JustinTRN

U of A also has a nurse faculty loan program that if you agree to teach 4 years after graduation they will pay off 80% of your student loans.

The school has Western Regional Graduate Program which if you live in a western state or Hawaii you will get in state tuition. Which is 8,000/semester right now. If I had it to do over again I probably would have got my MSN and then went back one course at a time for the DNP. This has been a challenging program but if you're wanting to get an MSN and DNP like I am then it's nice. I graduate with my MSN in December and my Doctorate next year. I've finished all classes and only have the PI left to complete. I don't think it's a competitive program because they usually adapt to their applicants. If they get more applicants then they have more faculty teach or hire more.

There are students who have just 1 year of experience and some others in the DNP or PhD program who are only 24 years old. I would still encourage you to apply.

How did you like UMASS Boston? I completed 2 courses there as electives and enjoyed it. I took the Psychosocial Mental Health across the lifespan course and another nursing course. Did you like your experience?

I’m in the BSN-DNP. One great thing is they allow you to do the Dual DNP/Phd which requires about 5 extra courses and an 18 units minor. I love the school and the programs. I think you would enjoy it. Which professor is it that you see. I would suggest messaging the professor and if they don’t respond then message Dr.Terry Badger who is kinda in the lead there and knows everything.

Have you tried contacting the board of nursing in WI and ask them the best method of going about this?

I think one of the most important thing is to get this situation documented. Our current facility has a corporate hotline that you can call and HR has no choice to follow up on this matter. This matter makes a hostile work environment and unfortunately places you at the disadvantage. This must be the type of place you work in because it wouldn't fly at too many hospitals. You could eventually sue and place the hospital at legal implications. One of the most important thing for you is too keep up with every occurrence including dates what was said and involving who. This may seem tedious to you at first but after awhile the hospital will know you're not messing around anymore. Everyone deserves the right to work in an environment where they are not being picked on my egotistical bullies. My hospital and manager just got sued by an employee over this type of matter.

There is a difference actually in a ASN and a ADN. A nurse with an ADN is just that, they passed the requirements of their Associate degree to fulfill the requirement to sit for nursing licensure. The ASN, an associate of science in nursing, usually takes quite a bit more science in school to then fulfill the requirements to sit for nursing licensure. When I obtained an Associate degree before my BSN my program. My degree was called Associated in Applied Science of Nurse. I took so much science that once I got to my BSN all I has to take was my Pathophysiology. Most school and professional organizations call all of them regardless an ADN or Associated Degree in Nursing. Most school choose how they present their associate degree and may make you take more science or something and call the degree something else. In the end we are all associate degree nurses, even thought I have a BSN. : )

I’m an ICU nurse and this issue is usually always over staffing and money. We have doctors so eagerly to place a patient in the ICU at my facility that either the ICU or nurse manager always goes and evaluates. Maybe the the BP is low but is the patient’s baseline and does not need the acuity of an ICU when the ICU bed could be saved for an more acute admission. Also, if we get patients from the floor we make the ED hold patients until we can complete the admission or transfer. If the floor patient takes up the ICU bed it could prevent us from admitting an ED patient if we do not have adequate staffing this making the ED hold the ICU admission all night which we hate. At my facility if all staffing get’s absorbed, because of ratio laws, the entire unit of staff gets penalty pay. Meaning every single nurse in the unit gets an extra 2 hours of free pay just for not getting a break. One thing I’ve learned is these matters are almost always about the budget.

I was accepted to USA's BSN-DNP (FNP/ACNP) program and turned them down after they never replied to my emails. This is never a good sign for a school. Plus in US NEWS and World report their ranking dropped from 115 to like 295. I asked them what this was about and they said they didn't know. Kinda odd. I applied and got accepted to St.Louis, University of Alabama in Birmingham, and University of Arizona in addition to USA. I finally picked the University of Arizona. If you're in the West they have the WRGP program that you get instate tuition. The entire program was so great that they even allowed me to talk to 4 students of their program before applying. I start in August and I can't wait. They seem so supportive. I liked UAB too but they admit too late in the year compared to other school plus I kinda like Arizona's curriculum better as I get my summer's off.

Everyone in the group, I just talked on the faculty track directors and was told they evaluated all the applications this past week. Good luck to all.

I just got accepted to the BSN-DNP dual ACNP/FNP program for fall 2011. If you haven’t noticed USA has moved in their ratings from 115 to well over 200 this year by US News and World Reports. I’ve heard so many bad things about their program that I’ve even contacted them. It takes them weeks to reply to my questions so I take this as a clear picture of how their program would be like. I decided to not go there and go to a different school with a BSN-DNP program doing just the ACNP track at this time. Hope everyone else get’s in if they choose. : )

An Acute and Continuing Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) is a nurse who is prepared in a master’s or doctoral program to practice in an advanced nursing role in a variety of acute or critical care settings. ACNPs are clinical experts who provide care to acutely or critically ill patients, many of whom may have chronic health problems. ACNPs provide continuous and comprehensive care to patients who are acutely or critically ill. At times ACNPs may function independently, but most often they function collaboratively with patients, their families, and other members of the health care team. The goals of the ACNP are to stabilize the patient, minimize complications, provide physical and psychological care, restore maximal health, and evaluate health risk factors. To achieve these goals ACNPs provide direct patient care management; admit and discharge patients from the hospital; perform histories and physicals; analyze clinical data; order and/or perform necessary diagnostic tests or procedures; develop, implement, and evaluate the therapeutic regimen; teach and provide support for patients and their families; minimize fragmentation by providing coordination of care; manage transition of the patient to step-down units or to out-patient settings; and serve as patient advocates. ACNPs work ONLY with adults and must be board certified to do so, typically ages greater than 17, depending on your certifying agency. The ACNP is one of the newest NP professions and some areas of the USA do not seem to understand the practice of an ACNP and thus will pick an FNP. ANCC is a huge credentialing agency for NPs of all professions and is more common. The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) provides comprehensive primary health care services to individuals from infancy through adulthood. FNPs are prepared to provide care to individuals with acute illnesses such as bronchitis or headache and chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Preventive health services, patient education, disease management, illness prevention and other kinds of care provide within the context of family and community. And Family Nurse Practitioners are among those who, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), contribute significantly to providing health care to underserved populations residing in both urban and rural settings. Statistically, ACNP have the highest salary as an NP in the profession of Nursing. The only profession in nursing that statistically makes more is the CRNA. It’s mandated that ALL NP’s must be educated at an Doctoral level after 2015.

In Nursing more schools are including dual specializations. Such as Emergency NP with ACNP/FNP certification and training. FNP- Allows you to see all populations ACNP- Allows you to work with more ACUTE patients and are preferred in hospitals as an NP than FNP. Many states are becoming more stringent on the specialty of NPs and some states are trying to makes laws that prevents FNPs from working in hospital ERs. The FNP curriculum was created for rural primary care but are used so broadly because they can see ALL populations from womb to geriatric.

Try the RODP by Regent's online. They let you choose from several University's as a home university in the state of Tennessee and is the cheapest program I have ever found. http://www.rodp.org/degree-programs-courses/masters/master-science-nursing/advanced-practice-family-nurse-practitioner-c

Technically, years of experience does tend to win out. However, most positions postings tend to state: BSN preferred and my hospital hires a BSN over an associate degree nurse every time. I think this will be the same in the future of NP practice. I believe, in the future, the DNP will always be preferred over the MSN. In 20-30 years we will see MSN Nurse Practitioners about as much as we see diploma nurses. They are almost extinct. I was just admitted in a DNP Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program and decide to do that route because I'm younger and allowed to get my MSN along the way to work as an NP while finishing the rest of my doctorate. People are trying to hate the DNP but they might as well get over it because it's mandated and here to stay after 2015. We will see the curriculum of the DNP evolve over time but for now it's what we have in practice.

I’ve been accepted into the University of Arizona’s DNP, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program. Can you tell me how to look for clinical placement, what I should be doing in clinicals or focusing on, and how to find a good Preceptor in my area. I live in San Francisco. Thanks.

How many times must you attend campus?

The only negative thing about Vanderbilt's program is they require the GRE and a bit more travel than most distance accessible programs.

I would check into the accelerated MSN for non nurses. It's faster and you usually get your Nursing license before you graduate after about a year.

The problem I have with the higher degree including BSN, MSN, DNP, PhD is that they are getting further from the beside and patient care and more into “theory” and “research”. I’m finishing up my BSN now and there is nothing helpful that you learn you your nursing practice. I’ve learning about paradigms, theories, nursing theorist, and more about research than I ever cared about knowing. NOTHING about patient care though. Even the DNP degree is getting hit by physicians because of all the theory and no extra clinical practicum. A nurse practitioner with a DNP does from 1000-1500 clinical hours through their program usually. Even Physician Assistants get more than 4000 hours. I wonder if this is why so many nurse practitioners feel so unprepared after graduating. All in all I think nursing needs to get back to its roots. I like the idea of diploma programs. They were “patient” oriented. Not “theory” and “research” oriented. If I want theory and research I would get a PhD.

Not at all...I've never seen anything like it.

I love being a nurse but I don't particularly like my job. The cleaning up people's ****, even while the have it from head to toe, and decide to take the initiative to pee over the side of the bed onto the floor is the easy part. The paperwork is even doable although it's annoying and accumulates every year. We are also expected to wear many "hats" such as housekeeping, respiratory care, transport services, educator, and social worker just to name a few. The only computer time we get is "charting our assessment". You think people talking about your isn't bad then wait till you get into nursing and experience some nurse to nurse hostility first hand. Someone personally might not care for you and could sneak around just trying to find things you don't do or do wrong just so they can tell on you or write you up. There are many who gossip a lot and tell lies and you think "so what', right? Well wait till your manager takes you to HR over and over or tries to fire you and continuously writes you up because of these accusations. Management in most facilities do not back their nurses and even treat them worse. Families are rude and do not understand patient care. I work in critical care and you could have been super busy with a patient all night that coded and has no blood pressure, giving blood, multiple IV drips to help keep the patient alive yet the family comes in and complains that mama's lips are dry. Then you accused by your manager of not doing mouth care. (just an example) I work in a place where the nurse to nurse hostility is worse than ever. I've gotten to where I hate to work with certain nurses and you have to continuously watch your back because nurses could change your IV pumps trying to get your into trouble or anything. Nursing is sooo much more than anyone can imagine. Not to speak how most are so mistreated and disrespected by egotistical docs. Then most people hear these issues think a nurse is burnt out. I see this routinely on allnurses where nurses are accusing other nurses of being burnt out. These people or nurses have no idea what a burn out is. I would choose nursing all over again, because I love it, but you better make sure you go into nursing for the right reasons. I make six figures actually as a bedside nurse. We are the highest paid in the nation. But to have a better working environment and conditions I would give half of my pay away.

If you lie on your application your job has a right to fire you at any given time. Even 5 years down the road if they want to because they could find out you falsified information on your application.

Uh huh! .....and then comes diabetes.