Which school would you attend and why to become an FNP

OBigdog26, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 26, 2015

DUKE, VANDERBILT, or EMORY.
I have read online that Vandy is #10 for FNP, Duke is #13, and Emory is #21. Don't know if that is true or not but I am interested in hearing everyone's case for each school.
Thanks, Alex

I applied at Duke and am hoping to get in this fall. What I look at is the curriculum and the amount of clinical hours that students need to complete. Furthermore, I chose Duke because they have an ortho concentration that you can take as an NP student.

In my opinion, the more clinical hours in the program the better.

zmansc, ASN, RN · Jan 26, 2015

I would not get too hung up in rankings of programs, there really is very little objective data being used in these rankings. I certainly wouldn't ignore them completely, but I think if you look at the rankings for the past several years you will see schools that have bounced up and down quite a bit. The fact that they bounce up and down so frequently indicates to me that they are either very close, the data is very subjective, or the inter-rater reliability of these rankings is very poor. Most likely, all three are affecting the rankings. If a program is consistently near the top 1/3, then it's probably very similar to all the others that are consistently in the top 1/3, same for those programs that are at the bottom, I might be weary of those programs.

I also believe a much bigger factor (as long as the programs are ranked at the same end of the scale), is what the student is going to put into their education. If you put into the program the effort that is needed to actually learn the material, then you will get out of the program what is needed to grow into a safe and qualified provider. If not, well, it doesn't matter much how good the program is rated, you will struggle.

Another important aspect in your choice of program is the mission of the program. My program is oriented towards rural providers, I live in a very rural area, thus the mission of the program and my mission match up very well. The previous poster mentioned their program had a specialty in ortho, presumably they did too as this is why they choose that program. There are a couple of programs that offer both FNP & ACNP (I believe with an ER focus), so those programs and students have missions that match up. Finding a program where the program's mission matches yours is more important to me than finding a program with a slightly higher number on the latest rankings. It takes more effort to find, but it will help you more in the long run.

Some things to consider:

- What population do I want to work with?

- Primary care, or some specialty?

- Acute/Chronic?

These things will all give you an idea of what NP specialty you want to focus on. Then once you have an idea of specialty, consider other aspects of the program:

- Location, online vs classroom classes

- Preceptors, does the school assign them, do you find them. There are advantages to both, and also disadvantages to both.

- Mission of each program compared to your mission, is their synergy?

- Reputation of the program in your area, alumni?

- Your willingness to relocate for school/jobs?

- Impact on your work/family life, how are you going to deal with financial and social issues during this journey?

I'm sure there are many other things to consider, but those should give you enough headaches and keep you awake a few nights until someone else posts a few more! Seriously, it's a big decision, and one you should spend some time on because there really are many different options for you to take. There is no need to rush the decision. Good luck!

Jules A, MSN · Jan 26, 2015

The school is only for obtaining the ability to sit for boards and a majority of your skill will come from your nursing experience so having a job that will aid your future goals is more important than what school you attend, imo. I have attended community college, a prestigious graduate program and one that isn't well know but when its all said and done the quickest and cheapest was how I made my choice.