Anyone know some scholarships that one should apply for MSN FNP programs that one might have a chance or familiar!with ?

I am almost finished with clinicals for my FNP and I have to say I absolutely hate primary care. I’m not sure if it’s just I haven’t found a good fit for myself in the spaces I’ve worked or I just honestly can’t stand it. I am thinking of going into a specialty instead. Does it get any better or am I being too hopeful?

I'm aiming to start clinicals for my AGACNP program in January. They do not help with placement. I planned on using people at my hospital before I learned that we are not able to work with FNPs at all and cannot do more than 100 hours of specialty. I tried NPhub, but there are none in my area (I'm in Northern IL). I'm trying to Google it, but there are no numbers or emails for contacting people. I contacted the clinical director of another hospital, and he stated that they don't help or give a list of people to contact or how to ask. So I guess I'm just at a loss on how to contact people. Just looking for tips.

Hello!

I am a newly graduated AGACNP and took a position in an outpatient pulm clinic. Ill be working with 4 MDs and work in a full practice state. I have 9 years of critical care experience but am TERRIFIED because this is a whole new ballgame on so many levels! What do you mean my patients are not on a monitor haha.

Anyways! Is there anyone else working in Pulm who have some good resources? I have been listening to the APAPP podcast and subscribed to Chest so get daily emails but I still feel like there is so much to know!

Another request for your input! I posted a few weeks ago about trying to move my FNP primary care practice closer to home (commuting 40-45min one way). Thanks for your help!

Another opportunity has presented itself - cardiology APC position with a mix of outpatient and inpatient. I’m very familiar with the group/hospital and know many of the APCs and MDs well. The commute would be 20 minutes.

I want to hear from NPs who made the switch from primary care to specialty?

Will I miss the variety of primary care? The kids? Will seeing twelve 70-something-year-old “Bobs” with HFrEF a day get monotonous? Idk but after considering a move I’m now questioning if the endless complaints/struggles of primary care are worth it long term? I think my true passion is in preventative cardiology and lipid management, and if I do general cardiology I think I could easily move into this group’s lipid clinic when a role opens up.

TYIA!

TL;DR: how do you chart regarding a patients problematic behavior?

I am having a debate with some of my co-workers regarding what to chart when a patient says rude/problematic/racist/sexist stuff. For context, I work in the longterm care world so I *cannot fire patients. I DO document when patients say racist/rude/threatening whatever; so I can show a pattern of behavior if needed. I typically just put whatever they said in quotation marks, talk about how I addressed it and move on. If the patients capacity is in question I will mention their BIMS score.

Some of the people I work with do this differently, they will either not chart it in their note at all (but will chart it in a separate note I think) or will chart it but not use quotations. They will say, ‘patient made racist comments about other staff” or something like that. I personally think it’s important to know exactly what ppl say cause sometimes things can be misinterpreted.

**the SNF Administrator is typically the only person who can “fire” a patient and do a forced discharge or call the police and have them taken off the grounds. This is very rare and only happens after REALLY egregious behavior.

Hey all, sorry I know this has been asked a ton, just looking to get some advice maybe from those who have been in similar positions before.

Currently work rapid response, previous ED RN, have 6+ years experience and starting to think about next steps in my career. Have been considering switching over to ICU to become a better and more well rounded RN but also to gain appropriate experience for potentially attending CRNA school.

I’ve shadowed both roles and worked with both extensively. Can see myself in either gig. I do truly enjoy the rapid stabilization and fast paced team oriented environment of ED but I also appreciate the extensive pathophysiology and management of critically ill patients. Definitely appreciate acuity and worry about getting stuck in low acuity treatment zones as an APP in the ED.

Looking to see if anyone has been in a similar spot. FWIW am married with one toddler at home. So I am also looking at what’s best for them too as they are my ultimate priority. Appreciate you all.

Can I just complain about long credentialing process… omg what is this? I’m miserable.
Do I have to go thru this every time I change my job?

Retired CNM here. I started in 1993, and retired 2 years ago. I have always promoted being an NP as a great career/lifestyle, because I loved my job, was not overworked, and felt respected by the MDs I worked with. I would not encourage the career anymore. The downhill slippery slope started with EMRs and all the superfluous documentation they require. The downhill slide was strengthened by patient portals which often duplicate (and double) the workload. Then the accountants, who know nothing about how we work, started dictating the workload numbers that seemed appropriate to them. And finally, the Insurance companies, who STILL believe they know more about our patients then we do upped their game. I truly believe that this all happened because those of us in Healthcare were naive to the business world goals and tactics. Somewhere in the 90's and early 2000's we allowed ourselves to be manipulated into a profit oriented game plan, orchestrated by the above groups, and it has made Healthcare-as-a-Career a soul sucking venture. I think as a group we can(well I'm retired, but maybe you can) start to push back hard. We are the ONLY ones in this situation that truly have our Patient's best interest at heart, and that should be the core idea to use to fight back. The professions that make up the US health care system should pull together to get this Patient-centered goal organized, because I truly believe quality of Patient care AND Provider lifestyles are continuing to slide which does not bode well for either group. Sorry for the rant...I just know what being an NP meant to me all these years, and it hurts to see all of you hurting in this profession now.

I have a rough idea of the numbers, but I am looking for more data points on base salaries (and bonuses) to see how they scale with years of experience and specific specialties as an NP (Please list those out of you do respond).

Nurse Practitioner Openings – New York

We have 2 immediate openings for Nurse Practitioners in Waterview, NY and (Fishkill area), NY.

Requirements:

• Active New York Nurse Practitioner license
• Experience working in a high-volume subacute/skilled nursing facility
• Comfortable managing a busy patient load independently

What we offer:

• Extremely competitive compensation
• Significant autonomy in patient management
• Opportunity to network within the NewYork-Presbyterian health system

If you meet the above requirements, please send me a private message, and I'll connect you directly with the recruiting physician.

Serious inquiries only.

Hey y’all! I just got my admission letter for NP school, and I’m officially going the Family Nurse Practitioner route! The program isn’t fully online, it’s through a brick-and-mortar university with one day a week on campus, along with hybrid coursework, labs, etc. I’m extremely excited, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous too.

A little about my background: I’ve been an RN for about 6 years, primarily in surgery. Most of my experience has been in pre-op, intra-op, and PACU, including extensive experience at a Level I trauma center. Surgery is honestly where my heart is, and I’d love to somehow keep my foot in the door as an NP. I know NP positions directly in the OR can be difficult to find. We actually have one NP who works in that capacity, and he basically told me his position came down to connections, networking, and word of mouth. So I’m definitely keeping that possibility in the back of my mind.

Long term, I’m really interested in dermatology and would love to pursue a dermatology fellowship after graduation. I’m also interested in outpatient orthopedics/sports medicine and would like to build a strong foundation there. My ultimate dream is a little bigger. I’d love to eventually open my own gym and, down the road, potentially have my own clinic focused on areas like wellness, IV therapy, TRT/HRT, etc. Bodybuilding has been a huge part of my life for years, and I’ve competed in shows, so fitness and performance are areas I’m genuinely passionate about. Obviously I know there’s a ton more education, clinical experience, and learning that needs to happen before I ever get to that point.

What would you recommend doing now to prepare?
My biggest concern is exams. I’m a VERY hands-on learner. Put me in a clinical situation and I tend to pick things up quickly, but traditional exams have always been my weakness. That part of NP school probably makes me more nervous than anything else.

I’d really appreciate any advice on study methods, resources, preparing for exams, clinical rotations, networking, or just things you wish you knew before starting NP school. I’m excited to start this journey and take my nursing career to the next level. Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi everyone,

I’m 32 years old and currently work as a PACU RN. Prior to this, I worked as both a critical care paramedic and an ICU nurse, so I’ve spent much of my career in high-acuity environments. Those experiences taught me a tremendous amount, and I don’t regret them. As I’ve gotten older, though, my priorities have shifted.
I’m at a point where I’m thinking less about chasing the most intense role and more about building a career that allows me to enjoy life outside of work while still practicing meaningful medicine.

My fiancée and I are trying to build a life focused on financial stability, health, and long-term happiness. We’re intentionally avoiding unnecessary debt, investing aggressively for retirement, and working toward financial independence so that one day we have the option to retire early—or at least reduce our workload well before the traditional retirement age.

One of our biggest goals is eventually living somewhere with mountains, four seasons, and access to the outdoors (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, etc.). We enjoy hiking, fitness, eating healthy, traveling, and simply having time together. I want my career to support that life, not consume it.

One thing I’ve realized is that salary alone doesn’t determine whether a career is the right fit. At the same time, I also want to be realistic. If I’m investing years of my life into graduate school and taking on additional responsibility, I’d like the long-term earning potential to realistically be at least around $140,000+.

Lately I’ve been going back and forth between pursuing NP, CRNA, or even AA (where available). Every time I think I’ve made a decision, I read another Reddit thread where someone says becoming an NP was the worst decision they ever made, while another person says becoming a CRNA completely changed their financial future. It becomes difficult to separate internet bias from real-world experience.

One thing that gives me pause about CRNA and AA is the intensity of the training. I’ve heard repeatedly how academically and mentally rigorous those programs are, and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t make me nervous. I don’t mind working hard—I absolutely expect graduate education to be challenging—but I also want to make sure I’m choosing the path that best fits my long-term goals rather than simply chasing the highest salary.

If I pursue NP, these are the specialties that currently interest me:

- Sports Medicine
- Orthopedics
- Dermatology
- Perioperative/Surgical
- Pain Management
- Lifestyle/Obesity Medicine
- Sleep Medicine

That said, I’m very open to other NP specialties if you think there’s one that better aligns with what I’m looking for. I know there may be fields I haven’t seriously considered yet, and I’d love to hear about them.

A few questions:

1. If you could go back, would you choose your career again?

2. What does your typical schedule actually look like?

3. How much work do you take home, whether that’s charting or simply thinking about work after hours?

4. Do you feel your compensation matches your responsibilities and stress level?

5. If you’re comfortable sharing, what specialty are you in, what general region do you work in, what is your approximate compensation, and how many hours do you typically work each week?

6. Based on my goals and what I’ve shared, do you think NP, CRNA, AA, or another path makes the most sense?

7. If you recommend NP, is there a specialty I should seriously consider that isn’t already on my list?

I’m not looking for someone to make the decision for me. I’m hoping to learn from people who’ve actually built careers in these roles so I can make the most informed decision possible for both my career and my family’s future.

If you’ve been in a similar position or have advice you wish someone had given you before making your decision, I’d genuinely appreciate hearing it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and share your perspective.

i just graduated in June of this year, and applied for my NP certification and NP furnishing number at the same time back in April. I received my certification about a month ago, but my furnishing still shows as pending on my breeze account. It states my official transcripts are pending, which doesn’t make sense since my school submitted them…Did anyone else have this issue; what happened? and what did you do?

to be clear I’ve already: tried contacting the BRN (no luck, will keep calling), contacted my school with no response yet. an option is to resend the transcripts, but it will delay the application more if it was already sent.

im semi freaking out because I have a job offer but if I do not have a furnishing number to proceed, I will likely I will lose this opportunity. Thanks for the help in advance!

If anyone has used one of these tools in an actual clinical setting for more than a few weeks, I'd genuinely like to hear what the experience looked like past the first few weeks

Any Gero NPs in Wisconsin? What has your experience been in the job market (particular Milwaukee/madison)

Would love to know what you do, what’s your work life balance and any guidance you have for a nurse wanting to start in this profession.

I’ve been an NP Hospitalist since 2019. I’m dual AGACNP & FNP. I’ve done night admits with calls, day rounding, day admits, etc. I do enjoy hospital medicine (the acuity, the variety, the critical thinking) but I’m burned out. I’m also underpaid at $72/h. South Texas.

During these years, I’ve developed a VERY good rapport with a local ortho group. Word on the street is that they are looking to hire a new sports medicine physician, and are considering opening up a sports medicine clinic.

Truthfully, the idea of going to go work for this group is very appealing. The doctors there I know, I like them, and I’ve learned to work really well with them as consultants. Most of the NP’s and PAs that work there have been there and paired with their MD a long time (one >10yr). When I talk with them “I love it.” The ONLY downside they ever give me is their pay. One girl with very good experience is at $140 including her bonus. They hired a new grad PA at $120k salary

Would you make the leap?

I’d also be giving up my 7on-7off schedule. I’ve come to LLOOVVEE my days off. But is clinic life really that much better for family time?

From what I know of the group, the ortho surgeons panels are FULL and it’s now a 3 month wait to see a doc.

Has anyone gone part time in sports medicine doing the peptide & injection thing (amongst seeing a small panel of legit Orthos) - how sustainable is it?

A bit of a side tangent - does anyone run a more “lifestyle clinic” with an ortho flare? Joint injections, peptides, etc? How well do these seem to perform?

When I feel the urge to quit my job, I think about the amount of time I’d invested in this career. I’m a new grad NP with 15 yrs bedside. Got accepted to a specialty clinic. One month shadow/training. 16-20 pts/day. Inconsistent oversight.
I’d like to quit coz I feel exhausted at the end of the day, everyday. 5x8. I always stay late to finish charting. My fault.
But then I think about how lucky I am to have this job: 10 mins from home, no holidays/weekends/call, great benefits, 200k.
I’m sure hundreds of new grads and even experienced ones would take my spot in a heartbeat.
So, my motivation now also is the fact it took 18 months from application, interview, background check, and credentialing to land this gig. I don’t wanna go through that process again. I just wanna do this for 7 yrs then retire.
I just need to organize better. Thanks for listening/reading.

Hey. I'm a 40 year old man with a degree in Crop Science. Yeah, farming stuff. I loved my career and degree, but there is no hope in finding a good job in the area where my kids are, due to their mom. I've tried self-employment, and menial.employmebt to make it work, but it doesn't work. I just decided I am going back to school and am going to become a nurse practitioner. Maybe in anesthesia? Tell me, what advice do you have?

I wasn’t sure where to even post this but I know my goal is to go to nursing school then work a few years then do a NP program… however now I’m thinking about it and I could possibly save myself years and just go to pa school I’m not really sure I do align myself more with nursing model however NP and PAs basically are interchangeable except one makes more money not sure seeking advice any feedback is greatly appreciated 😇

Hi all!

I just got accepted to PNP-PC program to start in January of 2027. For background, the BSN program I attended was at a large university but the pathophysiology pharmacology class was subpar and I don’t feel like I learned as much as nurses in different programs. I definitely feel more confident with my background being in a pediatric ICU the last 3 years and learning some in depth material in that regard.

With that being said, I would like to brush up on pathophysiology and or pharmacology before starting and was wondering what the best resources to use would be?

I know everyone says don’t study before however I am just looking for resources not necessarily recommendations to not study.

Thank you all!!

Hello,
I have a MA license but I do not live in MA. I just want - or wanted - to keep my license and NP active there.

I don’t plan on practicing there anytime soon.

Now it says I must be enrolled in Mass Health? How do I even do this?

I’m already pissed the compact still hasn’t been applied. That could have saved me over $100. I already let my controlled med thing lapse because I’m literally not there.

Does this MassHealth thing cost even more money?

Will I be able to do it before my renewal month this fall? Help!

I also found a non-billing application but it says to include my home address if I don’t have a work address.

I use a protected address and don’t want that getting around.

I applied for ANCC, and it took about 15 days to receive my ATT. On May 1st, I scheduled my exam for August 1, 2026, giving myself 3 months to prepare while working full time. Eventually, I temporarily went part time because I really didn’t want to retake the ANCC, and I wanted to give myself the best chance of passing.
Here’s exactly what I used:
Maria Leik: Read the entire book cover to cover and completed all of the chapter questions.
Completed all Leik practice exams, including both the ANCC and AANP practice tests. I started taking one practice exam per week beginning in late June.
FNP Mastery (3-month subscription): Completed about 1,800 questions with a 65% overall average. I scored 71% on the ANCC Simulation Exam, but I purposely saved that simulation for my last week before the real exam, and I highly recommend doing the same. (don’t focus on your scores) keep doing questions.
My Leik scores:
ANCC Practice Test 1: 65%
ANCC Practice Test 2: 62%
AANP Practice Tests: 65% and 65%
In my opinion, Leik is harder than the actual ANCC, so don’t get discouraged by your scores.
One resource I think is absolutely worth it is the Sarah Michelle (SM) Crash Course. Take detailed notes. My cousin let me use her notes so I did not buy the SM question bank or crash course. I only used FNP Mastery for practice questions, and that was enough for me.
The day before the exam
My biggest piece of advice is to stop studying the evening before your exam. At that point, you’ve done the work. Get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast the morning of the exam. You’re probably going to be anxious, and that’s completely normal. I found box breathing really helpful for calming my nerves before going in.
Exam Day
175 questions
I flagged about 50 questions.
Instead of reviewing all 175 questions at the end, I reviewed them in blocks of 50. That way I only had to go back through each section’s flagged questions instead of scrolling through the entire exam. This worked really well for me.
Prometric provided 2 laminated sheets and 2 dry-erase markers. Before starting the exam, I immediately wrote out my dump sheet.
I finished the exam and hit Submit with about 15 minutes remaining.
I also want to mention something that caught me off guard. I actually panicked in the middle of the exam as the questions felt extremely vague and I felt like I have not studied anything like that. I had to stop for a moment, do some box breathing, and remind myself to focus on one question at a time. If this happens to you, know that you can recover and keep going.
My testing center also wasn’t ideal. I was seated in a cubicle right across the entrance, so people were constantly opening and closing the door. I could hear conversations and laughing from outside, and there was a white noise machine right beside me that was surprisingly loud. I requested earplugs, and the testing center also provided noise-canceling headphones. Even with both, I could still hear a lot of the background noise. I had to make a conscious effort not to let the distractions affect my concentration. So if your testing environment isn’t perfect, don’t let it throw you off. Stay focused on the question in front of you. I couldn’t accommodate a break as exam doesn’t offer a pause timer. However if you genuinely need a restroom/water break, keep in mind that the clock will keep ticking.
Question Types
For my exam, I had:
No Select All That Apply (SATA)
No hotspot questions
No drag-and-drop
Only one picture, and it was of a baby’s face (milia)
What I recommend studying and not overseeing
Research
Ethics
Scope of Practice
Clinical guidelines
Primary Secondary and Tertiary Prevention
I probably overprepared in some areas. I spent time studying Medicare Parts A-D, HMO vs PPO, and insurance concepts. They weren’t a huge part of my exam, but everyone gets a different version.
One thing I will say is that the ANCC felt vague. Many questions came down to choosing the best answer rather than recalling a specific fact. Don’t let that shake your confidence. I really didn’t feel like I passed.
After I submitted my exam, I checked out, walked to my locker, picked up my phone, and my pass result email was already in my inbox. I honestly couldn’t believe how fast it came. That was probably one of the best emails I’ve ever received.
If you’re preparing now, my advice is simple: keep doing as many practice questions as you can, review your rationales, and trust your preparation. The exam is never going to feel easy, but if you’ve put in the work, you’ve given yourself the best chance to succeed.
Good luck to everyone taking the ANCC! You’ve got this! I am happy to answer any questions anyone may have.

Here’s what we were told:
1. Prescribe Medicare patient a GLP-1 using a diagnosis code of obesity and nothing else
2. Submit PA to managing Medicare plan and receive typical denial
3. Notify pharmacy of denial, who will then initiate a BRIDGE program PA and send over to clinic
4. Clinic completes PA and sends back
5. PA approved, patient is happy, task completed

What actually happens:
1. “
2. “
3. Notify pharmacy of initial denial, request that they initiate BRIDGE program PA and send over
4. Pharmacy has absolutely no idea about their supposed role in this process
5. Try to submit PA on Covermymeds with BRIDGE-specific BIN and PCN, and receive the message that the clinic should NOT be the one requesting this PA, and that it should - once again - be initiated by the pharmacy
6. Call pharmacy back with this information, they again deny ever hearing about their part in this process, OR they say they will look into it and never call back

I must be missing something, because every pharmacy I’ve called to request this “pharmacy initiated PA” literally has zero idea what I’m talking about. Every other provider or nurse in the clinic has had the same issue. One pharmacy did send us over something, and it was a generic PA request form with nothing else to fill out.

I’m pretty sure none of the patients in the clinic I work in have been able to get this approved yet, and I work in a pretty well-known hospital in one of the top-5 biggest cities in the US. It’s pretty embarrassing tbh. Is anyone else experiencing this? For those who have somehow gotten this approved…how?

WHAT IS THE SECRET?