FAQs on the FNP
- How does an FNP differ from a Physician's Assistant (PA)?
- What can I do to make my application stand out?
- What is the minimum GPA requirement for admission?
- Will I still be able to work as an RN while attending school?
- Who organizes the internship (clinical) experience?
- What will help me to prepare for school?
- How is the coursework structured?
1. How does an FNP differ from a Physician's Assistant (PA)?
Very often, FNPs and PAs work collaboratively to provide high-quality care to patients in a variety of settings, but there are differences - both in training and intent. First, just by definition, PAs work directly with, and under the supervision of, physicians. Nurse Practitioners function in a more interdependent role, given their initial training and experience as Registered Nurses. in fact, in many states, Maine included, NPs can function independently within their scope of practice, providing primary care services to families and individuals.
In terms of education and training, most NP programs require that an applicant has a BS in Nursing with several years of work experience, functioning as an "expert nurse", prior to moving on to become an "advanced practice nurse" (another term for NPs and Nurse Anesthetists) through graduate education leading to an MSN (Masters of Science in Nursing). MSN/NP programs are always offered through collegiate Schools of Nursing. PA programs are graduate programs (MS or MSPA) that require a BA/BS and are almost always run in conjunction with a collegiate-based School of Medicine.
The educational experience for NPs and PAs is in some ways similar and other ways very different - they each receive a considerable amount of training in Pathophysiology, Disease Processes, Pharmacology and Diagnosis & Treatment. PAs receive much more training in terms of hospital-based medicine - general surgery, emergency medicine and orthopaedics - while FNPs (specifically) receive much more training in relation to the care of families in communities, with a major focus on the provision of primary care.
2. What can I do to make my application stand out?
Each Applicant is viewed as a "whole". Above all, when writing your Admissions Essay -- be honest, be yourself, tell us why you want to be an NP and be SURE to use correct grammar - appropriate usage of terms, spelling and punctuation. If your undergraduate GPA was not stellar (e.g. just over 3.0, the minimum required for consideration), explain the circumstances in a well-written paragraph or two. Above all, take responsibility for your own successes and shortcomings - show that you are an individual who we would be proud to have as a graduate of the Husson University Graduate Nursing program!
3. What is the minimum GPA requirement for admission?
The minimum GPA required is a 3.0; sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that resulted in applicants having achieved a lower GPA in undergraduate studies. See #2 above!
4. Will I still be able to work as an RN while attending school?
We actually encourage applicants to have recent acute or community-based nursing experience - it's very important that you are "current" in practice. That said, full-time work is discouraged once students begin the internship phase. Many students find that taking a per diem position provides them with the flexibility they need to increase or decrease work hours dependent on semester requirements.
5. Who organizes the internship (clinical) experience?
Students find their preceptors, in addition, Husson University provides a clinical coordinator to support and assist you. The student role is to provide the clinical coordinator with the information of a prospective preceptor/site and follow through as directed by the clinical coordinator. The clinical coordinator will assist with any challenges and barriers that may arise. We will vet the preceptor and confirm their ability to provide this important piece of education for students, as well as, set up contracts and other necessary paperwork. Our goal is to always have our students work with experienced APRNs, enabling them to learn the APRN role first-hand from the experts.
6. What will help me to prepare for school?
First of all, be certain this is the career path that is correct for you -- excellent, expert nurses do not necessarily have to become NPs to further their careers - make sure you've spent a little time with an experienced NP to be fully certain that becoming a primary care provider in the community is the right career for you! There is also a book - Getting What You Came For by Robert L. Peters - that will be extremely helpful for your entry into Graduate School. Look for the sections that specifically deal with the transition from undergraduate to graduate school - it's a very different animal!
7. How is the coursework structured?
Although there is some flexibility with the course schedule early on, there are many courses that have pre-requisites. All courses in the Graduate Nursing program are now on-line. There are required times for students to attend class asynchronously and the remainder of the instruction is provided via our Canvas © on-line learning system and ZOOM © conferencing technology. Once you reach the latter part of the program (the internship courses), you will be required to attend two clinical intensive, one in August before the first clinical rotationand another in April/May before teh alst clinical rotation. Prior to clinical courses you will be required to participate in a 3- day orientation on-campus, housing is available on-campus if needed. Additionally, there may be synchronous meetings to discuss clinical/skills during clinical courses (Instructor discretion).