Your career track to far as an NP

Here's mine: Finished BSN in 1991 (took me five years but I spent a long time undecided on my major as an undergrad). Worked as RN in different areas including Neurosurgery ICU, SICU, short stint in Burn Unit, management position in long term care, Cardiology Step-down, and ER. Started MSN January 2002 with Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialization. Earned MSN degree December 2003 (yeah, I finished the MSN in exactly 2 years!). Got certified as ACNP by ANCC April 2003. Started work as NP in May 2003. Taught clinicals in an ADN program from January 2003 to April 2003 (that's why I didn't start work as NP right away). Currently an adult critical care NP at a tertiary hospital. Been an NP for 3 years now.

Side note: I don't think one has to wait as long as I did to jump into a program for an advanced practice role.

Here's mine (I'm a CNS however). Became an LPN in 92, ADN in 94, BSN in 2004, MSN in 2005 and then did a post-MSN adult health CNS certificate. My nursing career was spent in ER (10 years) and ICU 2 years.

Became ADN RN and worked for several years as RN in OB. Then, did a 4-year preceptorship with OB-GYN MD, grad short program as OB NP, and sat for national certification as OB-GYN NP.

After a few years as OB-GYN NP, went back for MSN FNP with specialty area Family Practice/ED. Now, dual-cert. NP.

Heh - here's a shorter progression (I feel like such a baby among the rest of ya'll !)

While in nursing school researched FNP, shadowed NP's and worked in community with NP's

BSN 2005, worked full time as RN for 8 mos, started dual degree FNP/MPH program 2006, worked 24/wk part time

2007 resigned RN job and started public health job to gain more research experience (and foot in the door for internat'l internship), doing extra NP clinical/attending conferences to specialize in HIV...

And there you have it!

Here is another long route....
RN 1997
RNFA 2001
Primary care NP 2003
WHNP 2004
One class left until FNP so probably 2008

Thinking of 1 or 2 national certifications next year oncology and urology might be interesting to take and can work into my full time job (CME account). Or I might just take a year off from proffesional development.
Jeremy

1997 - graduated with my BSN
1997 to 2005 - worked several different positions as an RN (tele, urgent care, progressive cardiac, ER - CEN certified in 2004)
2005 to current - still work per diem in ER; part-time FNP student - will graduate Summer 2009

Sorry, I know I'm not an NP yet but I figured I would post my progression track so far. I ultimately want to wind up in urgent care or an inner-city health clinic.

Here's mine:
1997-2000: Graduated from high school ('97) and then went to an undergraduate college to get a lot of basics because I didn't know what I wanted to do. Was one PE credit from AAS degree
2000: Became a certified nurse assistant - worked at a psych hospital, then in ER as a nurse tech, then as an extern
2003: Graduated from an ADN program - worked in ER
2005-2006: Completed RN-BSN degree online in two semesters - worked in ER
May 2006-DECEMBER 2007!!!: ACNP in 18 months!

LPN 1994
BS Biology 2000
ADN 2005
FNP 2007-2009 (8 semesters or 2.5 yrs)

Let's see:

1981 - graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication Disorders planning to eventually get a higher degree in either Deaf education or audiology (which required a Masters degree). Worked in the government instead as a clerk typist and volunteered with deaf kids as a teacher's aide and at my church doing sign language interpreting

1986 - Married, stayed home from 1988 -2001 as wife and mom. cooking, cleaning, mediating arguments, teaching social skills (don't hit, don't eat with your hands, say thank you, and please please grow up to be nice folks that I won't have to see on TV on one of those "America's Most Wanted type Shows"...) Loved almost every minute....

2001 - 5 kids had grown a little (2 adopted, 3 biological) therefore I returned to school with the 5 teens at home to get prerequisites for BSN.

2002 - Entered BSN program. Survived by the grace of God using the study and pray method.

2004 - Graduated with BSN degree by the grace of God

2004 - 2007 - worked as rehabilitation nurse,... worked days, evenings, weekends, holidays. Loved working with that patient population (unfortunately I was developing aches and pains from lifting, pulling, shifting patients etc). One day while I had a difficult patient in midair in a Hoyer lift who was fussing at me a light bulb went on above my head lilke in the cartoons and I turned to the other nurse who was helping me and said... "that's it, I'm going back to get my Masters Degree".

2007 - Should soon graduate in December 2007 with a Masters in Adult Health (and it was difficult even with the pray and study method... I haven't worked many hours since March 2007 due to school work...). I plan to take the certification test in January or February (takes time for transcripts etc. to be ready so that students can take the certification test for NPs). (Only one teen at home now....)

Not an NP until I am Certified... who knows what's next... I'll say one thing. Just had my last final exam hopefully of my life and I feel it was worth going back to school..................... Would like to work with either a disabled and/or elderly population as an ANP one day soon...