DNP Time Commitment: Working Full Time
Last week I answered a question from a prospective DNP who was worried about time commitment. I got the perspective of a current BSN student to help. Kirstyn Smith is a BSN student, and she writes the following:
Don't be scared! I just finished the first semester of nursing school at FSU and am so happy I have been given this opportunity. I have met so many wonderful people, peers and professors alike. The FSU nursing school is a 4-year program; in the first 2 years students complete prerequisites, and in the next 2, students are trained in the actual, hard-core practices of nursing.
Currently FSU requires over 700 clinical hours for the undergraduate program, and while that does seem like a lot, time flies (trust me)! In the second year (senior) our clinical experience will increase to 8am-5pm shifts and in our last semester, we will have a 6-week (40 hours/week) internship. I am not there yet, but I have talked to my mentor, and she has told me that she has so much fun and she is so invested in what she is doing that it hardly seems like time has passed at all.
I would not recommend going to school full-time and working full-time if you can help it. Though it is doable! You have to want this more than anything because going to nursing school and having another job is equivalent to having two full-time jobs. For every credit hour you take, there is an hour for studying. For example, a class is 4 credits so I will spend 4 hours a week studying for that class. The professors do not necessarily give you homework. Almost every out-of-class activity is what you make of it. Not to say the professors leave you in the dark; they are just as invested as you in finishing and learning. They will give you access to the materials to succeed, you just have to use them!
Do not stress, "prospective DNP." You will have friends and your professors to help you along the way. As a nurse you are not alone, ever. Earlier this semester, I had a talk with one of my professors when I was slightly upset because I want to be a nurse anesthetist and have always heard that I have to get straight As to be accepted into the program. I used to get straight As in my prerequisites, but nursing school is humbling. Like me, you may learn that earning a B is AMAZING. I shared my concern with my professor and you know what she told me? "Where there is a will, there is a way!" So, prospective DNP, if you have a will, and want this, you WILL succeed and achieve what you want. I hope this helps!
Editor's note: Here at the DNP Answers blog we take your questions about the DNP and answer them as best we can. This question is answered by blogger Mai Kung, NP, a recent DNP graduate. Comment below to discuss this topic, or send new questions to jford@advanceweb.com.
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