What kind of AP degree do I get to work in the OR or wound care?

[ray216]

I love my home in the operating room and I am ready to get an advanced practice degree.

What kind of degree do I get? When I look at AP degrees they focus on adult health, gerontology, midwifery, informatics, education, family practice, and infection control.

The RNFA role has been suggested to me and some of the programs I have looked at have an AP to RNFA track but what AP degree do I get ? (I am AORN but not particularly interested in CNOR for the purpose of this track, I would rather have a masters or higher degree and be considered an APRN and specialize)

I dont want to spend a bunch of time doing a degree that takes me away from the specialty I already do (operating room) or one that will not transition into my other interest (wound care).

I don't want my boss' job (manager or director of the operating room), I don't know who to talk to about what path I should pursue. Can anyone point me in a direction to get some answers?

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I would have conversation with the Nurse Educator. What kind of practitioners are currently in the OR? If it is MD only, then I am not sure what kind of a job that the facility would create for AP nurses in the OR. But you would have to research to find out.

CRNA's can be used in the OR. Not all, but some. PA's as well. Further, some RN's can be mentored by surgeons that may use a AP nurse to assist them in the OR.

Wound care, an RN can get wound care certified. And I would then hook up with a surgeon who specializes in wounds--and can assist in a position once getting your NP. Which I would think could be in Adult practice, as then you have less limitations on the kind of work you want to do.

With all this being said, you have to research where the jobs are. Let the powers that be know your plans for advancement and where they are willing to have you practice. If there's surgeons who will mentor you and allow you to work with them in the OR setting. And it never hurts to be specialty certified in the meanwhile.

Best wishes!

[llg, PhD, RN]

You have touched on one of my biggest complaints about nursing today. Schools of nursing (in their "infinite wisdom" -- sarcasm) have organized their educational offerings around a couple of their favorite roles -- ignoring the fact that there are many other roles out there that the health care system needs to fill. I've talked to many young nurses wanting to go into job roles such as program coordinator, wound/skin, infection control, staff development, case manager, discharge planner, quality improvement, etc. who can't find a suitable graduate program. It just goes to show that nursing schools are out-of-touch with the needs of hospital employers.

In the olden days, a person could get an MSN in something like "med/surg nursing" or "pediatric nursing" etc. and then take that knowledge into any one of a number of roles with just a little CE to learn more about that role. Such degrees gave nurses flexibility to meet the needs of the employer to fulfill a variety of functions -- with only a little short-term staff development/CE needed to learn the particular role. Today's programs are focused on specific roles (NP, CNS, etc.) whether they be at the MSN or DNP levels -- and their graduates are not given the education needed to fulfill many of the roles that hospitals need. Most graduates are reluctant to take these hospital jobs because they fear they will lose their specialized role skills and their role certifications.

The CNL curriculum is the closest match for some of these nursing jobs -- but the CNL programs were designed to fulfill only that one role and once again, some of the "hard core" CNL folks thinks it is a corruption of their role for their graduates to fulfill these other positions.

So what is a person to do? Nursing academic leaders don't have an answer. They offer no options.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I agree with llg.... my MSN program was much more flexible. We chose a clinical focus area (med surg, critical care, OB, etc) + functional role (education, administration, CNS, etc.) and were able to customize the practicum to support our choices. It was GREAT!!! Sigh - but since then, they've jumped on the "everyone needs to be an NP" bandwagon also.