Too Early for Graduate School?

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Jul 25, 2016

I know of at least two nurses who became licensed and started their MSN for FNP at their state school right away. I personally waited a year before continuing on.

Realistically, if you want to do NNP you will probably need more experience in the NICU and probably can't start out right away. You could begin to research the requirements of the MSN programs near you so you could have a better idea of where the programs are located since a lot of schools do not offer the NNP specialty. That way you could plan on a move if you have to.

Samm06, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2016

I'm curious as to which programs you have researched so far. I am wanting to pursue the same career. The one's I've looked into is University of Pittsburg and UPenn. For University of Pittsburg you have to have experience (i think 1 year) in a high level NICU before even trying to applying. I haven't been able to look into UPenn much lately.

stm94 · Jul 27, 2016

The schools at the top of my list are University of Pennsylvania (2nd favorite), Vanderbilt (this one is my all-time favorite), Duke, and University of Missouri - Kansas City.

Requirements by college and length of program and tuition pricing info (just tuition and fees; no living expenses factored in):

UPenn - Ideal for the in class learning style (no distance format offered). For me, of course, that would require me to relocate to Philly and go to school there. This program is one year long to complete, full-time. But, there are also part-time options available that would take 2-3 years to complete the program. The requirements for admission into their NNP program are that you have 2 years full-time experience post-orientation (so at least 3 total years) as a staff nurse in a level III NICU. Pricing for this program alone (just tuition and fees for a full-time year based on Fall 2016/Spring 2017) is $43,662. This does not include living expenses/books, etc.

Vanderbilt - modified distance learning format, meaning, that you do not have to give up employment, or relocate to Nashville, TN for this program. There are 3 blocks of days that you'd have to go to Nashville and participate in clinical practicums and orientation and events like that. You would have to come to campus a total of 6 times. 3 times for the fall (7, 5, and 3 days); twice in the spring (5 and 3 days); and once during the summer (for 2 days). This would come out to roughly 25 days for the entire MSN. This program could be full or part-time, ranging from 1-3 years in length, with options for post-masters certification as well. For admission into this program, you would need 2 years of recent (last 2 years) full-time, staff nurse experience in a level II/III NICU/nursery. Tuition and fees for this program total out to be roughly (if my math is correct) $57,108. In addition, the price of books vary (depending on used/new/etc) and the website says that books would be about $2,200. In with fees (that I did not include because it is circumstantial) is health insurance (you will be billed for the university's health insurance if you do not provide proof of adequate insurance through another provider and it does not cover spouses or dependents) and activity/facility fees (that can be waived if you live outside a 60-mile radius of Vanderbilt). Letters of recommendation are also required for this program. 1 from neonatologist, 1 from a NNP, and 1 from a supervisor. No letters from co-workers/family/friends (as this is unprofessional).

Duke - part-time program that is distance-based, so you shouldn't have to give up employment to complete the program; BUT clinical spots cannot be guaranteed for every state, so relocation is still a possibility. The admission requirements for this program are 2 years (within the last 5 years) of clinical experience before the clinical phase of the program begins (so to my understanding - as I may be misinterpreting this - is a little more lenient than other programs). This program is 43 credit hours long, with 616 clinical hours (which is where clinical placement is crucial) so it would take approximately 3 years to complete. As per the website, the average tuition and fees for the NNP program is $8,741 per semester. With that being said, there may be more fees generated upon admission and as the program goes on (that goes for any program though). Letters of recommendation are required for this program also (they said one from a teacher/professor and one from a supervisor) that have to show your academic abilities, as well as character and accomplishments in nursing.

UMKC - completely online based program with clinical sites in your place of employment (so you can work and go to school). I will say that UMKC does not accept people from all states. You'd have to check out their website and see if your state is accepted. This program is 45 credit hours with clinical hours completed in your local level III or IV NICU. This program is offered for full (2 years in length) or part-time (3 years in length). This program starts in the summer regardless of what track you pick. There is a residency component to the program, as you will have to go to UMKC for a few days every semester during their clinicals. The tuition/fees for this program is about $24,752.70 (based on what 1 credit hour costs multiplied by the 45 hour requirement for the program). The good thing about this program is that no matter where you live (as per the website), and if your state is accepted for admission, you get Missouri in-state tuition rates for classes, which dropped the price ALOT.

Those are the top schools and a rough breakdown of everything that is required for each program (that I've looked at). There are a few other programs across the country. I didn't mention this in each program, but GRE scores and GPA requirements are required for admission and vary based on the program. Spots are limited since this is a competitive field to go into (as I've read on several sites). I hope that this helps and sorry about this response being so long. I just wanted to answer your question fully and give you what I researched so far! Best of luck! :)

P.S. you can check out Graduate Programs | NANN for a complete list of NNP programs in the country. There are CNS programs and NP programs available.