Need help on how to become an NP

[BiscuitStripes, BSN, RN]

Hey everyone,

This is my first post on this website, I hope I'm making it in the right area. I'm 26 years old and looking to change careers from being a police officer (5 years) to healthcare. I had been debating between becoming a PA and an NP, and one of my close friends who is an ER nurse told me being an NP would be a better option for me. That being said, I need help on figuring out how to get to the NP level.

I already have a Bachelors in Business Management, so I had been looking at entry level MSN programs. I'm currently completing my prerequisite science courses at a local community college.

I read on this website that doing an ELMSN program is not worth my time, because the MSN degree awarded in these programs does not allow you to become a NP, it's simply a masters degree not a nurse practitioner degree. I then looked into the DNP programs and saw many of them were BSN to DNP and did not require an MSN; however, some of these ELMSN programs say you can apply for state licensing to become a NP with only the MSN.

I'm very confused on where to go after my prerequisite courses, ABSN to DNP, or an ELMSN program, or an ELMSN to DNP. My ultimate goal is to become a NP. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I feel like I'm reading conflicting information, so I'm obviously misunderstanding something.

[mago8388]

There are programs that offer a fast track degree to people with degrees in other fields. To be honest. I wouldn't want to skip the early education that focuses on the basics of nursing. Patient care is a serious thing and can get scary at times. I went to a program that was trimesters and I finished my BSN in little less than 3 years. It was very intense and coul not work while doing it because everything was so fast and concentrated but I finished faster. Now I'm looking good at a NP program that you can finish in 1.5 years.

Another thing to consider is that to be a ACNP you need at least 1yr acute care experience, to become a PNP you need 1 year of psych experience, to become a FNP you need a year in a nurse role be it inpatient or outpatient. Most programs do require a year experience so keep that in mind. Except for CRNA that required 2 years in ICU but that's a whole different beast.

[db2xs]

As mago8388 stated, I would not forego the early clinical experience. I have talked with several seasoned NPs who have all told me the same thing: It is a good thing to get floor experience before becoming an NP. They all have told me they have noted a huge difference in those NPs with floor experience vs. those who come right out of a direct-entry program. The formal have the face-to-face experience, the ability to spot issues, etc., while the latter struggle for quite a while.

There are many excellent accelerated BSN programs out there. If you ultimately want to become an NP, you really do need some floor experience. You are still young (there were plenty of people in my BSN program who were older than 26), and your experience in a previous career is truly invaluable.

I too wanted to go straight to being an NP and was going to apply to direct-entry MSN. But I heeded the advice of those NPs I mentioned above, and now I've been working in an acute care setting for two years and I've just finished my first semester of a six-year post-BSN to DNP program, where I will come out (fingers crossed) after two more years with an MSN and hopefully an NP career in primary care. As much as staff nursing can be really grueling, I am glad I've gone this route because there is so much to learn. I honestly didn't feel comfortable until 1.5 years into my career, and I am still constantly learning every day. I can't imagine becoming an NP with minimal to no experience in patient care.

You don't have to get a DNP to become an NP, btw. You can stop at the MSN. The powers that be say that they want everyone to get a DNP, but that is not mandatory. And that'll be the day when they enforce that! I will believe it when they get rid of the ADN, which will probably not be in our lifetime.

[BiscuitStripes, BSN, RN]

Thank you for the replies, that sheds some light on my position. Also, thank you for the clarification between the MSN/DNP portion. I had read that starting in 2015 they wanted all NP's to have DNP's, so I wasn't sure if that's the route I'd need to eventually go. Sounds like I'll be okay becoming an NP with an MSN for quite some time.

I guess from here I'll continue my prerequisites and take a look at the ABSN programs in my area to see what they have to offer. Thanks!

[MLSTTS2015]

In virgina you have to be an RN to be an NP and maintain you RN license. Most NP programs whether they are MSN or DNP want you to have at least a year of floor nursing experience first. so I know here you have to go through nursing school first. but it may be different in other states?

[BiscuitStripes, BSN, RN]

The first few semesters of an ELMSN program allow you to obtain your RN and take the NCLEX. A few of them stay full time and a few start full time and then drop to part time to allow you to work as an RN to obtain the experience while finishing the MSN portion.

[mago8388]

Like I stated before and the previous poster stated as well. Most NP programs require at least a year of inpatient acute care experience. I'm planing on doing my Psych NP and have one year of child and adolescent psych experience and just got a job at an intensive psych adult unit (IPU) and will enroll in my NP to start hopefully next spring after having a year of adult psych. I want to be super comfortable and knowledgeable in what I do and I think that's the route. I'll be 33 by then and the program takes 2 years. I think I'll have many years of a productive career ahead of me and don't feel too old at all. That's like 30 years of service before I retire.