Becoming an NP with little to no nursing experience??

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Hello to all!!! I have worked as a parmamedic for 20 years, have a B.A. in Economics, and I wanted to advance my career in healthcare. I was originally looking to pursue the PA route, but for certain practical reasons (including my union not helping to pay for it) I have been looking at other options, nursing/NP.

I was very excited to learn of a school near me that has a combined BSN/NP program for people with non-nursing bachelor degrees. I was about to start looking deeper into this program when a good friend of mine who is a member of an interview committee at a nearby hospital told me that I shouldn't do the program because I would have trouble getting a job.

The reason stated was because I wouldn't have been seen as having "paid my dues" as a nurse first.

Is this true?

I could understand why someone might feel that way about someone who went through this type of program never having worked in healthcare before. However, I like to think that to a certain degree I've paid my dues (I know it isn't nursing, but from a time in healthcare perspective).

My friend did say that I might be considered an exception to that rule. The program is at a VERY well known school and I was told by my friend even then it wouldn't matter. I was wondering what people here thought regarding this topic.

Thank you for any guidance you can provide.

1) Ok

2) Yes its called "practice" i.e a psychomotor skill that is improved with repetition. Despite the statement, you can improve your assessment skills in clinicals and more importantly the JOB that you work at. If you graduate from school with an APRN degree you take something called the boards and if you pass it you get a license, meaning the state sees you as competant enough to practice as an APRN. You can improve your assessment skills while working on the job, even with no "experience". You know the methodology you just improve on it...everyone is new at something sometime in their lives...

3) Depends on the setting, if you are in a private practice doing primary care you have "appointments" and you diagnose and treat on a case by case basis.

4) Again, depends on the setting....I dont think you are going to be doing catheters and enemas in a primary care setting.....

5) Sounds a little 2 heavy on the theory side

Just my thoughts on this -

In regards to #3, there is little room for error in health care. Just because you have pass a test in no ways makes you competent, it means you know the material you were tested on. This scares me that you think that you can just learn it as you go without previous expereince. A lot of the time, depending on your state, the NP is the one treating/diagnosing without other independent providers. I would hate to be wrong about diagnosing someone who presents with uncommon symptoms of a common disease, a skill experienced nurses have. I, myself, am a little worried about practicing as a NP with the 5 years of experience I will have when I graduate.

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I am just starting NS in May, and looking towards the future to continue with my education in become a NP. I was thinking that it would be wise to have experience first before entering school, but then also see the other side where being in the swing of school work would be quite helpful. Can any of you experienced RNs/NPs advise me in the right direction? Thanks so much for any input you can give!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

There are several threads - including a sticky at the top of this forum where there has been extensive discussion on this subject.

Personally, I think you need a few years to be able to choose the right APN track that will fit what you want to do. Right out of nursing school w/o nursing exp it might be difficult to make a decision that you won't regret.

However, that is only one opinion. Its kinda slow this weekend so hang in there and there will be other posters coming along. Good luck and congrats on starting NS.

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Thanks so much! I didn't even see the sticky on the top, and I read through the first 3 pages! I'll be reading that's for sure! Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.

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Specializes in Psychiatric, Detox/Rehab, Geriatrics.

I've been an RN now for 3 years, working mostly in psych/chemical dependency. I'm glad I waited a little while before deciding to go back for my masters in nursing. I'm going to pursue an RN-BSN program first, then go right for MSN program in Psych, probably as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, as I dont really want the prescriptive authority, although at sometimes going the PMHNP route seems appealing...even 3 years later I'm still undecided which path to take for my MSN in Pysch...either CNS or NP. In my state, PA, CNS's don't have prescriptive authority, but NP's do, so I'm still debating which path to take. Good Luck to you, the options are endless. Be sure to research what you want to do thoroughly. Good Luck! :-)

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Threads merged to maintain continuity.

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Specializes in ER; CCT.
What I think might be an even better option (cost wise that is...) is getting my Assoc. in Nursing through Excelsior's online program. It seems to be very convenient for those who work. Once I have that I can start working as a nurse and then apply for a master's program. Hmmm, sounds like a plan. Thanks for your help.

I know someone who did that.

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I am a new NP (graduated from my acute care NP program in June). I am working in Hospital medicine. I like it so far, although since I just started everything is so new and a bit scary still. lol I enjoy working in the hospital setting, and before I graduated as an NP I worked in med/surg/tele as an RN for 3 years. I do feel those 3 years gave me a good background for what to expect to be the patient care issues for my current job. Once you are in your program and start clinicals, I bet you will have a better sense of what you like.

Thanks for your input. I'm getting ready to start my clinical portion of my ACNP program in fall of this year and am very nervous since my RN experience is mainly in oncology since I graduated in Dec 07. I had 4 months in ICU then switched over to oncology. My NP director states I do not need ICU experience to be specialized in acute care, but I'm nervous nonetheless. Was your program difficult?

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I've been a nurse for 8 yrs and am currently in a Masters FNP program. Although, I applaud you for desiring to join the field of nursing and for your wonderful experience in emergency medicine, I believe that you need some experience as a nurse before becoming a NP. Although, many people think so...NP's are not the same as PA's nor are we "mini-doctors". We are nurses, with advanced training and skills. To be a good NP and truly understand the NP philosophy you have to first understand nursing philosophy...it is very different than EMT, PA, or physician philosophy. That takes experience as an RN. If you don't want to be a nurse...you may need to consider PA. Although, I will be an NP, I am first and foremost a nurse.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, RESEARCH, REHAB, HOME HEALTH, QUALITY.

I would not have the confidence to move in the NP role and I did not have the experience of an NP, even though the school says you graduated.. you are putting your patients and your integrity as risk...

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Specializes in Acute rehab/geriatrics/cardiac rehab.

Wow - this thread is still going strong.. I posted a little over a year ago when I was in school to be an NP and have now been an NP for over a year.

I worked as an RN one year before heading part time to school to be an ANP. By the time I graduated I had been an RN in a hospital (full, part time, and PRN for 3 and 1/2 years). (my work hours increased as the work load and clinicals increased).

I would not recommend to anyone to go straight through school to be an NP. Though it is definitely possible.

#1. My relationship with the RNs I work with at the hospital is closer than it would have been had I never worked at the bedside, inserting the foleys, passing the medication, running room to room, cleaning the poop, pee, etc. transferring the patients from bed to wheelchair, wheelchair to bed, dealing with patient and family member complaints..

I feel I can understand what they are going through and have a good relationship with the RNs I work with.

2. I knew all those labs and medications from working as an RN and this helped me as an NP (I am in a hospital). I knew when the sodium was low that the patient would often be put on a fluid restriction, I knew that the INR goal for treatment with Coumadin was usually between 2 - 3. I knew that when the potassium was elevated that there was Kayexalate to be given. I knew that Ciprofloxacin could cause the INR to become elevated when the patient was on Coumadin. etc. etc. Not sure about all NP programs but when I started mine the teachers assumed you already knew these things. Many more things would have been "Greek" to me had I not worked as an RN (however little it was) before I started the NP program.

Looking back over this first year as an NP. I'm glad I had that RN experience before I began practicing as an NP.

That being said...I enjoy being an NP and am very happy I returned to school.

:)

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2. I knew all those labs and medications from working as an RN and this helped me as an NP (I am in a hospital). I knew when the sodium was low that the patient would often be put on a fluid restriction, I knew that the INR goal for treatment with Coumadin was usually between 2 - 3. I knew that when the potassium was elevated that there was Kayexalate to be given. I knew that Ciprofloxacin could cause the INR to become elevated when the patient was on Coumadin. etc. etc. Not sure about all NP programs but when I started mine the teachers assumed you already knew these things. Many more things would have been "Greek" to me had I not worked as an RN (however little it was) before I started the NP program.

Let me also point out that when you say "know" you probably mean more than just having studied it before and being able to comprehend the rationales for treatments. It takes repeated experience to not just "know" that info, but to have it be an automatic association that you quickly integrate with other incoming information (not having think about it awhile before it comes back to you, or go look it up to confirm a fuzzy memory, or having little background with which to automatically be aware of relevant variables such a certain comorbidities, lab results etc).

I can't say anything about how NP programs work, but I do know that my entry-level nursing education didn't get me anywhere close to having that level of experience and tip-of-my-tongue knowledge. My RN/BSN program did cover such info as you noted above but so much info was dumped on us in such a short time and covered in a rather cursory manner that there was no way that we had mastery of the info. I can only imagine how steep the NP learning curve would be without having a higher level of automatic, integrated knowledge reinforced by experience.

And IF that nursing experience ISN'T a key foundation to being an NP, then that opens a whole other can of worms in regard to keeping straight what it is that makes a nurse a "nurse" and not a different sort of health care provider.

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