Happy New Year’s Eve! What do you have planned for this evening? With a new baby at home my energy for festivities isn’t quite as high as usual, so we plan on a low-key celebration with close friends and family here in Nashville. But, before popping open a bottle of bubbly, I want to continue with the week’s blog theme – a look back at 2017. So, without further ado, here are ThriveAP’s top blog posts for nurse practitioner students this year.
1. 3 Surprising Things Successful NP Students Don’t Waste Time On
If you’re a nurse practitioner student, you may feel like you’re being pulled in a hundred different directions. Managing the workload your nurse practitioner program places on you, along with life’s other necessities like earning an income, can be difficult to manage. Fortunately, there is a better way. Choose not to care…about some things, anyway. Successful NP students prioritize what matters and avoid wasting time on things that don’t. Continue reading…
2. How Long Should You Wait to Start Working After NP Graduation?
There are a few things to consider in creating a timeline for your job search. While there are no hard and fast rules for the steps following nurse practitioner graduation, the path you take can significantly affect your employment outlook. Here’s what new graduate nurse practitioners must consider in the job search timeline. Continue reading…
3. Is the NP Certification Exam Getting More Difficult?
The nurse practitioner profession is a rather young one. The changes we constantly see when it comes to professional regulations and policies are a byproduct of being a part of a developing profession. In just the past few years, for example, we’ve seen nurse practitioner specialty designations change and divide. So, in the face of change and the natural pressures that come with serving in a regulatory capacity over a profession, just how has the difficulty of the AANP certification exam changed in recent years? Continue reading…
4. 7 Ways to Cut the Cost of Your Nurse Practitioner Education
Prepared or not, your nurse practitioner education is going to cost you thousands of dollars. So, making decisions about how you plan to become an NP shouldn’t be taken lightly. Putting some extra research and effort in on the front-end of your education could save you thousands of dollars of hard earned money later. Here are a few tips and tricks for managing the cost of your nurse practitioner education. Continue reading…
5. How to Present a a Patient to Your Preceptor with Style
Oh the dread! If you’re a nurse practitioner student going through a tough round of clinicals, one cause of your education-related anxiety is likely presenting patients to your preceptor. Summing up a patient in a brief on-the-fly presentation is tricky. Although you’ve written plenty of SOAP notes, nurse practitioner students often struggle with communicating this kind of information verbally. So, how do you neatly package your next patient encounter and deliver the message in a svelte manner? Continue reading…
6. Are We Asking Too Much of Preceptors?
If you’re a nurse practitioner student, or an NP who recalls your grad school days, you know that finding a clinical preceptor can be a total nightmare. Unless you have a number of connections in the healthcare world, convincing a provider to take on the responsibility of training you isn’t easy. Patient care and the demands of an employer take precedent over accepting a student, as they should. Even the most altruistic NPs must work – without this they wouldn’t be able to serve as preceptors anyway. Continue reading…
7. 4 Affordable Ways to Get Your DNP
If you’re a nurse practitioner thinking about going back to school to get your DNP, or are looking at going all the way with your first nurse practitioner degree, there are some tactics to consider for making the experience more affordable. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Continue reading…
8. Can You Work as an NP Before Passing Your Certification Exam?
Once you’ve graduated from your nurse practitioner program, the wait to take your certification exam can present a significant delay for your job search. If you aren’t yet certified, you can’t start working, right? Fortunately, some states have recognized this inconvenient setback and provided new NP grads with a way to start their careers sooner. Continue reading…
9. 4 Tips for Making the Most of Your Nurse Practitioner Program
Given all the challenges NP students face, prioritizing and focus is a must. Come graduation day, those who take steps to maximize their nurse practitioner education will be the most prepared for employment. How can you make the most of the time you spend on your NP education? Continue reading…
10. How Much Will a Nurse Practitioner Education Really Cost You?
Cost is most certainly a factor in the decision to further your nursing career. While there are plenty of loans available to prospective NPs, eventually these must be paid back to the lending institution. The amount you borrow isn’t the actual amount you must plan to repay. Interest accrues over the course of your loan meaning the actual cost of becoming a nurse practitioner is far higher than published tuition rates. How much will your NP program really cost you? Continue reading…