uncnp

Oh and also there is no fluff, it is all clinical except you do write one paper comparing the scope of practice for primary care vs acute care NP, this however was helpful for me as I understood better the issues around this whole debate better after reading through it.

The content of the program was great. You have either videotaped or recorded lectures to complete, you write 3 papers during the clinical course and take exams online during the other courses. I had been a Hospitalist NP for 6 years at that point and I learned so much. I don't know about hard to get in as it was all online, I don't know how many people apply or anything like that. If you are working in acute care you can use your work hours for clinical, they have to contract with your employer and you have to submit notes, H&Ps, etc for review. They also give you so many EKG, XRays to read, etc. This is only for certified FNP or ANP working in acute or critical care while in the program. AGACNP exam was much harder than FNP to me but I passed on the first try with Penn's FNP/ANP to acute care classes. You are getting the same lectures as the on campus students just doing it at 10 pm after work on your laptop. The lecturers were first class as you would expect from Penn.

I completed the Upenn program in 2014 and it was awesome, distance based and able to complete at my own pace, the content was excellent, had no problem passing ANCC AG-ACNP on first attempt. You need to be certified as ANP or FNP with at least a year in an acute care setting to qualify. Cost was for 3 courses, around 15000 total in 2014.

Look at the Upenn streamlined ACNP for FNP/ANP that are currently working in acute care areas

Juan has brought up some great points, this will definitely become more of an issue over the next several years. The training between AGACNP and FNP is vastly different and if NPs are going to be successful in moving toward more independent practice in all areas of the country it will become important to make sure that we are practicing within the scope that we are educated for.

If you can work for a year in an acute care setting you could apply to the UPenn streamlined AGACNP program, you need a year of acute care experience as an NP to apply to this online program for primary care prepared NPs with acute care practice experience

I have been an FNP for over 10 years and have been working in hospitalist work for the majority of that time. I have also gone back and now passed the AGACNP exam. This is my perspective/opinion and it's going to differ from some on here. I graduated from a highly ranked FNP program. Did it prepare me for acute care? Very little, that is not what it was intended to do. I didn't even realize how much it had not until I was deep into my post master's. FNP and AGACNP training are very different. Now should guidelines of who can practice where be based on setting alone? No. There are some hospitalized patients that are appropriate for the FNP to manage but these are low acuity patients that could almost be manged in an outpatient setting, not unstable patients or ICU patients. Again, I understood this better after having been through both training settings and having to examine the consensus model. I practiced as an FNP in the hospital for a long time but ultimately didn't want to anymore, I felt like many hospitalized patients were outside of what is considered the scope of practice for an FNP and this could be easily capitalized upon in litagation. As more states move toward independent NP practice this will likely become a bigger issue.

I think that University of South Alabama does this, I just know as I was looking for post master's agacnp programs for myself last year

This was exactly my feeling- the school I was accepted into would have been very expensive and while the idea of doing it was interesting the cost would have been at least 45k and that was with me bringing in 6 credits from my post master's program, the cost would be over 50k for someone doing the whole program. I did not want more student loans.

I decided not to go, let the school know last week, just could not justify the expense

This is where I am as well, just not sure that I want to spend the money when it won't change much if anything of what I do or what I am paid.

I have contemplated this exact question this year, I have been accepted into a big name program to start next year but I have come to think over the last couple of months that I am not sure that I will start it, I am just not really sure what it will offer me other than personal developement at this point, I will be watching this conversation to hear other's thoughts

ashleigh by dual do you mean that you are going to do the FNP/ACNP program?

congrats Ashleigh, UNC is a strong program, you won't be disappointed!

I started out as an ANP student and reapplied to my school as an FNP after I started classes, I did it to be more marketable and I have not regretted this