15 Year Post Grad AANP Prep

[carboncyclist]

I went into Orthopedic Surgery / Trauma right after graduation. I did not see any need to take a National Board, as I knew what I wanted to do. I am looking to relocate to another state and is seems there is a trend among hospitals there to ask for a national FNP certification, even though I am in ortho. I get long pauses and head scratching when I asked what that will show in my milieu, with no answer other than the "committee asks for it." That is as it is. So, I have chosen the AANP mostly due to their straight forward requirements for recert. as opposed to ANCC which seemed vastly different, particularly with what is accepted for the 1000 hours, as I am not engaged in a FNP practice.

Okay, so my question is what, other than the Gold Standard - Fitzgerald text, is advisable to obtain for review. I don't have my notes or texts from 15 years ago which got lost after being deployed, stuff in storage and then relocating. So any suggested materials would be greatly appreciated. Thanks kindly.

[CocoaLoverFNP]

Hi Carboncyclist,

I used Fitzgerald audio CDs as a supplement but my favorites were the Leik review book and Hollier CDs + Qbank. I reviewed all 3 resources more than 2-3 times. I studied for 4 weeks but "tried to study" 2-3 weeks before the real studying began.

There are a lot of posts regarding how other students reviewed and passed the AANP board exams. Click on search and type in the keywords "passed AANP". I wrote a really long post on how I passed the exam and you should be able to find it. I tried to post the link here but the iphone app won't let me.

If I passed the exam, you can pass it too! Yes, i understand how it may feel for someone practicing as an NP for a long time and have to take the exam for no good reason, except "they require it". Here in California, most insurance companies require it, like Medicare and Medi-Cal, for reimbursements. However, as most people know, you could practice as an NP here without taking/passing the board exams. BUT it would be hard to collect reimbursements. Weird.

Good luck!

[carboncyclist]

Thanks for your insight. I am more visual than audio, so don't know about CD. I will review Leiks for sure. Yes it is only the new state trends.

I am independent and have never been an employee in this career, so yes I have billed Medicare and Medi-Cal since 2000. Nat'l Cert is not required if you stated then. I know those current ones. It is just that I have so much to go back to on the basics as I have been out of Family Prac. since I completed the modules in 1999. I have seen what other people's recommendations are for new grads, but for someone who has not been getting this exposure for 15 years, I was looking for somewhere to start back to the basics, so to speak.

Thanks again for your time, I will review your recommendations.

[BiotoBSNtoFNP]

Have you considered a live prep course? Or fitzgeralds online review classes? Might be more helpful to get live reassurance and discussion esp if you are a visual learner.

[irishtea]

Hi I too graduated from Fnp msn program 15 years ago and am now preparing to take boards. I learned much from reading the threads and have decided upon an expensive but thorough plan. This is my path and I pray that it works for me. Currently reviewing Leik and Fitzgerald books. Taking Barkley live review in August and Fitzgerald live review in Sept. Depending on how ready I feel my take Leik's computer review. I have written flashcards and will eventually take holliers qbank tests. There is much more I have been using to study but I think it's because I second guess my knowledge. The one thing I did was ask 2 NNPs I work with for their advice and was greatly disappointed in the unsupportive responses that I was given. Live and learn. So I will continue to study hard and try to help others along the way. Hope this helps. If you want specifics on other study guides I've used I'll be happy to share them.