It's clear from the subject of this post that I got into the NP program. But let me explain the adventure it was.
I'm keeping my plans on the QT at work. Only a few people know, mostly because I had to ask them for letters of recommendation. Plus, anyone that had ever managed to figure out my AN identity and who reads this will now know. The Powers That Be don't know yet, and they won't know until I file my first tuition reimbursement request come winter.
I'm hoping to keep it that way, but it is a small workplace, and news has a way of getting out...if asked, I'm going to stick with my "neither confirm nor deny" line. Though considering I found that at least two coworkers will be in the same program, one possibly in my specific cohort, I'll have a hard time using that line if and when we're on campus together.
The first fun part was rounding up several schools' transcripts. This is what happens when you go BA to ADN to BSN take 1 to BSN take 2 to MSN, with a side stop at a tiny community college for just for one class because that was an important class you needed, and you happened to be living there at the time.
The good news is that due to COVID, official electronic submissions were acceptable, so that would save a lot of time. The bad news is that the NP school itself was so backlogged with stuff that it took forever to get to them. Then there was the fact that two of my schools were in Texas, which had suddenly been quick-frozen by that cold snap. They had more important things to deal with than my transcript requests. But they eventually got them out, and the NP school finally got around to evaluating them.
Second...the three Ps. Every MSN program has the three Ps: Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Physical Assessment. I had hoped to use the classes I took at WGU to opt-out to repeat them in the NP program. Alas, the application review board has deemed that the WGU version of the classes is not equivalent. Ironically, the assessment class was the one that I won two Excellence Awards in. It would have been nice if I could have opted out of at least that one. But no, not meant to be.
The NP school advisor then suggested I try placing out of the 3Ps by applying as an APRN. Alas, again, I am not one, so I declined.
This sucks, as placing out of the 3 Ps would have been 15 credits of work and tuition saved. But it is what it is. And to be honest, I think I could use a more thorough review of all three courses than I got at WGU. While the competency-based learning was nice, it was also a lot of DIY, and in these courses, not really a lot of content taught to us. On a related note: if you plan to go to NP/DNP school after your MSN, you may want to rethink going to WGU for that MSN. I enjoyed my WGU experience and don't regret doing it. But at the time, I also had no plans whatsoever about pursuing the NP. If I could have foreseen my considering NP school three years ago, I would have made different plans in 2018. But I can't unring the bell.
Getting everything else submitted was a piece of cake.
I admit I was nervous about not getting in, especially with them turning down the 3Ps--would they also not be happy with WGU's pass/fail system? So it was a relief to get the acceptance letter. I'm in the post-grad program, but I'm going to be going along with the regular MSN students who have to take the 3Ps. One of the coworkers mentioned above will be in that startup, and I supposedly join them in July. It's a little bit of a weird situation, but then again, things with me usually are.
Now it's time for all the "pending" stuff. You know, "admitted to the program pending a background check, drug screen, immunizations, etc." I have two weeks to get all of this done before my Zoom orientation, which happens to be tomorrow.
Hurdle #1: physical exam. Video visit won't cut it. The earliest appointment is next month. Fortunately, the NP program is OK with this.
Hurdle #2: immunization records. I send an ROI to my providers' records department and am told it will take 15 BUSINESS days to get them. Oy. Fortunately, the NP program is OK with this too. Fortunately, again, COVID vaccination is not required.
For the record, I am NOT an anti-vaxxer. I am very much in favor of vaccines. But because of my health conditions, I merely prefer the vaccines I receive to be thoroughly road-tested and have full FDA approval before I get them.
Hurdle #3: drug test. This one is always fun because of my prescription medications. I'm guaranteed to test positive in one category. Two if I use the PRN anxiety medication. Fortunately (word of the day?), this has not been a problem for me so far. However, I'm always nervous because you never know when an employer/school will get picky.
I look up the lab to see what locations are available for me to get tested at. The closest is 10 miles away. After that, 25+ miles. OK.
I try to set up an appointment for the test...and all available appointments are either too close to the cutoff date or afterward. OK.
I expand the search to all sites...same thing. Too close or too late. OK.
I look to see who takes walk-ins. 10 miles does. So I call them to confirm, and their automated system says, "while walk-ins are welcome, appointments are preferred." That means walk-ins are still good. So I drop everything and go.
I get there and wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. I have no idea how long I was there before I was seen. When I'm finally called, the lab tech tells me that she had to see everyone else first because they don't take walk-ins for drug testing.
"Then you may want to update your website and phone message," I reply.
Well...had I bothered to listen past the initial part of the automated message, I would have learned that appointments WERE required for drug screens. My bad. But she was kind enough not to reject me, and I was grateful. I also learned the valuable lesson of listening to the whole message before hanging up the phone.
The test is done...and it took forever to get the results. I started wondering if they had lost my sample...remember, that happened to me once before, in the first BSN program. They were going to bounce me if it wasn't for the fact that I had my chain of custody receipt. Thank God I saved the receipt then, and thank God I saved it again this time. Then I started wondering if, finally, someone had an issue with my test results and if I had to go in armed with my prescriptions and a doctor's note.
But they finally arrived today, and I'm good to go.
And here I am. I go to my all-day orientation on Zoom tomorrow. I will have to hole up in the bedroom to do this...or I may hole up in the little one's room. Either way, I need to find a place to hole up in for 7 hours.
