SopranoKris BSN, RN

SopranoKris has 5 years experience as a BSN, RN and specializes in Critical Care.

SopranoKris's Latest Activity

1. 

   Walden University acute NP online program.

   SopranoKris replied to pulchra's topic in NP Students

   Walden does not do any hands-on skills training at all. I would steer clear of this for ACNP. You really need to have that foundation in training on how to insert art lines, central lines, IOs, chest tubes, suturing, lumbar punctures, intubations, etc., before starting clinicals. I know FNPs from Walden's program, and they do well. I do not know any ACNPs at our facility who went their program. As stated above, some hospitals will not hire from programs that have no actual campus.
2. 

   FNP ACNP Dual Programs

   SopranoKris replied to zinaptl's topic in NP Students

   They want you to set up your preceptors in your area. You do have access to their Typhon & CAPS databases to look up previous facilities & preceptors, which is helpful. If you've exhausted all leads in your area, they will either let you defer the hours to the next semester, or they can place you. However, they can place you anywhere in the country. The cost for travel, lodging, licensing, etc., would be on you. So, not always ideal. Like rural Oregon in the Winter. I've had no problem getting my clinicals set up each semester. My issue now is the hospital for my ACNP rotations isn't taking students right now. But should be able to start in October. Fingers crossed! 2 more semesters left 😊
3. 

   AGACNP Precpetor

   SopranoKris replied to GreentigerRN's topic in NP Students

   With COVID, it's going to be slim pickings right now. Many hospitals aren't taking students at all. And the ones that do are already full. My school is allowing us to defer our hours to next semester, but that means double the clinical hours in the Spring. I'm hoping to get lucky and get an out-of-state clinical placement at a hospital where my cousin works. Fingers crossed. You could always try going through the state's NP association where you want to get placed and see if you can make connections that way. If your school uses Typhon, you can pull up the preceptors already in the Typhon database and contact them directly, as well.
4. 

   Acute Care AGNP vs. Primary Care AGNP

   SopranoKris replied to Nurse Fi's topic in NP Students

   The biggest issue with not having critical care experience before starting ACNP is that it is expected you already have this background. You know how art lines work, you've rotoproned a patient, you've cared for a post-open heart, you've titrated pressors, you're comfortable managing a vent, you've had experience with CRRT, IABP, ECMO, etc. You'll be behind a huge 8-ball if you attempt to take ACNP courses and don't know the real-world presentation of these patients. The courses are fast-paced and assume you have this knowledge as a baseline. Our instructors are fond of saying "A students become C students in ACNP if they haven't worked in critical care". That's why there's a requirement for experience before being admitted. You can't really substitute book learning for hands-on patient experience. And even if you did, the book learning would be very difficult to absorb because you don't have a basis for what you're learning. Can it be done? Sure. But is it advisable? Not really. I would whole-heartedly recommend getting the required experience before attempting to be an ACNP. If you want to work outpatient setting, then get the FNP. Or AGNP if you don't want to work with peds & OB/Gyn. Really think about the types of patients you want to work with and the specialty area you want to focus on and then pursue the appropriate NP certification.
5. 

   FNP practicum in multiple states?

   SopranoKris replied to Sarah_RN_BSN's topic in NP Students

   There's nothing wrong with broadening your horizons and getting clinical experience in other states. There were a few students in my class who had to go to other states for specific clinical specialties (like OB or Peds) because the area they lived in was saturated with students. I'm actually looking at doing my ACNP rotations in another state because my cousin is a doc in a different state and can get me set up with some good preceptors out where he lives. I've only found 2 of the 4 I need in this area and the hospital still isn't taking students for fall, so I might as well travel where I can get it done and graduate on time 🙂 As long as your school is OK with you doing clinical in a different state, you should be fine. I will have a different clinical instructor assigned to me if I go to my cousin's state because my current instructor isn't licensed as an NP in that state. So, definitely check before you make plans!
6. 

   University of South Alabama dual FNP/ACNP Fall 2019

   SopranoKris replied to lexicon28's topic in NP Students

   Sounds like you're starting with NU 608. Good class to get your "feet wet" and get used to APA again 🙂 I'm in the Dual Role ACNP/FNP program and just finished my FNP clinicals. I start the ACNP portion in the fall. We go to campus in a few weeks for our ACNP intensives. If all goes well, I'll graduate May 2021. Send me a PM if you have any questions I can help answer for you.
7. 

   Maryville FNP or any other FNP program

   SopranoKris replied to BSNtofutureFNP's topic in NP Students

   I have a friend in Maryville's program and he hates it because every class you have to do group work. He works night shift and it's been a nightmare for him to try to get group time scheduled for projects. Just a caveat. Also, they do not do any on-campus skills training whatsoever before you start clinicals.
8. 

   Should I pay for clinical hours for an NP preceptor, and if so, how much is too much to pay?

   SopranoKris replied to A Hit With The Ladies's topic in NP Students

   I found my clinical sites with good old fashioned leg work. I made a student resume and went to offices of the practices I knew had good reputations and asked to speak to the office manager. Got my sites set up easily that way. Put yourself forward and do it. You'll be surprised at what you can find. If your school uses Typhon to log clinical encounters, you can go into Typhon and pull up all of the practices that are already confirmed by your school. That's a good starting point because you have the name, address & telephone numbers of current practices/preceptors in your state. You can also join your state's NP association. Most have a process in place for current NPs to offer their services as preceptors to students. Good way to network 🙂
9. 

   As an NP student, how many clinical rotation hours do you do weekly?

   SopranoKris replied to A Hit With The Ladies's topic in NP Students

   Our school would not allow virtual clinical hours, even though AANP & ANCC allowed a small number of hours to be simulated and count towards the minimum 500 hours. We are required to have all clinical hours in-person, no exception. Frankly, having simulated hours scares me as well. You just don't get the full learning experience like you do when you're in an actual patient situation. My clinicals have been an incredible learning experience. Inspection, auscultation, percussion & palpation just can't be replicated exactly in a simulated environment. It's too manufactured. I find simulation valuable as a training tool, but not as a replacement for true clinical experience. I just finished my FNP clinicals and will start my ACNP clinicals in the Fall. We'll use the sim lab to practice & learn art line & central line insertions, intubations, etc. But being able to do it on a real person is completely different. You just can't 100% replicate the experience.
10. 

    Periop RN to AG Acute Care NP/RNFA

    SopranoKris replied to LovelyElly's topic in NP Students

    Look into UAB's MSN AGACNP with RNFA program. You'll need to finish your BSN. However, acceptance requires letters of recommendation and experience in OR. You can definitely get the letters and already have the minimum required 2 years experience. You can e-mail the track coordinator to find out if they have a bridge program to finish your BSN: twhite220@uab.edu
11. 

    University of South Alabama PMHNP Fall 2019

    SopranoKris replied to esipbisn's topic in NP Students

    In relation to Pharm & Patho? Nothing further needed except study what they give you. The study guides in Patho are what you should focus on. In Pharm, the study guides aren't as specific. One thing I wish I'd done: during Pharm, keep a spreadsheet of common illnesses you'll see in your day-to-day practice speciality of first & second line meds to prescribe. It'll come in handy when you start clinicals. Knowing which meds to try if others have failed. I see that a lot with meds for depression/anxiety. I always use UpToDate to check if I'm on the right track before I present my plan to my preceptor. You'll get access to UpToDate through the school's biomedical library for free. Very useful!
12. 

    University of South Alabama PMHNP Fall 2019

    SopranoKris replied to esipbisn's topic in NP Students

    The texts recently changed. And they usually use different editions. So, buying one now isn't going to do you much good. In all honesty, you really don't need to read ahead. If you really want to get a jump start, watch Patho videos on Khan Academy (free) or do a free trial of the NP course in Picmonic for patho & pharm. The texts are expensive and it would be a waste of money to buy in advance and then have it changed before the semester starts. Then you're stuck with the wrong edition and the study guide page numbers don't match up. Enjoy your Summer and don't sweat these foundation courses. I'm not saying they're easy (especially not Pharm). But if you devote adequate time during each unit to study, you'll do fine on the exams & assignments. Remember, all the material is spread out over 16 weeks. You have time to learn it. Now when didactics/clinicals start, that's when it gets really intense. I started Fall 2018 in Dual Role. I'm finishing the FNP portion in a few weeks. This upcoming fall & Spring will be my final semesters. You perform as well as the effort you put into learning the materials they give you. No worries, you'll be fine 🙂
13. 

    University of South Alabama dual FNP/ACNP Fall 2019

    SopranoKris replied to lexicon28's topic in NP Students

    I'm halfway through the program. So far, it's OK. With any online graduate program, you're going to have to do a fair amount of self-teaching in the foundation courses. I was able to keep working full time until I started clinicals. This semester is my last portion of the FNP part of the program. Since we've started clinicals, we now have lectures which are live, but recorded in case you can't attend. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many of our classmates have their acute care clinicals suspended by their sites. We're all worried about not being able to finish the second half. Overall, it's been a good experience. I've enjoyed going to campus for skills intensives. Not sure when we'll be able to do the second one yet with the gathering ban. We were supposed to go in July. But we learned a lot of hands-on skills before starting the FNP clinicals last year. My OB/Gyn preceptor was happy with my pelvic/PAP skills, which is what I was most nervous about before starting. I wish they had taught us more about E/M coding before we had our first rotation. We're in our second rotation and finally had a module about it. They are good about listening to our feedback and making changes. We are the first cohort that has a comprehensive final at the end of the FNP portion. We'll see how that goes. I did like a quiz we did where they gave us case material we hadn't learned yet and allowed us to use resource material to come up with a proper diagnosis & treatment plan. Just like what we'd do in real life. I felt like it was a good gauge of how we'll function "in the real world". We no longer get study guides for exams now that we're in didactics. We get "reading guides". Our classmates work together to make our own study guide based off the lectures and reading guides. These have been very helpful. In the foundation courses, you get comprehensive study guides which are very detailed. I won't say "easy A" because it wasn't easy, but if you do the work to complete the guides, you should earn top scores. I find the clinical courses to have the most "work" involved, just due to the sheer volume of paperwork, evaluations, SOAP notes and Typhon entries. USA requires more info in Typhon than any school I've come across at my clinical sites. Most of the other NP & PA students I've met on-site only have to enter about 4 to 6 items. We have to fill out nearly every field plus a mini-SOAP on each patient. It can be very time consuming. But on the whole, I like the program. I feel like they're preparing us well for boards & future practice.
14. 

    NP clinical experience disrupted by COVID-19?

    SopranoKris posted a topic in Disasters

    Is any experiencing issues with their NP clinical sites not allowing students because of COVID-19?
15. 

    Does a disciplinary action on my RN license transfer to my DNP license?

    SopranoKris replied to The0Walrus's topic in NP Students

    I'm not sure about your state, but in my state, your APN is part of your nursing license, so it would definitely remain "attached" to it.
16. 

    NP School and Uniforms?

    SopranoKris replied to aspiringcnm3's topic in NP Students

    I've had different experiences with required dress at different locations. My first family med rotation, the D.O. who ran the clinic did not want anyone to wear a lab coat. She felt it gives patients "white coat syndrome"" and ratchets up their anxiety. She preferred we dress business casual and wear our school IDs as a name badge. My OB/Gyn rotation was at the county health department and they required all practitioners to wear a white lab coat. I wore the one my school issued me with my patch & student ID. I mainly wore scrubs underneath, just for comfort. My current rotation for family med 2 & internal med, I have another D.O. but he mostly takes med students. I'm his only NP student this semester. He wants professional dress (ties for the male students) and white coats. I'm actually recuperating from a surgical procedure and have to wear a Bledsoe brace on my arm/wrist, so I can't wear my white coat as I can't get it on over the brace. He was a bit miffed that I couldn't wear a white coat and thinks it looks "unprofessional" to just wear plain clothes and a school ID. I have no choice. I tried wearing the coat and putting the brace over it, but I can't bend my arm if I do so. I'll start my hospital rotations in the fall and the location I'll go to wants us to wear scrubs and a white coat. I prefer wearing scrubs for ease, comfort & breathable fabrics. The white coat is so hot, I always feel sweaty when I have to wear it. Plus, it shows every single speck of dirt you come in contact with through the course of the day. I go through bleach pens like crazy when I have to wear one.