ladyNP

Can anyone in the DNP program shed light on the biostatistics course? Is it very difficult? My colleague and I are interested in the program; we both work full-time and are hoping to gain a realistic view about what to expect. How many hours per week are you all spending on this program?

Hi! I had been reading these boards for weeks and told myself that I would post when I passed the exam. Today I passed!!! Here are some of the things I did... 1. Started studying early little by little I started studying end of March; I read Leik every night for about 15 minutes (pretty slow progress right?!) and tried to do 25 practice questions almost every day. I was going at a snail's pace but was convinced that small pieces of information over a long period of time would easily become a part of my long-term memory with minimal effort! By graduation (June 11) I had finished reading Leik and had completed all of her practice questions in the back of the book, and was scoring in the 80s and 90s. But I was not convinced that I was ready. 2. Took a 10 day breather post-grad I graduated June 11 then went to Japan for 10 days to unwind and take a break from anything that required thinking :) When I got back, I was totally recharged and ready to study 3. APEA/Amelie Hollier Live Review Course This course was extremely helpful. Amelie is able to explain very complex concepts in a simple "for dummies" way, and she's hilarious! This course cleaned up my understanding of respiratory disorders, heart murmurs, hematology, and peds/growth & development. I felt energized and motivated--I had newfound momentum and was ready to hit the books by the 3rd day of the course. I purchased her book of practice questions as well as 2 predictor exams. 4. 3.5 weeks of intense studying -- 8 hours per day After APEA review course I started to read Leik again from the very beginning--painful but effective. I also reread Amelie's spiral bound study notebook (comes with the course) as well, and completely all of the questions in her APEA practice question book. I took 2 APEA predictor exams 1.5 weeks apart and got 84% on both. Then I redid ALLLLL of Leik's practice questions -- all 635! I probably over studied, but I wanted to be 100% confident that I would pass. I think Leik and APEA review course helped immensely, and reading the content front to back was a winner for me. I did about 2000 practice questions total. It takes a lot of patience but it is doable--you got this!

sorry for grammar errors! *small class sizes are etc

I like the program, although it is more strenuous than I anticipated--definitely difficult to accomplish if you plan to work full time or even part time. Small class sizes is a huge plus, and it gives you the opportunity to really connect/communicate with professors. How do you like the program so far MeCaliRN?

I worked as a Med Surg RN at a large academic center for a little over 1 year before going to NP school. The experience of being an RN helped me with patient communication, common clinical situations, and medication recognition. However, in NP school the focus shifts entirely (for primary care tracks), and I found I was switching gears and learning primarily about diagnostics/prevention/first line treatments, which is totally different from what you would learn in the hospital. If you are going into acute care NP tracks, then bedside experience will be much more valuable, but for FNP/primary care I think that having a year is plenty.

I agree that right now there is probably no benefit to getting the DNP. In the future there will be, but I think getting solid experience as an NP is more valuable right now. You can always bridge to the DNP later on a part time basis. Some of the most competitive schools in California (where I live) don't even offer the DNP yet (UCLA/UCSF/UCDavis).

I've been in the program for a several quarters now. I would say it's a pretty well-structured program, and the hybrid/distance model is very convenient. The program is small so you will get a lot more one-on-one attention with professors if that's what you are looking for. The NP program is very rigorous -- much more so than BSN, but for good reason. I will be starting clinical rotations next quarter. It does take a long time to get the DNP. I opted to go ultra full time so I could finish the program more quickly, at the expense of not working very much. Hope this helps :)

Glad everything seems to be working out. Good luck in your schooling at APU! :)

Hi! I was accepted to both LLU and APU for FNP tracks but have chosen to go with LLU bc of the DNP. Did you two decide which school you're choosing?

I received my acceptance email today!

I applied in mid December as well. I was told they would get back to me by end of April for the Fall 2015 start date. Has anyone heard anything yet? :)

Has anyone applied as a Post-Masters FNP applicant and heard back yet?

I got accepted! :) I found out yesterday afternoon via email

Ya it was like 15 minute for me too. Haven't heard back yet but still hopeful! Has anyone else heard anything?

i felt like it was good but it was over in a minute! how did you feel?

That's what they told me too, I guess we just have to play the waiting game now!

Wanted to start a thread for the BS to DNP program at LLU commencing Fall 2015! Has anyone heard back from the admissions committee about their application status? I had an interview last Monday and am eagerly awaiting a reply!

Hi everyone! I wanted to start a thread for the people in the Cedars Sinai New Grad program starting Mar 3! Maybe we can figure out good places to live, how to prepare, etc!

I know a nurse recruiter who holds workshops for new grads/nursing students, if some of you are still looking! She's having one on Sunday, January 26th at 9am in Daly City :)

Do some of your statuses still say Submission Received or did it go away?

i applied on the first day (Oct 7) but haven't heard anything yet. I applied to the hem/onc unit and hem/onc ICU, crossing my fingers!