What is np school like

Le-Lee_FNP, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 23, 2011

way harder than nursing school.

gettingbsn2msn, MSN, RN · Mar 24, 2011

for me it has been even more bs than nursing school. Papers, papers and more papers.

allnurses Guide · Mar 24, 2011

You're asking for an awful lot of info that would take hours to go into. If you're interested in becoming an NP, check out the programs at a couple of different schools and look at their course descriptions. The programs will differ from school to school, but all have to meet the same basic requirements. NP school is a lot of work. You have to be committed to it or you won't succeed. It has its share of b.s. but there's a lot of valuable clinical info that you need to "get". You need to be a self starter, because no one's going to hold your hand-you have to do a lot of work on your own. You graduate as a novice NP, not an expert one. I've learned much more on the job than I did in school. Hope this helps.

Curious88 · Mar 24, 2011

thanks but bcgradnurse and getting2bsn2msn what type of papers and after high school for alll further education you have to be a self starter

np school isn't special in that

Curious88 · Mar 24, 2011

i can't such specific on websites

are there more exams or papers?

TJFRN · Mar 24, 2011

Papers, papers, papers. After that exams, exams, exams. You have to write exactly! Meaning scholarly writing. You'll (which isn't allowed in graduate school, you will use "you will" instead) have ALOT of BS reading, however that reading turns your writing into scholarly papers. Your mindset must be I will jump each hurdle as I get there. By the way, if your college offer a writing lab... GO TO IT! They will help you and you will be amazed to how powerful your writing will become!

WyndDrivenRain, BSN, RN · Mar 24, 2011

i can't such specific on websites
are there more exams or papers?

It depends on the school. My ground school MSN program was all multiple choice exams and group powerpoint projects. It was really quite easy if you studied a moderate amount. The online MSN program I transferred into is all papers and more papers. It really is going to vary depending on school choice.

It isn't really hard. You just have to put the time in.

Sue

allnurses Guide · Mar 25, 2011

thanks but bcgradnurse and getting2bsn2msn what type of papers and after high school for alll further education you have to be a self starter
np school isn't special in that

Again, go for informational interviews at the schools you're interested in. That's the best way to find out what you're in for. Virtually every paper you write is going to be a research paper and will have to be written in APA format. It doesn't matter if it's for an Ethics class, a Pharm class, a Theory class, etc. You will write 3 page papers and 30 page papers. I can't get any more specific than that; it varies from program to program. Some will be relevant to practicing as an NP and others will be an utter waste of time. You will have exams in addition to these papers. You will be keeping track of all the patients you see in clinicals and documenting those encounters. My program had neither a thesis or big written final exam requirement, but we had oral comps we had to pass before graduating. As far as being a self-starter, no, all school after high school isn't like that. Most undergrad programs still do a significant amount of hand holding. Grad school is different, at least in my experience. I think I can also safely say that you won't get all you need from lectures and textbooks. You have to go off on your own to find more info so you really understand the topic. It's not difficult, but the volume of work can be overwhelming.

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Mar 25, 2011

I didn't think it was difficult until I got to the DNP classes, those are challenging. I did think some of the nitty gritty was arduous and sometimes irritating. My biggest hang up was putting all the data on every patient I saw into the school's computer tracking system. Jesus god that was a time consuming PITA. I don't mind writing papers, I can churn out 20-30 page papers in a day. In fact, I did just that several times, lol. The reading was what would get to me. It was not uncommon to have over 1000 pages a week. Multiply that by 3-4 courses, and it can get overwhelming. I opted to do a thesis b/c to me, that is a piece of cake. It wasn't required unless you wanted to graduate cum laude. Exams were not usually a big deal. We took a bunch, but the point of all of them was to demonstrate to us, the learner, where our weak areas were so we could bone up on them. I looked at each exam as an opportunity, not a "test." Looking back at what I missed helped me know what to study for boards. My weakest area was always that dogdamned inflammation cascade. I covered it like white on rice before the boards and didn't get a single question, lol. I'm ready though, ask me anything!

PNP4KIDZ, BSN, RN · Apr 1, 2011

I thought there was more work to do. There are more papers and as someone else mentioned, you are expected to not only write well, but exactly according to APA style. Patho and Pharm were the hardest for me....just more in depth than the BSN classes. During clinicals, it is a totally different way of thinking than an RN. You are now on the other side, gathering information in your history and physical and considering every possible condition (differential). You have to use a lot of deduction to come to what you believe is a problem and formulate the evidence-based treatment. It will be easier with time. You will learn how to do a great head to toe exam very concisely and ask questions that lead you to what you really want to know. I thought the certification exam was actually easier than the NCLEX. My school prepared me very well! There are some people I know who don't like the role now that they are in it. They felt they had more "fun" as an RN. You probably won't do as many procedures and have as much interaction with the patients. I love my job and can't imagine doing anything else! If you like to use information to come up with a plan for a patient then you will like being a provider. Usually you will need to have 600+ hours of clinical....seeing patients, taking histories/doing physicals/deciding treatment, etc. Good luck! :)

yogimom · Apr 4, 2011

PNP4kidz, where did you go to school?