would say that. First, she is admitting there is an issue in terms of site availability and second, she blames it on the students because we are calling. I responded to her letting her know I also received her email and how the only help I've received from the school for the thousands I have spent is "keep a list and keep trying". I asked if there is another method because we would all certainly love to know it. She responded within 6 minutes apologizing and that she did not mean for me to get the email (obviously). She changed her tune saying I wasn't doing anything wrong by calling as that is what I was told to do, and said the faculty is meeting to hopefully come up with a solution for the issue between pediatricians and students. Okay, right.The issue isn't between pediatrician offices and students...the issue is that these schools admit hundreds of students knowing there is such limited preceptor availability and providing little to no guidance in terms of securing one. I can not believe this is something I paid for.

Two weeks left in this semester and in my advanced pharmacology class we have made it through 8 of 20 drug sections on the syllabus. I feel like I should get my money back. Also, the clinical coordinator (again, don't know what she actually does) has not responded to my emails regarding clinicals. One of my professors has not responded to an email I sent last Thursday regarding clarification on assignment. The director of the FNP program has not returned an email I sent regarding clinical and if I can do specialty since I can't find any pediatric. This program is awful.

How absolutely sad that it is like this. Here we are A students and likely not returning. I am having so much trouble deciding on whether to continue or not. This whole experience has really turned me off to this career choice.

That's right, no clinicals provided. I was told they help find clinicals. Little did I know that basically meant they will send out emails to students on what office not to call after certain offices complain of too many calls. That's about it. I can't believe this is how it works, and either can other providers. In my opinion after dealing with this, I would definitely hold off on going for any NP until/if you are able to find and attend one that places you in clinical sites. I'm only one semester in, so I could transfer or go a different route completely. Unfortunately all the NP programs in my area do not provide clinical placements and I'm not in a position to move elsewhere right now (husband's job). I kind of wish everyone would boycott these schools until they change this whole thing. Obviously wishful thinking...

It's so sad to hear this. Sad and embarrassing and scary for future patients that this is the schooling in place for future providers. I could somewhat handle the less than quality didactic portion (due to self supplementing on my own time), but to not have a formal clinical program in place is absolutely inexcusable. In class, they say over and over that this is all for the clinical portion, to "prepare you for clinical." What clinical?? I'm in one semester deep in terms of financial loss... I'm not sure I'm going to continue at this point and spend like 35k more?

Yikes. Her response was a bit passive aggressive there. I think it's absolutely ridiculous and criminal that universities play no part in the clinical placement and yet charge thousands for the credits when doing borderline nothing. It's an embarrassment to the profession that this is how it is.

100% find a program that provides preceptors. It is an absolute joke that schools do not provide this. I attend a brick and mortar school and they do not. Trying to find a preceptor in an area oversaturated with NP, PA, and med students is a nightmare. I hand my school thousands of dollars while I do all the work trying to find something. It is a disgrace. In hindsight, I would NEVER attend a program that does not provide placement.

Hello. I am an NP student. I don't have specific advice, but do strongly suggest you try to find a program that will provide you with clinical placements/preceptors. This would likely be a brick and mortar opposed to an online school. However, I attend a brick and mortar program and they do not provide clinical sites, so be sure to check with each school. It is a nightmare trying to find preceptors and I can't believe it is actually done this way.

Hello everyone. I am finishing up my first semester in an FNP masters program at a brick and mortar school. This semester I took Advanced Health Assessment/lab and Advanced Pharmacology. I am doing well in the program (grades over 90% on every exam taken) but, I just feel so disappointed. The program is fairly disorganized. The content is to be expected as in it is definitely not fluff in the classes I am taking, but with health assessment, it is surely teach yourself. I am okay with and expect self-study to an extent, but I can't help to question why I am spending 1k per credit hour for this. They do not provide clinical placements and when I have asked for guidance, I am simply told to keep trying or receive no response from the clinical liason (not sure what her job actually is since she offers little to no help). I start clinical next spring and have contacted over 50 pediatric/family practices (up to 3 hours away) and have nothing. Most places simply say they do not take NP students and the ones that do said "we are booked with students for 2 years." When I discussed this with my adviser, he said it is becoming near impossible to find a pediatric site (and women's health). It irritates me to no end that they are accepting so many students (anyone with a BSN and a pulse) and are aware of the lack of clinical sites. Not only that, but there is no quality control with sites so even if you do secure a site, you could end up simply just shadowing for the entire time (yes, students have told me this is what their experience was like). It's crazy to think that this is the education in place for NPs, and I know it is not just my school. I have done a lot of research on this and have found that some schools are wonderful and truly prepare students (and supply clinical sites!), but it is mind boggling that there is such an inconsistency in the education in place. At this point, I am not sure I want to continue. I am discouraged by the program itself and the hundreds of NPs being pumped out just in my area and across the nation. I know that if I do continue, I risk not finding clinical sites and having to sit out and waste more money. I also fear not being prepared when I come out of this due to the lack of a formal clinical experience and then trying to find a job that offers good mentoring when jobs are hard to come by at all in many areas. I am finding myself very envious of the PA students and regretting not going that route a long time ago(right now, it's not going to happen in my life). I am blabbering on, but is anyone else in the same boat? Is anyone else questioning your continuation in your program or becoming an NP in general? Thank you for listening/reading.

Tha k you for your reply and information ? That's great that you got such a good response from the CCNE. I had reached out to them a couple of months ago and did receive a response, but not a great one like you. Basically they just repeated what the ccne guidelines state. Maybe I will contact Lori directly. It stinks that you have to go out of state, but I guess good that you will at least be able to complete the program because of it.

Links saved. Papers printed. Locked and loaded.

Thank you for your replies and suggestions. It's crazy to me that there is not a formal clinical experience embedded into NP programs. Crazy and maddening. But, I can sit her sulking and moaning all I want, that isn't doing me any good haha. I had read about the Sawyer Initiative and saw the addendum to the CCNE policies, but in my opinion, it's still pretty open to interpretation and doesn't sound entirely promising. At least not yet. I have extended my search beyond my area to up to and hour and a half away, as I am unable to travel further than that due to life constrictions (mainly, kids). I had had contact with 3 more places today (pediatric and women's health) that are booked straight through until 2021! Yet, two other places told me that it's too early for me to be looking and they won't make commitments so far in advance. Hmm. Your part about jobs is another ulcer inducing issues that's been gnawing at me ?. It seems this is common and is apparently an issue near me based on how many students are flooding these practices. I see 20 plus postings per day for RNs (mostly ones no one wants of course) and maybe one a day NP jobs. But, on the other end, everyone I know who has graduated locally has secured a job here.

Hello fellow nurses. I know, I know.... I "knew what I was getting into"...but honestly, I didn't know it would be this bad! I am attending a brick and mortar FNP program about half an hour from where I live. It's been around for many many years. I knew, based on the good ol grapevine, that it wouldn't be super easy finding clinical placements, but I also did not know it would borderline give me stress induced ulcers. My instructors casually told us on the first day that it was probably too early to secure a clinical now, but to do it the semester before it starts. I am not sure how or why this is the advice they give because if they are that ignorant to the reality of it, I fear for us. I started calling a couple of weeks ago for the pediatric rotation that starts Spring 2020. I have now contacted (mostly phone, a few email) over 20 offices and clinics with no success. A few said they were booked with students until Fall 2020 (my expected graduation....)and majority that they do not take students. I guess the class size at my school has been increasing dramatically and we are the biggest FNP class to ever grace their halls, so yeah, we have officially outgrown the area. I am hesitant to commit further if I am going to get to next spring and not have a placement and be forced to sit out/pay more money for unnecessary classes in order to stay matriculated while waiting. I emailed the clinical coordinator (who literally just sends paperwork to the sites after you find one) twice in the past week addressing the issues and asking for pointers with no response. Sounds like this is very common and I am saddened, angered, and in disbelief that this is how the NP education is rolled out. What a joke....a totally not funny joke. Any advice on how to secure something? Words of encouragement? A slap to my naive head? A pat on the back with a sympathetic "good luck"? If anything, thank you for "listening".