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Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in General Surgery.

Quick introduction. I'm currently 23! Just turned 23. I've been an RN since 21 years old. Woot woot! I currently work on a postoperative floor. I feel like I'm stagnating. I see the same cases after the same cases. I know there's always something new to learn but it's not like I'm literally learning something NEW every single day.

This is my thing. I feel in my heart I want to experience all facets of nursing. First and foremost I LOVED cardiac in nursing school. I love the heart so much it's kind of a weird obsession. I obsessed over all types of heart issues, especially congenital heart defects.

I'm also interested in practicing at an advanced role but with the ability to be flexible because I am so curious across the board. It is my personality. I've been thinking about FNP or ACNP. I feel I like can work in cardiac, endocrinology, dermatology, and so forth.

I'm also interested in teaching. I LOVE having nursing students. I love chill time when we can sit and discuss the WHY. I love seeing students understand concepts, it truly makes me excited to nerd out on topics. Especially cardiac, pathology, and pharmacology.

A part of me wants OR as well but this is more for superficial reasons. Sometimes it'd be nice to have no patient or family talk back at you.

I'd also be interested in traveling. I have never heard of traveling NPs... have y'all? I know I can travel as an RN and would like to do so... mostly because I want to get to know the East Coast, West Coast, and so forth.

I know I'm young and have YEARS ahead of me to realize all my aspirations.

Any suggestions?

Key points.

I love cardiac

I want to be an NP

I want to travel

I enjoy teaching

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Do cardiac!

Go to school to be an NP!

Travel!!!! I want to travel too!

You have your whole life in front of you. Do what makes *you* happy!

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Specializes in General Surgery.
Do cardiac!

Go to school to be an NP!

Travel!!!! I want to travel too!

You have your whole life in front of you. Do what makes *you* happy!

I'm thinking about asking to join the ICU at my current facility. Then travel as a Cardiac ICU RN. Then possibly get my ACNP.

I see myself educating in the late phase of my career for sure. No doubt. Maybe even part time gigs here and there as clinical instructors.

I wonder if emergency rooms ever need agency/travel ACNPs? Kind of like RNs. Hmmm..

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.

Figure out what you want to do before spending money on grad school. Explore nursing, see what rings your bell, then decide if being an NP would be better for you. Yes, NPs travel, some places call them locum tenens (literally "place holder" - now you know). IMNSHO FNP is the most versatile NP degree, but don't take my word for it. I'm psych.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

Since you see teaching in your future, then BSN/MSN should be part of your plan, eventually. Go get that ICU experience, get peds too. Get some ER, get certifications. Anytime you can get more/different experience and the employer is paying for it, go for it. I did a little travel nursing, have done a little locum tenens too. I agree that FNP is the most versatile, I actually taught for 10 years is a BSN program, something I had not planned on while in NP school. (I had planned to go make Big Buck$). So glad to hear from someone young & so motivated.

Well I too was an RN at 21.

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Specializes in General Surgery.
Figure out what you want to do before spending money on grad school. Explore nursing, see what rings your bell, then decide if being an NP would be better for you. Yes, NPs travel, some places call them locum tenens (literally "place holder" - now you know). IMNSHO FNP is the most versatile NP degree, but don't take my word for it. I'm psych.

Thanks! I completely agree. I would also love to shadow an NP. Thankfully I know a few RNs becoming NPs within the next few months. So as long their facility/clinic says OK - I can shadow them.

I have a deep fascination with pathology and pharmacology. From what I've read NP school doesn't focus on these topics as deep as PA school. :sigh: I do want to know more beyond basic nursing rationales of WHY we treat things a certain way. Why we do this. I want to learn differential diagnoses and all that. Maybe it depends on the program, however as a student I've always had self initiative and drive to delve deeper than required because I like to nerd out on this. So this wouldn't be a big issue for me, I'm responsible for my own learning experience.

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Specializes in General Surgery.
Since you see teaching in your future, then BSN/MSN should be part of your plan, eventually. Go get that ICU experience, get peds too. Get some ER, get certifications. Anytime you can get more/different experience and the employer is paying for it, go for it. I did a little travel nursing, have done a little locum tenens too. I agree that FNP is the most versatile, I actually taught for 10 years is a BSN program, something I had not planned on while in NP school. (I had planned to go make Big Buck$). So glad to hear from someone young & so motivated.

Well I too was an RN at 21.

Yes! I agree. I am ACLS and am looking into being MedSurg certified soon here. I'm also about to start charging on my unit.

I graduated high school in 2011... went dirently into ADN... and so I have some prereqs I'm getting out of the way for the BSN.

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Specializes in General Surgery.

I'm SO happy to hear travel NP exists! =) I'll do more research.

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Specializes in Cath/EP lab, CCU, Cardiac stepdown.

What would a cardiology np degree be like? It's been an interest of mine too.

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Specializes in General Surgery.
What would a cardiology np degree be like? It's been an interest of mine too.

I've never heard of a degree cardiology/NP. I know FNPs can work in different specialties. I believe some educational centers are creating 1 to 2 year residencies that coincide with the PA rotations.

This is of course in addition to the clinic rotations during NP school.

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Specializes in General Surgery.
What would a cardiology np degree be like? It's been an interest of mine too.

What draws you to cardiology? Would you like to work as an NP in acute care or a clinic setting?

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Specializes in Cath/EP lab, CCU, Cardiac stepdown.
What draws you to cardiology? Would you like to work as an NP in acute care or a clinic setting?

I work in cardiac progressive care and I enjoy cardiac. I know there are nurse practitioners in my hospital that are part of the cardiology team but I hardly see them and I don't know what certification/credential their degree is.

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