Completed my first semester as a Family DNP student ✅
It's been a long time coming for this particular post... but here it is!
Fall Curriculum -->
What you see in the image above is what my particular schedule looked like this past Fall semester as a Family Doctor of Nursing Practice student sub-specializing in Women's Health.
Monday: No classes!
Tuesday:
Nursing Home Clinical: Everyone in my FNP cohort (about 32ish of us) was required to do 10 weeks of nursing home clinical. There were Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday options. I chose the Tuesday morning option.
Intro to Clinical Bioethics: Later in the day on Tuesday, I have an online class, Introduction to Clinical Bioethics where I have to log into an online portal to attend a class with a professor who lectures live. There were also other options for a bioethics course (into to bioethics, pastoral care and bioethics, etc.) which we could choose from. Mine happened to be right after my nursing home clinical.
Wednesday:
Fundamentals of Comprehensive Care I SEMINAR: Every other Wednesday, I have a seminar for FNP where we do case studies. We practice being presented with various patient situations and go through the motions with obtaining focused health histories, creating care plans, deciding what labs or diagnostics we would order, and delivering oral presentations.
Maternal-Fetal-Newborn Physiology: This past semester, I got a jumpstart with my sub-specialty and took one class, Maternal-Fetal-Newborn Physiology every Wednesday morning.
Thursday: No classes!
Friday:
Translation and Synthesis: This class was essentially like my evidence-based practice class ((also... can you guys believe the Trump administration created a list of "forbidden" words for the CDC..including words like "evidence-based," "science-based," "diversity" and "fetus"... check out the article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-gets-list-of-forbidden-words-fetus-transgender-diversity/2017/12/15/f503837a-e1cf-11e7-89e8-edec16379010_story.html )).
Fundamentals of Comprehensive Care I: Just another one of those foundational types of classes you need. It's pretty neat we are already starting to be taught how to think more like a healthcare provider... creating differential diagnoses, understanding what types of diagnostics or labs we would order for different presenting patients, etc. Still A LOT to learn and understand, but it's really neat to be feeling like I am that much closer to my dream of becoming a nurse practitioner!
Also taking an online Scholarly Writing course which had a few assignments due here and there throughout the semester. The goal of that class is to submit some type of original paper to either a peer reviewed journal or professional poster conference by the end of our DNP. My current topic is looking at alternative/complementary therapies to female infertility.
In terms of how this semester went compared to my MDE year... wow what a difference! The past 15 months I completed to obtain my Master's degree in Nursing were such a blur now. I just remember having studied like ALL THE TIME. Absorbing, cramming, forgetting information every day. Pretty crazy how I completed my Master's this year in 2017, but I also started my Doctorate this year in 2017 as well.
It's been an exciting year and I can't wait to put it down in words in one of my next blog posts. So grateful for each and every one of you who read my blog, endure my poor grammar, and keep up/try to keep up with my racing train(s) of thought.
A lot of you have been emailing me personally through this blog's contact page, and I really appreciate you seeking my advice! I try my best to keep this blog as fun and interactive as possible.
I think being humble and staying grounded is incredibly important to me. I still get superrrrr shy and awkward when people come up to me and mention my blog, or say it's such a big hit, or something to that manner. But, at the same time, I think it's also really important to take the time to be proud of the things you do. You've worked hard. It takes passion and will to complete something. It could be making healthier meals for yourself, sticking to a gym schedule (hmmmm reminds me... I should definitely do something about this one... haha), or using your planner more often. Be proud of all your small or big accomplishments!
If you so choose, comment on this post and let me know something you are proud of accomplishing or doing this year!
Wishing each and every one of you a happy holiday! Talk to you all again soon!
Sincerely,
Meagan