Starting FNP Program, HELP!

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Hello, 

I am starting the MSN-FNP program at Lewis University in IL  in the Fall. I am scared and need all the advice I can get!

I graduated with my BSN back in 2015 from University of IL at Chicago and started my BSN-DNP at UIC the same year in the fall of 2015. I also started my first nursing job as an office triage nurse in General Surgery at the same time 8a-5p mon-fri. And man I had no idea what I got myself into, it was rough. After two years I withdrew from the semester hoping to go back after a semester, but then life happened. I got married, moved and changed jobs. 

 

Here we are today, I decided to go back. I am currently working as an office triage RN, part-time.

Applied to Illinois States University and Lewis. Got accepted into both and will be starting at Lewis this fall.

Has anyone gone to Lewis University? Please tell me your experience! 

I want guidance on how to prep for graduate school? Any helpful books, youtuber, or blog that helped you? What helped you study and succeed in grad school?

I have to find my own preceptor as well, how did you go about it? 

As of now, the program will primarily be online with 5 mandatory in person class sessions. 

My first two classes will be health policy and Biostats&research. I feel super discouraged because Biostat was the same class that made me withdraw from UIC because it was so darn hard! 

Any advice, suggestions, tips, and tricks will be greatly appreciated. I am feeling a little discouraged. 

 

 

Thanks ❤️

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When you feel discouraged is when you need to dig your heels in and put all your TRY into the task. If you have to walk away from the schooling/class/job then you will always know that you gave max effort and did your best. Most of the time we aren t giving max effort due to negative thoughts . 

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Be prepared to come out into an over saturated market as a FNP. If this is your passion, be prepared to know what you will encounter locating preceptors for clinical settings and then the end result upon graduation, an over saturated market….

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Women’s Health.

I had to find my own preceptors in school. I worked for a large teaching hospital so I used the employee directory to find NPs and contact them. They were all supportive and happy to help! 
 

My classmates were so valuable while in school. I would find a group and support each other!

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Specializes in Occupational Health.

Start trying to find preceptors NOW! It's an already difficult task to do when enrolled in a brick and mortar program...trying to find a willing preceptor for an online program is truly an uphill battle!

I know many NP's that precept for certification renewal and all of them refuse to precept a student from an online program (the name of the program doesn't matter....just the fact that it's an online program) due to the extremely poor quality of the students. Unfortunately, this appears to be the trend due to the extremely low acceptance requirements of many online programs.

Good luck!

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I would reject any school that doesn't even make a pretense of helping to find preceptors. On principle. That is utterly ridiculous and is an abuse of students and is contributing to the growing poor perception of NPs.

It will NOT be easy to find all of your own preceptors throughout the program.

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