Aug 21 2007

Things I wish I knew for MEPN

Published by nurseSF

  • Apply for the Acute Care scholarship. I thought the work commitment that’s required in exchange for receiving this scholarship would be prohibitive, so I didn’t apply. If you want to work in a hospital at all, you should apply and decide later to accept it or not. Only 8 - 10 people from my class applied, so the odds are good. Moreover, the scholarship recipients were all able to get new grad jobs at UCSF. It might be a leg up for you in this economy.
  • Invest in compression stockings from the first day. The good brands cost around $30-$40, but they’re worth it and work better than the cheaper ones.
  • Don’t follow the rules. Recruiters and nurse managers will say: “Please don’t bother/overwhelm the managers by going to their office. Just submit your job application through the HR website. It’s first come first serve, time is of essence.” What a load of crap. A friend who submitted her resume in December ‘07 didn’t get any interviews until she basically knocked down doors and gave the recruiters some frustrated wake-up calls. Indeed, the people who got interviews were the ones who did precisely what the recruiters told us not to do. How is one supposed to know what one should or shouldn’t do? (Well, now you know.)
  • Choose your precepting nurse wisely, if you can. Most nurses are nice and friendly, but that doesn’t mean they’re good to work with. They may be paranoid about letting you do anything, they may not be good teachers, or they may be too lax and leave you too much on your own. Other nurses might be control freaks. They’ll treat you like it was your first day on the floor, despite much evidence on the contrary. Look for the nurse who isn’t stressed out, who actively listens to you, and who can see the big picture. It’ll take a few trial-by-fires before you know which nurses to hope for and which to avoid, but go with your gut instinct.
  • Don’t be lazy! Get a good foundation in Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology, if your time permits. Learn the material the way it’s supposed to be learned: from solid science professors and over the course of one semester, not 10 weeks! It’s tempting to wait and take Patho in the UCSF program, but there’s not enough time in the quarter to get a good grasp of Patho. You’ll be less stressed out and feel like a stronger nurse (and student) if you get a good foundation in all these subjects.
  • Don’t overthink the admissions process or your application. It’s really true that there’s no one tie that binds all of us. As far as I can tell, it’s totally random. Everyone is different–for example, some people had hardly a clue about the nursing profession, while others worked in health care. Some people have dreamed of being a nurse and advanced practice nurse for years, while others decided two months before the application deadline!

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    COMPLETE LIST OF UCSF MEPN FNP INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (2009)
    As I was preparing for my UCSF MEPN interview for the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty, I wanted nothing more than to have a complete list of the questions that would be asked... so for all of you in the next finalist cycle, here are the ones I got in my January 2009 interview.

    A note on outcomes: In case you haven't considered this (I didn't) being an "alternate" (rather than immediately accepted or rejected) for your specialty is a possibility.

    - Once you decided to be a nurse, how did you select the MEPN program?
    - What do you think are the qualities of a good nurse?
    - What do you know about the demands of this program?
    - What resources will you use/what are your strengths and weaknesses as they relate to these demands?
    - What are the challenges you expect to encounter in the field?
    - What do you think the fulfilling aspects will be?
    - How do you see your role as a nurse relating to your role in the community?
    - How did you decide on the specialty you are applying for?
    - Will this (being an NP) be a role change for you? How?
    - Once you enter the Master's Program (after MEPN), there is a mix of experiences nurses (RNs) and MEPNs; what dynamics do you expect and how will you relate to them?
    - Did you explore other healthcare roles (eg, PA, doctor)? Why have you selected nursing?
    - Describe a time when you had to organize a set of tasks and prioritize them.
    - How do you handle difference? Give an example.
    - What is a lesson you've taken from your past work?
    - What was your final grade in [xyz prerequisite class] that wasn't completed at the time you submitted your application?
    - Do you have any questions?

    *The interview format changed in 2009 to: one 45-minute interview with two people--one faculty member and one community nurse affiliated with one of UCSF's collaborating partners.
    *The two trade off asking questions; presumably to ensure fairness across the different interviews, they move fairly formulaically through reading off pre-set questions.
    *Note: each interviewer decides how much of your application to review before the interview, so you won't know how much they know ahead of time.
    *The overall culture of the interview day is incredibly warm & supportive & affirming.
    *Interviewees wore suits or business wear; interviewers I saw were dressed business casual with a little flare. I felt appropriately dressed in a suit.

    All the best!
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    Hi MepnFinalist, Thanks for the detailed description. I hope you don't mind if I make it a link on my sidebar so the info is more easily accessed. Did you hear back from UC yet?
 
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