Carol RN

Hello, I have been an RN for 24 years, most of which I have been certified in hospice and palliative care. I also finished an MSN last year. I have currently been working as a nationwide consultant (sole proprieter) which is 100% travel and honestly, I'm a bit disgusted with the fraud and abuse going on in the industry. Having just finished my MSN I took advanced assessment, pharmo, and physiology. However, I cannot get a job in an acute care setting anywhere (and I live in Dallas!) My goal is to become a CWOCN, hopefully in private practice at some point in the future as I do love being self employed. I did home health wound care in the 90s which was quite intensive and comprehensive (a lot has changed in that industry too) I've read in other posts that you must have 5 years experience to sit for CWOCN boards, but Emery and Cleveland Clinic state that you can sit for boards after completing the CWOCN programs. I was hoping the CWOCN certification could help get me back into an acute care setting, gain the experience I need then join a partner or private practice contracting with home health, nursing homes, hospices, etc. Is this possible? I feel like I'm in a catch-22. I need RECENT acute care experience to be CWOCN but I can't seem to find acute care positions without RECENT acute care experience. There is a nurse refresher course at one of the lcoal hospitals here (16 weeks) it seems to be for people who have let license lapse. I'm not sure I need to go that far, I've never stopped being a nurse. I just don't have recent acute care experience. Any ideas? C

Actually I transferred to Georgetown last semester for advanced sciences. I took Pharmo, Patho, and Assessment (I felt I needed a more didactic experience for those courses) I intended to finish with Georgetown, but their latest schedule is not offering my classes at times when I can take them (unless I quit my job!) If nothing comes available in Georgetown's course offering, I may be going back to St Joes to finish up clinicals!!! I'm not worried about the pending accreditation, its a new course, its the same with Georgetown. Times they are a'changing with online degree programs!

Hi I started October 31 full time with 3 "advanced sciences" (Pharm, Patho, Health Assessment) You are in "synchronous" sessions with instructors 2 hours per week and there are several hours of lecture to watch on your own time. Most students form study groups too and they schedule time to meet online. Full time is intense, but most of the students are working full or part time too. I tried to respond to your private message, but apparently I don't use allnurses enough to have that priviledge! Good luck! C

I've had several private messages about my experience at Georgetown. Apparently, I need an upgrade or something to use private message so I'm responding here. Georgetown is *******' intense!! It is night and day different than St Joes even though they are both on-line programs. GU has a 2 hour synchronous session every week (for each class) plus hours and hours of anynchronous course lectures to watch at our convenience to prepare for classes. I am currently taking Pharm, Patho, and Health Assessment and the schedule is very rigorous. But I'm learning WAY more than I did at St Joes! I'm so glad I transferred. I fell way more confident that when I graduate I might have a clue as to what I'm doing. It's expensive, but I think it is definitely pushing me further down the career track than St Joes would have. No paper writing in these "advanced science" classes, so no busy work, which I love. There are 4 tests in each class, which you take at home while on webcam in a quasi-proctored environment-so it is NOT open-book!

I didnt have a recommendation from an NP either. I got a recommendation from an MD that I worked with and that seemed to work.

Just wanted you all to know that I just transferred from St Joseph's to Georgetown. I completed all of core as well as pharmacology. I loved the core classes. I didn't mind teaching myself ethics, leadership, policy, etc. I've been doing that stuff my whole career. I didn't feel prepared to teach myself the core sciences though (Pharm, Assess, and Physiology) the pharm was text and a quiz plus some assignments, but no teaching whatsoever. So for me, I made a change. Fortunately, it looks like 4 of the classes will transfer to Georgetown. Georgetown is REALLY expensive, but I think it will give me opportunities and possible loan repayment positions. Anyway, I had been commenting on this thread and wanted to keep you updated.

I just got accepted to start Oct 31 and couldn't be more excited. I started at St Joseph's College of Maine and finished all the core classes (self-paced, loved it) My career had prepared me for leadership, ethics, policy, etc. but I didn't feel prepared to teach myself the core sciences (pharmacology, assessment, physiology). There is no teaching whatsoever, just assignments that are graded. Georgetown has 2 hours of lecture per class every week in addition to all the resources we all already have online. But what really did it for me was that the clinicals at St Joseph's changed several times from 500 hours self-paced to 600 hours, then 680 hours with a cohort over 3 semesters of 15 weeks and you find your own clinical preceptors. I've joined my states NP association as well as several linked in groups for NP's and there is quite a bit of concern voiced by new grads and the adequacy of their education. I don't want to become certified and feel like I'm faking my way through (which was the way the St Joseph's program was going). I'm sure Georgetown is not for everyone, but remember there are many employers that offer 20-30K per year loan repayment that you aren't eligible for if you don't have loans. (National Health Service Corp for a start). I also like that Georgetown arranges the clinical preceptors for me.

Hi, I just applied to St Joseph's FNP program, and the admissions counselor said all is good! I'd love to hear from you if you are attending! [email protected] I thought the cost was pretty resaonable, compared to other programs I was considering, but the self-paced, one class at a time was what hooked me! I hope to finish each class at an ave of 5 to 6 weeks too. Any trouble finding preceptorships? Hope to hear from you soon! Carol