University of South Alabama NP Spring 2020 applicants

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Hey guys!

Just wanting to see how many of you are applying to USA FNP program for next Spring? Any recent graduates or current students who can give insight on how the program is? I see mixed reviews about most schools I look into so just curious on what peoples thoughts about USA are. Does anyone know how many students they accept? Just submitted my supplementary application today so the waiting begins!

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Specializes in Emergency Psych, ICU.

Hi,

check this thread:

i know one student doing the dual program she gives a pretty good insight. I chose USA for PMHNP mostly based on her feedback which I know is accurate because we went to the same school for BSN.

Good luck!

2
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Specializes in Med-Surg, Telemetry, CCU, ER.

I applied to the MSN to DNP Program adding FNP and just submitted my supplemental application yesterday with a spring 2020 start. I can't wait to hear whether I am accepted or not but I am guessing that won't be until August or September.

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Applied as well, working on the Supplemental app as we speak.. crossing my fingers, 3.8 BSN and 6 yrs of critical care exp.. hoping that's good enough for an admission!

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

Good luck to you all. I am a current student in the Dual Role ACNP/FNP program. I'm starting clinicals in the Fall. So far, I like the program. With any online grad school program, you are required to synthesize the material yourself (aka "teach" yourself). They do provide PowerPoints & study guides. Now that I'm in my last 2 courses before clinicals, we're doing more with video. According to students ahead of me in the program, once you're in clincals, the didactics are more interactive with faculty/instructors.

I'll be going to campus in July for my skills intensive. Looking forward to meeting some of my cohort.

You get out of the program what you put into it. I had attended a different school for FNP and discovered I didn't like some of their questionable decisions about academic changes, particularly since it affect our ability to get a full refund. So I had already completed six courses at this other school before I transferred to USA. I ended up having to re-take the six courses because my credits at my former school were 500-level and USA has you do your core courses at the 600-level so if you want to go on to DNP, you are already done with a majority of the required classes. I wasn't happy about repeating these courses, particularly since they were all writing courses. On the bright side, it was much easier to write those papers the 2nd time around since all my references were done. Still had to completely re-write due to the school using Turnitin for anti-plaigiarism.

So far, my instructors have been very responsive to e-mails/questions. My track coordinator sends us frequent updates as we get closer to clinicals. I just submitted all my paperwork for clinical placement. The school wants you to try to set up clinicals on your own. If you have issues finding preceptors, they can assist with placement, however, there's no guarantee that the preceptors will be close to where you live. It's a step in the right direction though.

I've had potential preceptors open to taking me on as a student because they've had a good experience with former students and felt we were prepared well for clinicals. Just start networking once you know you're accepted so when you're six months away from clinicals you can start getting everything set up/paperwork, etc.

Exams are proctored using a special software. You are on camera/video the entire exam. The foundation courses allow you to use notes/books during the exams. Once you start clinicals, exams cannot have any notes/books whatsoever. Has to be 100% memorized.

I'm doing my advanced physical assessment course right now and in lieu of spending a longer time on campus, we're doing focused assessments on video and submitting them for grading. We have to scan the room to prove there are no cue cards, prompts, books, etc., during filming. We're doing abdominal, CV, neuro and a final comprehensive head-to-toe assessment that is approx. 30 min with full SOAP notes.

Pharmacology has been the toughest course so far, just due to the sheer volume of material that has to be learned in 16 weeks.

Compared to my previous school, I like USA much better and feel they are much more organized & communicative.

I wish you all the best as you await your acceptance decisions! ?

5
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20 hours ago, SopranoKris said:

Good luck to you all. I am a current student in the Dual Role ACNP/FNP program. I'm starting clinicals in the Fall. So far, I like the program. With any online grad school program, you are required to synthesize the material yourself (aka "teach" yourself). They do provide PowerPoints & study guides. Now that I'm in my last 2 courses before clinicals, we're doing more with video. According to students ahead of me in the program, once you're in clincals, the didactics are more interactive with faculty/instructors.

I'll be going to campus in July for my skills intensive. Looking forward to meeting some of my cohort.

You get out of the program what you put into it. I had attended a different school for FNP and discovered I didn't like some of their questionable decisions about academic changes, particularly since it affect our ability to get a full refund. So I had already completed six courses at this other school before I transferred to USA. I ended up having to re-take the six courses because my credits at my former school were 500-level and USA has you do your core courses at the 600-level so if you want to go on to DNP, you are already done with a majority of the required classes. I wasn't happy about repeating these courses, particularly since they were all writing courses. On the bright side, it was much easier to write those papers the 2nd time around since all my references were done. Still had to completely re-write due to the school using Turnitin for anti-plaigiarism.

So far, my instructors have been very responsive to e-mails/questions. My track coordinator sends us frequent updates as we get closer to clinicals. I just submitted all my paperwork for clinical placement. The school wants you to try to set up clinicals on your own. If you have issues finding preceptors, they can assist with placement, however, there's no guarantee that the preceptors will be close to where you live. It's a step in the right direction though.

I've had potential preceptors open to taking me on as a student because they've had a good experience with former students and felt we were prepared well for clinicals. Just start networking once you know you're accepted so when you're six months away from clinicals you can start getting everything set up/paperwork, etc.

Exams are proctored using a special software. You are on camera/video the entire exam. The foundation courses allow you to use notes/books during the exams. Once you start clinicals, exams cannot have any notes/books whatsoever. Has to be 100% memorized.

I'm doing my advanced physical assessment course right now and in lieu of spending a longer time on campus, we're doing focused assessments on video and submitting them for grading. We have to scan the room to prove there are no cue cards, prompts, books, etc., during filming. We're doing abdominal, CV, neuro and a final comprehensive head-to-toe assessment that is approx. 30 min with full SOAP notes.

Pharmacology has been the toughest course so far, just due to the sheer volume of material that has to be learned in 16 weeks.

Compared to my previous school, I like USA much better and feel they are much more organized & communicative.

I wish you all the best as you await your acceptance decisions! ?

Thank you for the insight!! Do you think it's worth the high tuition? I am also applying to another school that is half the price but I feel the extra clinical hours and "dual role" will give me an edge over the other school...

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On 6/18/2019 at 4:23 PM, ChesRN said:

Hey guys!

Just wanting to see how many of you are applying to USA FNP program for next spring? Any recent graduates or current students who can give insight on how the program is? I see mixed reviews about most schools I look into so just curious on what peoples thoughts about USA are. Does anyone know how many students they accept? Just submitted my supplementary application today so the waiting begins!

Hi ChesRN,

my NursingCAS application just became ‘verified ‘ and I am applying for spring 2020 fnp as well. I am just a little confused with the supplemental application. I got two different forms, one is an online pdf form to fill out from USA, and the other is on the school site. Which one did you fill out?

thank you for your answer

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Thank you,

that’s the second one I was getting. I will go ahead and fill it out.

Now on to waiting time ?.

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3 hours ago, ChesRN said:

This is the one I submitted!

https://applynow.southalabama.edu/Ellucian.ERecruiting.Web.External/Pages/Welcome.aspx

I filled that one out as well. So annoying to have to duplicate some stuff from the primary app...? oh and the extra $100 fee..

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Can any of you tell me how long it took once all of your transcripts had been received for your CAS to turn to verified? I am coming in close to the wire, and only waiting on the verified portion before submitting my supplemental application. I’m hoping for WHNP.

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mine were verified in 24 hours

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