PNW~NP

After 2 1/2 years of graduate school, I passed AANP FNP board exam on the first attempt last week! I've always found this forum helpful and wanted to share my experience with those preparing to take the exam. Here's my advice- **Start studying for boards in your last semester of Grad school** This was required by my program and I believe it was one of the most helpful things I could have done. I felt very well prepared by the end of the semester. Yes, this is a busy time while finishing up clinicals, still taking classes and working, but I found breaking my study plan down into small chunks very helpful in preparing for boards. Each week during my final semester I spent 3-4 days per week studying for 2-3 hours per day. I dedicated my study time to a chapter or body system. I also took a predictor test at the beginning of the semester through APEA to see where my weak spots were and used that to focus my studying. As far as board prep material, I used Fitzgerald Certification Examination and Practice Preparation book, Fitzgerald MP3 and Leik's FNP Certification Intensive Review book. I found Fitzgerald MP3 very helpful as I could listen while commuting to clinical or whenever was convenient. I also completed the Fitzgerald board prep book and all of the questions in Leik's book, which I highly recommend as Leik's questions were the most similar to the wording on the AANP board exam. Lastly, I took the PSI AANP practice test several days before my exam and this helped boost my confidence and prepared me for how the questions would be worded. Hoping someone might find this information helpful. Good luck!

Choose a brick and mortar with a good reputation who offers an online option for their program. I would also highly recommend choosing one that helps with clinical placement. This seems to be a huge problem for students and is an added stress I would avoid if you can. I chose the best university I could get in to with the most rigorous program because I never want the quality of my education to come into question. I also want to be as well prepared as possible when I'm done. There are a lot of great schools, you just have to find the one that works best for you. Good luck with your decision

Only you know what you are capable of handling, but If you do decide to go you will need a strong support network. Going to grad school is hard when you have young children. My kids are 6 and 9 and I still find it very challenging at times trying to balance everything and I have a lot of strong family support. Of course it's doable, but there will be things that you will miss with your kids, a lot of things. There will be the stress and fatigue of being a mom with very young children plus the stress and fatigue of grad school. It's definitely not impossible, but just remember grad school isn't going anywhere, it will be there if you decide to wait. Good luck with your decision!

I'm a current Georgetown FNP student and I have had nothing but amazing support. The program is extremely rigorous, as it should be, and I have no complaints as far as level of support or quality of education. The cost is ridiculous, but I believe you get what you pay for. I am completely happy that I chose Georgetown. I start clinicals in September and they have already secured 3 of my 4 clinical sites and I live on the west coast. Good luck with your decision!

Simmons is a very well known and highly respected university. Simmons and Georgetown's programs are similar in that they use the same learning platform for live classes. They are also both private universities while Chamberlain is a for profit, I believe. I would avoid the for profit school and stick with Simmons. Congrats and good luck!

I think moderation is key. If you walked in with all of the above listed "funky" items, you may not come across as professional in certain practice settings, however, one or two of those things would probably be just fine (i.e. Rainbow stethoscope and "funky" shoes). There can definitely be a difference in what's acceptable from one practice environment to another (Peds vs specialty clinic or hospital). [emoji4]

This question is as ridiculous as the last post asking if we should get rid of physicians altogether. NPs should not get the same amount of pay. Physicians are much more rigorously trained. NPs can do many of the same things physicians can do in certain settings and provide quality patient care and outcomes, but NP care is not "better" care and whether or not it is equal care is really very individual. Physicians have put in the time, effort and years of training to earn what they do.

Im currently finishing advanced Pharm. and Ethics and about to start my 3rd term (advanced health assessment and EBP research 2) with 4 more terms to go after that. Exhausted is exactly how I'm feeling. Just when I feel like I literally can't make it another week, we get 2 weeks off and I get a very small glimpse at normal life again. I'm looking forward to that glimpse of normalcy in about a week and a half. I miss my kids! Grad school is all consuming and I feel like I'm missing out on so much, even though I know it won't last forever. Thankfully, I'm doing really well in school and my husband is amazingly supportive. My December 2017 graduation feels really far away right now, but I know it will be worth it in the end! Wishing you all the best as you finish up your programs!

Edited

Yes, that's the correct text. The text for research is Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice by Polit and Beck. Good luck!

I live on the West Coast and the starting salary is often between 95 and 105k and sometimes higher. My situation is a little different though. I currently work in a specialty (as an RN) and have a good chance of being hired with my current employer so pay will likely be on the higher end with opportunity for some tuition reimbursement. As far as what I think a good loan amount for FNP school is ....well that is going to be different for each individual. I agree that 80k is ridiculous, but the amount your willing to spend will just depend on whether or not you're the main source of household income, where you live and the need for NPs in your area, your goal for how fast you plan to pay back your loans, scholarships, employer contribution/repayment etc. I chose Georgetown because I live almost 2 hours away from the nearest brick and mortar program and I didn't want to spend 4 hours, 3 or more days per week just driving to and from class not including clinical. I also knew I wanted a school that helped find preceptors. I decided to choose a program with a well known and well respected name so that the quality of my program wouldn't come into question. I also wanted a rigorous program that will prepare me well for clinical practice. (Btw, I'm not saying that there are not other well respected online programs, I'm just saying Georgetown is the one I chose to go with). It's a huge decision, and it took me a while to finally decide what was best for my family. I made sure I knew every detail I could about the program before starting. Georgetown isn't lying when they tell you it's 8 hours of study time per credit hour. It really is and this doesn't include time spent in class. Oh and the first semester courses are patho and advanced reseach (in the part time program). The Patho course opens 4 weeks early because of the volume of work it involves so you should have plenty of time to work ahead. I personally did not do all the reading as the asynchronous lectures are where most of the test questions come from. I only really read when I needed clarification. (The patho professor who does the asynch lectures is really good). The patho book is Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children by McCance. Best of luck with your decision!

I am a current Georgetown FNP student and I can attest to the fact that their program is very rigorous, but also a very good program. Georgetown does prepare you well, and they do find you clinical placement. Of course there is always the chance that a clinical placement could fall through or be more difficult to find depending on your location so they obviously can't give you 100% guarantee. It is always wise to network with NPs in your area just in case. You are correct though, there is a lot of sacrifice that goes along with grad school and it will take some serious thought as to whether this is the right time for you to go back. My children are both in school now and I still don't have much time to spend with them. I study 60plus hours a week and work only 1 day/wk. I also have family close by that help out when I need it. You should also know that Georgetown's classes are live, so even in the part time program you are required to attend 2 live classes per week and they are each 2 hours long. You have to be well prepared for class as you are expected to participate and sometimes make presentations. Personally, I think this program is worth the cost, but I also live in an area that pays new NPs very well. There are a lot of factors to consider beyond just the cost. It's a hard decision, but know that grad school isn't going anywhere, it will be there whenever you decide is the right time to go back :)

I attend Georgetown and have been very pleased with the program (besides being ridiculously expensive). They do attempt to find preceptors for you, but because of the distance learning format, many students choose to find their own preceptors so they aren't stuck driving long distances or in the event the school cannot find you a preceptor. I don't start clinical until August so I don't have any personal experience with GUs clinical placement team yet. Like others have said, there are a lot of good programs out there- it's just a matter of making a list of what is important to you and finding a school that meets your specific needs.

I am currently an FNP student, but I have been an oncology nurse for 13 years and plan to continue in oncology when I complete my program. There are a few NP programs that have specialty certifications in oncology (Duke and Yale both have one I believe), but this is in addition to obtaining your FNP. My suggestion is to get several years of experience in oncology as an RN before going on to get your APRN. Although it is not a requirement for all NP programs, it will likely be necessary when searching for a job in a specialty such as oncology. It will also be of benefit to you and your patients. Oncology NPs work alongside the Oncologist. The NPs in my practice see patients for side effect management, round on patients in the hospital and see patients for toxicity checks and chemotherapy dose adjustments between appointments with their Oncologist (among other things). I would also highly recommend getting your Oncology Nursing Certification (OCN) once you are working in oncology (you have to have 1000 hrs in oncology to take the certification exam). If you decided to get your APRN you can get your Advanced practice OCN (AOCN) certification. I would also do some more research on the roles and job descriptions of NP and CNS to help you decide which route is best for you. First step after graduation, try to get a job in either outpatient or inpatient oncology, obtain your OCN, and work towards your BSN. Hope this helps:)

I know the FNP program includes summer's with 3 week breaks between semesters. The FNP program also only has two on campus intensives (OCI) which are 4-6 days long and I have yet to go to my first OCI. I'm sure there are differences in what they are looking for in applicants for each program, but student support told me that almost all accepted students have a 3.5 GPA or above. Make sure you have a strong purpose statement and answer all of the questions in your video. I would also suggest having someone look it over before submitting. Highlight your reasons for choosing Georgetown- I explained why I felt it was important to attend a highly regarded university that would prepare me well for practice. Hope this helps. Good luck!