I'm Gonna be a FNP!

Ooooh man, I got so many questions re: my grad school journey and I love it! It just goes to show that we are all struggling with the same things at the end of the day despite whatever career path we choose, wondering if we’re 1. good enough and 2. gonna make it out alive 3. gonna do the damn thing. So without further ado, here are some of the most popular questions you guys asked me in IG stories/DMs/IG comments.

Why FNP vs. WHNP or CNM?

As many of you guys remember, I originally applied to Vanderbilt and Emory's WHNP programs even before I even graduated with my BSN (these programs don't require bedside experience) and I planned on pursuing my WHNP part-time while also working full-time in a new grad residency as an L&D nurse. I ended up withdrawing because I didn't realize how much of my time and energy my residency program would demand, and my parents weren't in a spot where they could afford to pay for a private college tuition.

I’ve said this before on Instagram, but I am so eternally grateful for what ultimately went down, because I was able to focus on not only laying down the proper foundations of the beginning of my nursing career, but also my marriage with Caleb as newlyweds! This decision also taught me that I wouldn't have enjoyed WHNP as much as I'd liked - I learned that I could not do just women's health for the rest of my life. At first, I loved the idea of immersing myself into the world of OB and truly becoming proficient in the ins and outs of women's health, but with my bedside experience, I learned that I want to work in primary care because I want to develop long-term relationships with my patients before they even come to the hospital so that they can learn to manage their illnesses and break through systematic/generational health problems before they even begin.

As for CNM, I knew from the first 6 months of working as an L&D RN that I would not enjoy being a midwife. No part of me desires to deliver babies, nor do I want the schedule. Simple as that!

I love that Family Practice will give me the option to learn so much about everything - something that I thought I would never say because I thought I’d stay in Women’s Health forever. But I can also eventually work in a OB clinic if I do decide that women’s health is truly my 1 true passion and strong suit. But what if I learn that I want to return to my initial passion for palliative care? Or what if I can combine the two and work in Palliative care for neonates and infants? The world is my oyster and I’m excited! But terrified! But excited!

Are you doing a Doctorate program or Masters? What are the differences?

I am doing a Master’s program. I’m sure many of you have heard that in the same way that there is a push to move all Associate’s prepared nurses into Bachelor’s programs, there is also a push to move all Masters prepared nurses to pursue the terminal degrees of Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) or Doctor of Nursing Philosophy (PhD), but I personally don’t feel ready for this yet. It’s actually funny though, as I was describing my aspirations and career goals, my interviewer (who is an FNP with her PhD) asked me why I wasn’t just going straight for my DNP because my goals align with what a DNP would provide. However, I feel confident that I can handle an MSN program right now to become a FNP, and with more experience under my belt, both in healthcare and in life, I will pursue a terminal degree. I do believe that this is important for the entire field of nursing.

The difference is in the degree as a whole. The different degrees in nursing you can obtain are Associate’s, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) , Master’s then either a Doctorate in Nursing Practice and a PhD in Nursing. There are also many different Masters programs for nursing, such as Masters in Nursing Informatics, Master of Science in Nursing - Nurse Administrator, Clinical Nurse Specialist.

This can get confusing, but essentially, not all nursing Masters programs prepare you to become a Nurse Practitioner. However, you do need to choose a specialty, such as Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Midwifery, Anesthesia (CRNA), Acute Care, Emergency, Adult Gerontology, Family Practice. However, the cool thing about each of these is that you can then specialize even further into practices such as cardiology, urology, dermatology, neurology, etc.

There are also entry-level Masters programs for individuals who want to pursue an MSN but their Bachelor’s or Master’s degree is in a non-nursing related profession. I personally don’t know much about this, so I don’t really have an opinion on it.

How many schools did you apply to?

Believe it or not, I only applied to the 1 program - Georgia State. My mindset was that if I were to be accepted, I would pursue it wholeheartedly, stay close to home, and work at the same time. If I didn't get in, then I could focus on gaining more experience at the bedside. Either way, I would have been okay.

What types of things should I be looking for in NP programs?

I think this is such a great question. I’d say the most important thing is to make sure that they are an accredited program so that when you graduate… You can actually sit for boards and become that NP you’ve been studying your booty off to become. Also obviously tuition! Do they offer merit based scholarships? Do they offer work-study programs? I’d also make sure that you go to a school that finds clinical placements for you. I don’t believe that it is solely your responsibility to do this. Of course you need to make connections and be able to network as a professional nurse and future APRN, but if finding a clinical placement prevents you from graduating, I don’t really think that’s fair. Schools are becoming a lot better about this, but I’ve found that most private institutions will find you clinical placements, while public institutions won’t.

How much more money will you make?

Great question! I don't know if you've heard this before, but I've always been told to never pursue an Advanced Practice degree to make more money. And it's true. Most, if not all practices/agencies offer salaries according to the amount of experience a practitioner has. And in the state of Georgia, the average salary for an FNP starts at around $98,348. If I stayed at the bedside and worked my 40hrs/week and then some call shifts, and eventually become a supervisor, charge nurse, etc, I could probably make close to that same amount.

How much experience is required?

It really depends on the program. For instance, CRNA programs require several years of ICU experience. Some FNP programs don't require experience at all, some CNM programs don't require experience, some do. It all just depends on the program. In hindsight, I’m wary of programs that don’t require any nursing experience prior to an APRN degree. I know that this may seem juxtaposed, seeing that I was about to dive headfirst into a WHNP program without even having experienced 1 minute as a bedside RN, but hindsight is truly 20/20 and my mindset has evolved quite a bit. However, I do recognize that being an RN and a Nurse Practitioner are two entirely different roles. But I am very grateful that I will have bedside experience, collaborative experience, real-life scenarios in my nursing toolbox when I do become an FNP.

Why did you decide to go back to school now? Do you feel ready? When do you feel ready?

There were a lot of variables for me: I wanted to have my Master's and have practiced for 1-2 years before starting a family with Caleb, I wanted at minimum 1 year of bedside nursing down before applying, and I wanted to use that time at the bedside to decide if this was going to be my forever. This will be different for everyone. My goals should not be the same as yours, because you and I are two entirely different people with different dreams and goals and life experiences.

I hear a lot that bedside should never be the finish line for any nurse. I agree and disagree with this sentiment: I think the bedside provides an incredible amount of experience and education, but if you don't pursue more certifications, leadership roles, and other ways to grow horizontally, you're staying stagnant and that's definitely not what I wanted. But I don't think that everyone needs to leave the bedside and pursue their Master's or Doctorate degree. I think there is plenty of room for growth within the hospital setting, such as supervisory roles. I don't think anyone fully ever feels 1000% ready. I sure didn't, but I knew that I wanted to go for it and that this feels right. And we aren't held to a standard to do every single thing right. Maybe in 5-10 years I realize that I actually hate family practice and want to dive into a specialty. Then I dive into a specialty.

Do you need to take the GRE?

I didn't because I met the undergrad GPA waiver requirements for this specific program. However, not all programs have this, and some require GREs no matter what. I also had taken the GRE for Vandy + Emory, so I did have it handy if a program required it.

Is your program online or in person?

My program is a hybrid program! I'll be on campus for certain things, such as orientation, skills validations and such, but most of our classes and exams are held online via WebEx. I love that it’s not completely online. Plus, like I stated before, I love that I’ll be at Georgia State which is not too far from where we live so if I ever need to meet with a professor or my advisor, I can drive there instead of worrying about flying somewhere out of state.

How will you afford it?

I'll still be working part-time and picking up call shifts when I can (or that's what I tell myself), and I'm very grateful that my blog and Instagram can help pay for school, and that my husband's salary can support us, too. Because I won't be a full-time employee, my employer won't provide much in tuition-reimbursement, but because I'll be a full-time student, I'll be eligible for more scholarships.

How did your work respond to your decision to attend grad school?

My work supervisor is very supportive and I’m so grateful for her! The operations manager approved my request to go part-time almost immediately. Some of you also asked if there was any “drama” involved, and I understand the intent of that question. It can be.. interesting to share with very experienced coworkers that you, as a fresh new RN, will be pursuing an advanced practice degree. However, I think you just have to accept that there will always be people who don’t support your endeavors and/or resent you. None of it is a reflection of who you are and who you will become, but rather a reflection of their insecurities and judgment and there’s really nothing you can do to control that!

How will you balance it all?

Girrrrrrl, I don't know! I won't be able to, and that's okay. I think it's unrealistic to expect myself to thrive in each aspect in my life, because then that just sets me up for disappointment and it's just not worth it. I'll try my best to be the best student, wife, nurse, daughter, friend and blogger I can be, but I know that there will be times when I'm a better nurse than a friend and a better student than a wife and hey - that's just life.

And as always, if you ever have any more questions about my application and interview process, leave a comment below and/or email me via the About page!

xo,

Clara