What would you change about your NP school ?

patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 4, 2011

Here are some changes I would recommend about the FNP program

1. Require a Labs and basic radiology class

2. Advanced practice skills class

3. Less nursing theory stuff..

4. More clinical hours

5. Day one should go over disease and treatments in addition to the other fluff stuff

Any thoughts ?

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Sep 5, 2011

I see a pattern here where many express dissatisfaction with their respective NP programs as too heavy on fluff and too light on clinical stuff. Which made we wonder, what program did specific posters attend and what NP job did they end up doing? I did an ACNP program and work in an in-patient role. To me the absolute weakness of a 2-year full time master's degree program is that you're squeezing in all that clinical content in such a short period time. But I wouldn't say the program didn't expose me to interpret labs, read chest films, and perform advanced skills. I was exposed to all that during clinicals in the hospital where I am asked by the attending in front of medical students and residents how I would interpret my patient's chest film, what I think the cause of my patient's low sodium is, and if I am interested in placing an arterial line in one of my patients during ICU rotation. I'd say I was prepared for hospital-based practice after graduation -- just not highly skilled as a provider yet. So with NP programs being all focused on a specific practice track, are FNP tracks sufficient in content to prepare grads for out-patient primary care practice since that's the goal of that training?

May2013 · Sep 5, 2011

I am not going to repeat what the previous posters wrote but I do agree with them. I would like to add that the program needs to have preceptors for students and that we should not have to beg a stranger to have them as our preceptor.

Boonce1 · Sep 5, 2011

I agree less fluff and more things related to practice. More communication between students and falculty. Reduction in tuition. Students learn better by doing more time should be spent in clinicals. There should be classes added such as radiology and 12 lead ekg readings and lab findings

Spacklehead, MSN, NP · Sep 5, 2011

I felt my FNP program did prepare me well for entry into practice. I also had excellent clinical sites (set up by my school). We did go over EKG's, labs, basic radiology, PFT readings, basic procedures needed in the primary care setting such as I&D, suturing, wart removal, microscropy for GYN issues - however, these were all combined into one course; therefore, exposure was mainly only one or two classes for each topic, if that. It was expected that we had further exposure to these topics at our clinical sites (I would have liked more in-class practice time). Then again, it was also expected that we did have previous exposure to some of these topics (such as EKG's, lab interpretation) at the BSN level and as a practicing RN.

I do feel that our evidence-based projects that we had to complete in order to graduate took up a lot of time, and probably were not necessary since many MSN programs don't require one for graduation, but it was a good basis for those who were interested in potentially going on to a PhD/DNP program in the future.

My question is, do the students who attend other FNP programs have a semester-length course such as one that I listed above where you have lab days to learn and practice those skills?

From what I've seen here and have heard from other FNP grads, it sounds like my program was not the norm. Also, how do clinicals work at other FNP programs? Do you have to do a specific number of hours at just a pediatric practice, an OB/GYN practice, a geriatric practice, etc? We had to complete semester-long internships at each specialty site - we could not spend a whole semester at a family practice site hoping we'd get some peds/OB/GYN exposure. The family practice rotation was done at the end of the program.

patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 8, 2011

If you want to know the truth. I learned most of my clinical skills as a Combat Medic in the Army and the Army Guard. I learned about cardiology and pulmonary working as a RN in the ICU. I learned alot of the basics from working the ICU. As a new NP I had years of suturing experience, basic and advanced trauma, but my weakness is womens health. I purchased ( I had my job pay for it since it has CEUs that I can use) a internal medicine DVD board review for MDs. I work both in urgent care seeing anyone except pregnant women and ages 18 months and up and in my primary care setting, I see adults.. I have learned to face my weakness.. ie womens health and look stuff up and read alot. NP school is just the beginning of My Journey as a NP. Schools have too much fluff stuff in them, some silly nursing theory class that I had to take didnt help me to be an NP at all. Maybe for someone who was going to go into management.. well thats another subject..

lvICU · Sep 8, 2011

I think my NP school prepared me well. We received classes on x-ray interpretation and we pretty much jumped into the "hard" stuff right away. However, I just graduated and have not started my NP position yet but I feel cautiously optimistic regarding my preparedness for my new role.

I know that NP school gives you the bare bones and it is up to you to grow and expand. With this in mind, I agree with the additional clinical hours. But I must add that these hours should be with preceptors who embrace the role. My clinical experience was a mixed bag of preceptors who could care less and those who were truly trying to provide an educational experience. Because of this, I had ups and downs throughout my clinical experience. I had just gotten comfortable as an NP student when it was time to graduate. In my opinion, one more semester that was very clinical-focused would have been extremely beneficial.

LiLoRN · Sep 8, 2011

My school (I'm doing FNP) offers an advanced skills course with suturing etc but it is an elective that is only offered once a year. We rotate through peds, two semesters of adult, geriatrics, and gender-specific health (with a clinical in woman's health) each semester and then the last semester is the final practicum. In all, we will have over 700 clinical hours upon receiving the Master's. I agree that the school should be more proactive in finding preceptors; but I guess it helps gets you ready to hit the pavement and solicit prospective employers upon graduation. For me, what I would like to see changed is a mandatory course in advanced skills (Rad, suturing, joint injections etc). Also, because my school is adament that they do not train us to work inpatient, we get absolutely zero hospital experience which I think is nuts. And honestly, I feel like sometimes my school is coddling students, for example giving extra points on open book graduate-level exams. I think we should be held to stricter standards. After all, we're not getting a MBA...what we do could kill someone if we don't know how to do it.

carachel2 · Sep 8, 2011

I see a pattern here where many express dissatisfaction with their respective NP programs as too heavy on fluff and too light on clinical stuff. Which made we wonder, what program did specific posters attend and what NP job did they end up doing? I did an ACNP program and work in an in-patient role. To me the absolute weakness of a 2-year full time master's degree program is that you're squeezing in all that clinical content in such a short period time. But I wouldn't say the program didn't expose me to interpret labs, read chest films, and perform advanced skills. I was exposed to all that during clinicals in the hospital where I am asked by the attending in front of medical students and residents how I would interpret my patient's chest film, what I think the cause of my patient's low sodium is, and if I am interested in placing an arterial line in one of my patients during ICU rotation. I'd say I was prepared for hospital-based practice after graduation -- just not highly skilled as a provider yet. So with NP programs being all focused on a specific practice track, are FNP tracks sufficient in content to prepare grads for out-patient primary care practice since that's the goal of that training?

My FNP program prepared me well for an entry level position and I have continued learning on the job and at night while reading on my own. The lack of lab and radiology skills has been my basic beef all along with FNPs declaring their readiness to just jump into a hospital role.

Jules A, MSN · Sep 9, 2011

I think some actual nursing experience in the speciality should be mandatory. In fact there was one person in my class who had not ever worked as a RN. :confused:

CCRNDiva, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2011

I've just started my ACNP program. They are into nursing theory but I'm happy to say that I will actually have a class for reading xrays, one for suturing & invasive procedures and one for reading EKGs. You can choose either a critical care, ED or cardiology focus in this program. I will complete 670+ clinical hours and they will provide clinical placements (a huge relief for me!). My program director said they want to be sure our clinicals are within facilities who are supportive of the ACNP role (another huge relief)

Don't get me wrong, trying to get through my theory text makes my head hurt and my eyes water!! So far I've been pleased with my patho/phys and pharmacology classes. I will have more fluff next semester, lol!! And we are required to write a publishable article and defend/present it to faculty in order to graduate. I could do without that in favor for increased clinical hours.

I hope to continue working in critical care as an ACNP so I hope I will be well prepared. Check back with me in a few yrs, lol!!