Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

Response to Natoshia G. (6003 Week 2 Discussion)

Reading your post, I am struck by the similarity in concern for almost all of us in terms of being able to balance full-time work, studies, family, and personal life. To be honest, it is this concern that bothers us the most as inability to achieve balance means that one will fail to accomplish the goal of finishing the course.Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing. Your decision to choose persons you are acquainted with as professional mentors is laudable. This is because these people know you and have a history with you. You state that you are currently attempting to pursue the MSN course on full-time basis while at the same time continuing to work full-time. You are rightfully wondering whether you can make it like this and are keeping the part-time option as a fallback position. I personally think making it through the course on a full-time basis as you continue working full-time is only possible if you do not have family obligations, especially young children. That said, if you have strong family and social support systems such as an extended family you may just make it.Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

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            The one and only question you pose is whether there is any other classmate in this group that is also trying to complete the course on a full-time basis while still working full-time. My answer is a resounding ‘yes’. There are colleagues in this class who have witnessed professional contacts manage to finish the course on a full-time basis as they also work full-time. This has made them want to attempt the same feat. As a matter of fact, you have stated that you have yourself seen your mentors succeed in doing this. I however think individual circumstances are different and one should therefore proceed with caution, staying open to the possibility of reverting to part-time learning if things do not work out. Of course your choice of Walden University was the best, given their tried and tested student support systems (Walden University, 2020).  Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

Response to Janelle P. (6003 Week 2 Discussion)

You have correctly observed from the very beginning of your discussion that the balance between studies and work/ family/ personal life is the most important anxiety-producing factor for you. Indeed it is for every prospective MSN student including myself. I also agree with you that time management is crucial to one’s success in the MSN course and that sacrifices on the family front will have to be made to achieve academic success in this MSN course. You pose several questions for which I will attempt to provide answers as I know them. I must admit that the questions you pose perfectly apply to me as well.Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

On how to form beneficial personal and peer relations, I am of the opinion that a discussion forum like the one we are having now is one of the platforms from where you can start making academic and professional connections that will last even after graduation. On where you can find more colleagues or professional groups to help you in career advancement, I believe membership of a professional nursing organization like the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) can provide immense networking opportunities (AANP, 2020). On how to find a preceptor as a CNP student, an informative opinion piece by DeCapua (2020) advises that you have a ready resume and academic portfolio which can then help you find a preceptor on the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Preceptor Bank or the ENP Network of nurse practitioners (DeCapua, 2020). If you want to do your practicum in a hospital setting, it may be advisable to talk to the clinical instructor. Also consider he type of hospital and its proximity to where you live. The other professional organization that the ACNP student may find useful is the professional organizations for nurse practitioners in their state. For instance, there are the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network and the California Association of Nurse Practitioners (DeCapua, 2020).Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

You also asked about what organizations do to help graduate NPs in their new role (role transition). Barnes (2015) opines that a proper and thorough formal orientation is very helpful. On what it takes to get prescriptive authority, I believe this depends on the scope of practice NPs are allowed in your particular state of practice (full, reduced, or restricted practice), as well as the acquisition of a DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) number. Lastly, like me you asked about malpractice insurance. In my opinion, it is definitely beneficial to get a malpractice insurance cover to cushion you financially in the event of a suit. The choice is between a Claims-Made Policy and an Occurrence-Type Policy. The steps to get one are (i) choosing a carrier, (ii) getting a quote, and (iii) applying (Nurse Buff, 2016).

Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing

Transitioning into graduate study for nursing is exciting for me because it is a major step toward my career development and advancement. However, starting my studies and learning how to be a successful online learner all while balancing my work and personal life is both stress- and anxiety-inducing for me. I have developed a lot of questions and concerns about school and post-graduate careers while beginning this journey. With the help of this discussion and the resources I identified in part one of my week one assignment, I hope to gain some useful advice and additional resources to utilize throughout my studies and career.Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

Academic Questions and Resources

First and foremost, my biggest concern with starting school is time management. A study completed by Hoops &Altrip (2016) explains that time management is a learned trait of the successful college student that allows all work to be completed in an adequate time frame to allow academic, career, and personal flourishment. Therefore, the question of how to adequately manage my time with full-time school, full-time work, and personal life arises. Prior to starting school, I felt that I was busy with just working full time and my personal life as I worked 3-4 12-hour shifts a week and stayed very active in my family and activity life. I have a hard time accepting the fact that I will need to make sacrifices and to be okay with being a little less present in my previous family and activity endeavors because those things are extremely important to me. I will most likely switch to part-time school after this semester to help me manage my time.Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

In addition to time management, it is essential for online students to utilize their resources to ensure success. These resources can be in the form of school-provided databases and peer relations. In part one of my week one assignment, I identified the writing center and library as two of the primary resources that I will use throughout my studies. Being new to these resources as well as to graduate study, what have students found most beneficial about both the writing lab and library? What aspects of these two resources have ACNP program students found most useful?Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

A study done by Aydin (2017) examines the personal factors that predict student success in college. He demonstrated that personal relations with student and faculty members is an indicator for student success. Asking quality relevant questions and engaging in discussion within a relaxed environment with these members eased stress and anxiety and lead to high achievement. Therefore, how have students been able to form these relations and utilize them effectively in the online classroom environment? As I am sitting at my house alone doing schoolwork, it is easy to think that this is a solo ride for me, and I feel as though I have minimal peer support within my academics.

Professional Questions and Resources

Professional networking is important for many reasons such as finding career opportunities and advancement, having professional support, and allowing nurses to influence healthcare systems, trends, and developments (Schmidt, K., n.d.). In part one of my week one assignment, I identified my nurse manager as one of my professional resources for networking. I chose this person because he is easily accessible to me and can provide me with many references to advance my career after graduation. What other colleagues, groups, teams, and/or departments have MSN students found beneficial? Looking forward and preparing to engage in clinicals later in the program, how have ACNP students been successful in finding their preceptors? Who should I consider if I am wanting to complete my practicum within the hospital setting?Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

In addition to professional networking, engaging in professional nursing associations is “critical for generating the energy, flow of ideas, and proactive work needed to maintain a healthy profession that advocates for the needs of its clients and nurses, and the trust of society” (Matthews, J., 2012). Therefore, I established the American Association of Nurse Practitioners as one of my professional resources to provide me with continued education and change opportunities. What other organizations have ACNPs found useful in their line of work, especially within the hospital setting?Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

Finally, because I do not have a lot of contacts with advanced practice nurses right now, a lot of logistical questions have risen. These questions are as follows: What do organizations and companies do to help the new graduate NP in their new role? What does it take to get prescriptive authority? Is it beneficial to get malpractice insurance, and what are the steps to do so?

Professional Reference Support and Concern

In my assignment I chose two professional references, one being my colleague at the hospital who is a critical care registered nurse practitioner. The other is my department nurse manager who has her master’s in nursing administration. I have known both through their journey in obtaining their advanced nursing degrees. I have mixed feelings regarding the workload of the family nurse practitioner degree from a full-time versus part-time perspective.Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

Reference Feedback One Including Personal Concern

During my many discussions about advanced nursing degrees, a main concern of mine was the question, can I do this? Will I be able to work full-time and still achieve my dream of becoming a family nurse practitioner? The question still haunts me as we are early in our education. My colleague also worked full-time while obtaining her degree but completed her program in a part-time status. She felt this was a manageable pace to retain the information she was learning while still working full-time.Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

I am attempting to complete the college program as a full-time student. I would like to achieve my degree while my children are still very young and not active in after school activities. My concern is that I may not be able to do both in a full-time status. Are there are other colleagues in the class that are attempting the same program full-time working and learning?

Reference Feedback Two Including Personal Concern

My second reference is my nurse manager who has her master’s in nursing administration. I worked with her as a colleague while she worked full-time and completed school full-time. I know the program was quite a different direction of study in the nursing field. I witnessed her, although she was quite busy, accomplish her program. This gave me the courage to attempt both full-time. With her being my nurse manager, she will be able to work with me from two perspectives. I can ask her questions and strategies in things like material retention, things that work and do not work. I can also rely on her to assist me with my work schedule. I can adjust my hours slightly if needed.Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.

Walden University Resource and Successful Strategies

My thoughts related to being able to complete work and education simultaneously is best referenced by Heidi Kauffman (2015) stating “online education offers a convenience and flexibility that traditional face-to-face classes cannot, especially important for those learners balancing work, school and family” (p. 1). I chose Walden University specifically based off the flexibility and balanced work/school life option it can offer. The student success advising team that work at Walden will also work through the best options for me as the program continues. The team vision is to “become the premier student services provider within the higher education field, where our central focus is the success of our students, who persist to meet their educational goals and facilitate social change” (Walden University Student Success Advising, n.d.). I also found a great website to support balance. Several topics I found helpful from DailyNurse: The Pulse of Nursing (2018) are talking changes with family, developing a master calendar, identifying successful study periods, and taking advantage of nap time. With this support in my personal network I hope to be successful.Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing.