I really felt prepared. I had done a review course by a company that claims a pass rate of 99%. I had also studied a very well-known study guide, in addition to listening to 2 sets of CDs (one of them for the last year!). I then took 2 ''predictor'' examinations with decent scores that were predictive of me passing Boards. My morning was ...

Happy NP Week 2012! This year, we are recognizing nurse practitioners across the country with the AANP theme, ''Your Partner in Health.'' We'd love to know what your facility is doing to celebrate. Send your photos and stories of your festivities to kwolfgang@advanceweb.com to be featured in our Comments & Feedback column online and in print. ...

With the election just one day away, political reporting is at a fever pitch. At ADVANCE, we have compiled extensive coverage of healthcare's role in the election. If you haven't done so yet, browse our articles for some last-minute information on the candidates and more. We will also be compiling your reactions to the election results. If you'd ...

Our ADVANCE for NPs & PAs community is always growing and providing better feedback every week. Our social media goal this week is to hit 2,000 fans on Facebook. We're only 28 ''likes'' away! If you're not already following us, make sure to check out our page and let us know what you think. If you are, share our page with your colleagues and ...

In an accelerated NP program, newly-minted nurses often find themselves in graduate-level classes with people who have been in the profession for most of their lives. I just passed the NCLEX two weeks ago -- hang on -- I can't hold it in. Hire me! I'm great! Anyone in the central Mass. area looking for a new grad Murse with a background in ...

Last week, readers commented on two of our recent orthopedic articles. In response to ''After Your Patient's Knee Replacement,'' reader Thomas said, ''Nice article Jennifer - I had my TKR in 2010 and you described my overall experience quite well. Patients do really tend to forget that they lost their joint mobility slowly over a sustained time ...

Last week, a reader commented with praise for both NPs and PAs on our 2012 National Salary Survey of NPs & PAs. ''I am proud to see PAs and NPs getting along in the medical field. Both are great professions. I was an RN for 13 years prior to becoming a PA. I have been a PA for 8 years. I chose PA, because in 2001, NPs were basically ...

Terry Clarke, student nurse here. I am in an accelerated nurse practitioner program at UMASS Worcester. We just finished our year-long RN BSN equivalency. I've been feeling like a hand-stamped 18-year-old at a bar, able to join the conversations but not order a beer. As my NCLEX draws nigh, I finally feel competent to write about this experience. ...

On Facebook last week, we shared a reader question: ''Would any of you kind folks happen to know anything about transferring from Florida to Arizona as a nurse practitioner? There is a prescribing requirement that states 'you shall submit written evidence of 45 contact hours of education in pharmacology or clinical management of drug therapy ...

In the past week, we shared the news that the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Nurse Practitioners plan to merge. With 28 Facebook ''likes'' and many ''shares,'' it seems NPs support the decision. On our blog post readers are responding with positive comments, too. Cathy said, ''It's about time. This was so ...