Job outlook for new grad NPs without nursing experience - Page 2

My suggestion to the writer, it is extremely important to work at a hospital in a general med unit or cardiology unit (step down) for at least 2 years. Become proficient with physical exams, medication management and assisting the dying then consider NP school. Friends of mine after graduating from nursing school never worked as a nurse. As an NP for over 15 years, I still recall my first year after post graduate school. I can only say that had I not worked as a nurse for a few years prior to attending graduate school, I would have been out of my realm of experience. Nursing trains people to observe and experience first hand disease processes that one does not learn in nursing school. To think that one can jump from a BS nursing program without working with acutely sick patients and doctors who have not slept in 24 hours is dreaming. Nurse Practitioners are in a level of responsibility only akin to a physician. Any RN new grad who thinks they can leap in to the position in to a role as a professional nurse practitioner is nuts. I am also offended by the idea. It sounds that one role is an extension of the other by mere education. NOT. The role is entirely different from nursing. Consider medical school first. I love my career as an acute np. However, I really was fortunate. I had doctors who trained me in their private practice as though I was resident. Without my nursing background I would have been an embarrassment to my school, friends and family.

Would an OB, mid-wife group hire you without nursing, other medical degree or association? Ask the people in your clinics that have a contract with your school? There was a time that nurse mid-wives graduating from Georgetown Univ. were not allowed to have practicums at Georgetown Hospital. Kaiser Permanente fired all their mid-wives. If they stayed it was for prenatal appointments and paps. Kaiser Permante is presently handing out pink slips or something to akin to this to all their nurse practitioners in the mid-atlantic region. The malpractice insurance required to hire you will be expensive. Therefore, will you qualify for malpractice? Find this out by surfing the web. If you are going to work overseas in a ministry position, than you are going to be better than no one. A mid-wife is responsible for the well being of mother and neonate. If something goes wrong you can and probably will be liable for up to 18 yrs after the baby is born. I would first find out what area you will be woking. This is the 21 century. There is the mind thought that if you regularly attend school, clinical and pass the board you will be qualified. I haven't answered your question but I think it is going to be very difficult for you to find a job.

I am a NP student at UPenn. Yesterday we had a panel of recruiters from local hospitals come and speak about how they screen candidates and what they are looking for. There were 5 recruiters there and each one said that they would NOT consider hiring a NP without nursing experience. They said that the physicians have alot of input in who they hire and they are not about to consider a NP without nursing experience. The recruiter from the pediatric hospital said she is not impressed at all by where you did you clinicals because everyone does clinicals. If you do not have nursing experience, then your application is tossed. They were much more concerned with nursing experience than with NP experience. Horrifying news for the direct entry folks.

Having said that, I think it depends on where you are in the country as to how true that is. I can understand in Philly where there are so many good schools and they have a large applicant pool. However, in rural areas and other parts of the country there may be a smaller applicant pool and/or more jobs. They may be more willing to hire someone without nursing experience.

I only have two years of nursing experience and I am hoping that is enough. I am from rural Texas and will be returning there to work. I am very optimistic that I will find work.

The educators really need to tell students that it may be more difficult to find a job without nursing experience. Not because you can't do the job(that is a different forum) but because recruiters may not even give you a chance without that nursing experience.

That is true. I live in IL and in the hospitals where I work (5 of them), the recruiters don't even pass along the resumes of the direct entry applicants.

Of course, in my area, we do not have a lot of direct entry applicants so they use this as an initial "weed out" and then go on to nursing experience, certificates, specialties, etc.