So...What exactly am I paying YOU for???

[Le-Lee_FNP]

Okay so I know that it was my choice to attend my FNP program online and maybe I don't have the right to complain, or perhaps I should have checked into the details of the program prior to enrolling, but this is getting pretty ridiculous. I understand that a lot of online programs make you find your own preceptor. I'm not in clinicals yet, but for my health assessment lab they expect us to find someone that will allow us to use their clinic after hours so that i can video record myself performing a physical on someone! Come on, who in their right mind will just let a person they don't even know waltz right in, use all of their equipment, plus stay after hours so that they can video record themselves doing a "fake physical assessment". I haven't lived in my current state very long and don't know any medical professionals on a personal level outside the hospital where i work, and of course I can't use a hospital. This is nuts. I just have a feeling if this "you are on your own, figure it out" mentality has already presented itself in my first semester, does that mean it is going to only get worse?

And to top it off I'm supposed to just read some chapters in my book and all of a sudden know how to perform an exam using an opthalmoscope and otoscope? I have no idea what I am looking at or for. It just seems like this is stuff i should be learning in clinicals with a preceptor. I don't see how i can teach myself this stuff. No simulation lab, no way to practice.

I am seriously considering transferring to a traditional program. Do traditional programs provide you with all of the tools and resources you need for labs and clinicals?

[Spacklehead, MSN, NP]

Definitely check into traditional programs. I know others have said that they had to find their own preceptors, but mine set ours up for us - it was one of the many reasons why I chose my program. One less headache to have to deal with.

Best wishes!

[lowrylb]

I did an online FNP program. I agree it seems crazy to learn all the assessment skills outside of a lab but just like nursing school learning in a lab really didn't do much help its all in clinicals and experience. Honestly, I learned all the assessment skills in nursing school so I really only learned a few new skills in NP school mostly suturing, etc that I learned from physicans/NP's during my clinicals. We had to find all our own preceptors but I found I didn't really have a hard time, the hardest time I had was finding someone that didn't already have someone (plan a semester in advance) I would be looking now for summer semester for sure. Look on your states NP website if they have one for preceptors. There are posts all the time from students looking for preceptors and they seem to not have much trouble. I have had friends from our states big NP school and they have to find all their preceptors too. I actually like it because I was able to find people that I knew which made me feel much more comfortable asking my so called "stupid" questions.

[mom2cka]

I am in a traditional program, but still have a majority of classes online, with my own arrangement for clinicals. The program has gone through some drastic changes from 2008 when I went to the info session, to 2009 when I started, through today... it's frustrating, but I just want to get done with it... good luck!

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

Wow, that does not sound good. This disappoints me b/c I feel like these stories get around and give all online education a bad name.

I attended an "on-line" FNP program, but we were required to go to campus for Phys Assessment (as well as several other classes). We had to go for 4 days once a month for three months, and the final was a head to toe assessment on a model in front of a panel of professors. "Passing" was 95%. We also a second exam requiring a targeted exam. We had to be ready to respond to a "cc" given by the panel, and demo the necessary exam on the model again, as well as verbalize all the required f/u, labs, diagnostics, etc. We had to be ready to do that for every system, although we only got one (surprise) system. I remember being really nervous about it. I got a gyn complaint and had to do two pelvics (1st on the CPE and then for this targeted) and had more discomfort than the "patient." The only thing worse than your 1st dozen pelvic exams is doing them in front of a panel of judges!

My long winded point is that not all online programs are created equally. I will add though, that while my school found preceptors for us, they did give students assignments very far from home that required out of town accommodations. There are few fast and/or inexpensive short cuts I'm afraid.

[Le-Lee_FNP, MSN, RN, NP]

Wow, that does not sound good. This disappoints me b/c I feel like these stories get around and give all online education a bad name.

I attended an "on-line" FNP program, but we were required to go to campus for Phys Assessment (as well as several other classes). We had to go for 4 days once a month for three months, and the final was a head to toe assessment on a model in front of a panel of professors. "Passing" was 95%. We also a second exam requiring a targeted exam. We had to be ready to respond to a "cc" given by the panel, and demo the necessary exam on the model again, as well as verbalize all the required f/u, labs, diagnostics, etc. We had to be ready to do that for every system, although we only got one (surprise) system. I remember being really nervous about it. I got a gyn complaint and had to do two pelvics (1st on the CPE and then for this targeted) and had more discomfort than the "patient." The only thing worse than your 1st dozen pelvic exams is doing them in front of a panel of judges!

My long winded point is that not all online programs are created equally. I will add though, that while my school found preceptors for us, they did give students assignments very far from home that required out of town accommodations. There are few fast and/or inexpensive short cuts I'm afraid.

Your program sounds awesome. Was it frontier if you don't mind me asking? How long ago did you graduate. And I wouldn't mind traveling far if my school found preceptors for us. i think that is a very small price to pay just to rid myself of the headache and anxiety of wondering if i'll ever find a preceptor.

I unfortunatley chose my graduate program for the wrong reasons. I looked at things like cost, ease of getting excepted, lack of prerequisite requirements, etc. I am now realizing that sometimes it may be worth a little extra work to get into a quality program. oh well, you live and you learn.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

double post, sorry

[Christen, ANP]

My brick-and-mortar school required us to set up our own preceptors, as did the other NP school in the area. Network, network, network! Start with your peds / family doctor or office manager, see if they can offer you advice. NP run clinics or urban health settings are a great place to find good NPs typically. My ANP and the other area school (FNP) both made us find preceptors in the outpatient, non-acute setting, so it's not just you!

[middleageNP]

Since it is an FNP program, clinical settings should be in the ambulatory environment. My program required for us to do the same. However, during the last clinical rotation, my instructor allowed me to do an ER rotation b/c so many FNP ends up in urgent care or ER departments after school.

Your program sounds like mine, SELF TAUGHT.

[Dixiecup]

Do you have any friends who are doctors or NP's? I had several and it saved my life because I sure used them! The only one I had a lot of trouble finding was a peds preceptor. (didn't have any friends in that area!). All the peds offices said they weren't taking students or were already booked with students. Start looking well in advance!

[rmicu, MSN, NP]

Student FNP,

Traditional schools, at least the state colleges, in my area arrange preceptors and clinicals for the NP students so that they can be sure the student is getting the appropriate clinical experience.

I live in Georgia and arranging my own clinical time seems like a daunting task, even with the relationships I have in the area.

If you consider switching to a traditional program, call the nursing dept of the school first. They will tell you if the school arranges the clinical or if the student is expected to arrange it.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

I would be very hesitant to do clinic rotations with a provider I knew personally. I say this from experience. One of our kids was BFFs with the child of an area OB/GYN and we socialized together as couples. I did my womens health rotation with her. It was great until my kid let her kid watch Night of the Living Dead during a sleep over. Her kid had night terrors for weeks, and she was po'd at me for "lack of supervision" as she put it. She was right, I went to bed that night and wasn't paying attention to what the kids were watching. I felt terrible and apologized, but it was pretty awkward. This happened one month into a 4 month rotation. It was the only time I found my own preceptor. I went back to letting the school assign me to strangers out of town after that!

I think there is a lot to be said for schools making the assignments. They know providers by reputation, and can weed out those who aren't good for one reason or another. My school paid a lot of attention to student feedback, and every student got a minimum of one site visit from faculty a semester. Believe me, they were there to eval the site and preceptors as much as the students! Several of my classmates were also disappointed by experiences they had with providers they knew beforehand, and we all agreed that it was far better to let the school make the assignments.

[NPdreamer]

Zenman, I am very new to Allnurses. How can I PM you with specific questions about online FNP programs and clinical rotations. I am particularly interested in the Naval Hospital in Okinawa. THanks in advance!