So...here I am 8 weeks into the MSN/FNP program.  Midterms have just ended (whew!) except for the take home midterm I'm working on at this moment.  I can say graduate work is definitely different then undergrad nursing school.  Besides being much more difficult, which you expect grad work to be, I do notice the professional way you are treated by instructors and speakers alike.  So far I'm greatly enjoying my program and I'm looking forward to getting into the more clinical aspect of it.  Right now it’s mainly the core classes I'm taking.  Focus for this semester....the basics such as patho, pharm, assessment, and management with the clinical aspect focused on obtaining a good health history from the patient.  History being 80% of your diagnosis, or so they keep telling us in class and I definitely believe!

For a bit about me (being my first blog) Working on top of going to school full time has defiantly been a challenge so far.  Next semester I really need to cut down my working hours!  I am a critical care nurse (ICU/ER) and I have been for 4 1/2 years.  The nursing experience has helped me in putting things together when learning the material. I went the long way around in my education by...getting my AD in nursing....working...doing the online thing at U of MD and getting my BSN...working...and now here I am.  I knew I always wanted to be a NP, but as you all know money comes as an issue and I wanted experience first.  I do want to take my practice internationally but not sure where yet or what to specialize in or to keep it general.  Time will tell.

All in all I feel privileged to be here.  Sometimes, during my lectures from guest speakers, I sit there and think, WOW I'm hearing this information from some of the best practitioners in this field!  And that’s just a bonus so far as to why I choose to come here.