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 ...

I am Dr. Susan VanBeuge, family nurse practitioner and assistant professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. My nursing career began when the decision to return for a second bachelors degree in nursing. At the time, I started volunteering in an emergency department to see if this was my calling. I was volunteering at a military teaching ...

Q: Can you explain how the curriculum will look in a post-BSN DNP program in comparison to a post-MSN DNP program?  A: A post-BSN program includes the clinical component neccessary for advanced practice nursing specialization. In other words, the curriculum in a post-BSN program typically will begin with the core competencies neccessary ...

Q: Is it common practice for a DNP program to assign students to sites and projects, or do most allow students to explore their own passions and interests? A: This is an institution-specific issue. Some DNP programs work in partnership with a healthcare system to address clinical questions or quality issues that have been identified. Students ...

ADVANCE for NPs & PAs is covering the 5th National Doctors of Nursing Practice conference, hosted by DNP, Inc., here in St. Louis, Mo. The conference kicked off yesterday afternoon with a presentation by DNP Inc. director David O'Dell, DNP, FNP-BC, on results of 3 years of surveys of DNP graduates. O'Dell pointed out some notable and sometimes ...

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 ...

Q: How can NPs who don't go back to get a DNP elevate their knowledge in similar ways? A: Great question! My first suggestion is to become familiar with the Essentials for Doctoral Education for Advanced Nurisng Practice. The essentials guide the curriculum of DNP programs and will reflect much of the coursework. The essentials ...

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 ...

Q: I am just finishing my BSN and will graduate in December 2012. I have a BSBA, ADN, LPN-Diploma and associate degree in general education. I am now considering doing the FNP program but I will be in the middle of the program when the DNP is required to set for the boards in 2015. I work full-time, I have a family that depends on my income, and ...