PMHNP or FNP Direct Entry?

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questforknowledge

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In lieu of telling my life story, I'll get right to the point. I am looking for direct entry programs for folks with non-nursing bachelor's degrees. I'd prefer PMHNP but FNP would do and I could pursue PMHNP later on. I'm older (41) and I am trying to minimize the time commitment. Google searches have yielded minimal results. That could be because what I'm seeking is tantamount to looking for a unicorn in the Amazon rainforest. Thanks in advance

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You aren’t looking for a unicorn, you just need to do some more googling. I found a bunch within moments of trying.

But......there is an alternative to doing direct entry, and it’s cheaper. Do an accelerated bachelors degree nursing program, preferably one that is cheap, and is also a one year program. Then go to PHMNP school while you work. The advantages of that is it gives you more options for where you go to NP school. There are a handful of direct entry Np programs (and they are expensive) compared to traditional programs. They also will require you to relocate to where they are and do a significant amount of in person coursework (at least many of the schools I once looked at wanted you there in their city). The direct entry programs essentially consist of having you train for your RN for the first portion, obtain your RN, and then start your NP portion. So it’s essentially the same as doing what I suggested, but instead they charge you a lot, and have you stuck to them like glue until you get through the NP portion. So the hint that I gave you will allow you to have a ton of options as to where you go for your accelerated BSN, and a ton of options as to where you do your NP. And you can choose to do either an MSN for your Np, or spend longer to get your DNP. And it could easily be cheaper than a direct entry program, and finish in about the same time.

Accelerated bachelors degree nursing programs are designed for folks with a bachelors degree in hand from another discipline.... folks like you.

So there.... you no longer have to look for a unicorn.... you just had the world opened up to you as far as options. I did something similar. I could have done it a lot faster if I had done the accelerated bachelors degree. If I had to give someone that I like advice on how to become an Np in the most efficient manner, I would suggest doing things the way I laid out for you. Most likely it would be cheaper, take the same amount of time, and be easier on your personal life than direct entry. A person could get an accelerated bachelors degree for $20k if they do their research and find the right school. Then they could get a decent Np degree for $30k while they work making $70k per year as an RN for two years while they get the NP. If you don’t want to work as an RN, then don’t. That total $50k of tuition is about half (or less) of what you’d have to pay for a direct entry program.

It you do psyche, there’s a good chance you will qualify for reimbursement of your loans through the national health service Corp scholarship of you practice in an underserved area.

There is more than one way to get where you want.
 
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