What type of papers in NP school?

reddgirl · Sep 14, 2013

You will be fine!!

BostonRN13 · Sep 14, 2013

Its the latter. Almost every week we got a patient scenario say for OB/GYN or whatever the focus is that week who presents to you with ABC symptoms. You have to write the paper step by step from what H&P questions you need to ask, what your differential diagnoses are, what blood work/scans/etc to rule in rule out such diagnoses, treatment and follow up for the diagnosis. Typically my papers would be somewhere between 20-25 pages, I used Up to Date frequently. They're actually helpful papers and came in handy when seeing real patients. You'll hate them but they're good for you :yes:

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 15, 2013

Each semester we had about 5 case studies to present about a patient we saw during clinicals. There were also weekly discussion questions that we did online, you had to prepare an answer of about 3-5 paragraphs with references. Over the course of the program we also wrote a master's thesis on a clinical issue that was then submitted for publication.

20-30 pages per week? Wow. Who was grading all those papers?

carachel2 · Sep 15, 2013

For the first 3-4 core classes of our program (Theory; then Research and then the ultimate combo class "Theory and Research") they were insane fluff papers that I'm sure to this day served no other purpose other than to ensure that some geriatric nursing professor with tenure could fill her class and stay on for another semester). The papers were concept analysis papers (a 30 page paper on the concept of obesity!!!) and personal statement papers blah blah blah where you have to actually pretend that on a day to day basis you will wholeheartedly select and apply some nursing theory to your daily work.

But take heart because once you hit the clinical courses the papers take a dramatic turn to topics you will actually USE and situations you will actually FACE.

(and yes, I understand the importance of nursing theory and all that jazz. I just find it incredibly non-applicable to write agazillion papers on the topic).

zmansc, ASN, RN · Sep 15, 2013

I have to agree with carachel2, of course your mileage may vary as each program is going to be a bit different. For my program, I was able to guess by the course title what load of papers I was going to face that term. If it was a fluff course, leadership, theory, research, etc. then there would be a heavy load of papers.... APA this, blah, blah, blah. Format was of paramount issue, content was not very important. Of course you needed to liberally sprinkle your BS with references, not difficult once you got the hang of it, just time consuming so you learned to get them done and out of the way as quickly as humanly possible.

For the more scientific courses, patho on up, you had more specific writing assignments, mostly case or dx specific. Some 'papers' have been replaced with concept maps, not that those are an improvement at all.

For clinicals, I haven't gotten there yet, but I'm told it's mostly SOAP notes and related question/answers.

NJprisonrn · Sep 15, 2013

So many papers! We have theory papers (tedious 20+ pages), case studies (maybe power point, maybe written so say 5 pages), clinical paperwork (H&P, discussion of goals and differentials, usually 6-8 pages), discussion board posts (maybe 3 pages or more depending on how many classmates you have to comment on), topic papers (6-8 pages, usually you get to select a health issue of your choice). That's all I can think of right now. It is a LOT of papers.

I'm currently slugging through a discussion board response that I have to get done today sine I have clinical and work the rest of the week. This post is me procrastinating! Don't get me wrong, most of the work is at least semi meaningful, but much of it is quite tedious this semester since I am taking Research along with the core primary care/clinical classes. We also had a Theory class first semester. I wish I could exchange one of them for another assessment class, or something a bit more relevant to hands on practice. I figure that these research classes could really wait until (if) I go back for a DNP, leaving the hands on stuff for the MSN.

Anyway, back to work!

allnurses Guide · Sep 15, 2013

I'm worried about whether or not the NP curriculum will be intense enough to prepare me well...

Focus on if you will be intense enough for the program.

Remember you are embarking on graduate school not undergrad. Much of what you get out of grad school will depend on what you put into it. You will have opportunity to write on various topics from cases to H&Ps to pharm inventories to ethics to EBP to development to theory. They all play an important role in your education; if you embrace it you will be enriched and you practice benefit, if you don't then you will likely be miserable and you won't get any benefit.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2013

And if you are in a doctoral program you had better pay attention and embrace your education because when you get to your oral comps you have to be able to discuss your learning in a scholarly, informed, and intelligent manner. You will be accountable for synthesis of your courses, after they are done.