Adventure seeking Nurse Practitioner specialty

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I am currently a senior at Emory University majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology looking at potential post graduation options. I have decided to go into nursing as opposed to pre-med (my previous thought) because of the more patient based experience. I am interested in becoming a Nurse Practitioner specializing in either FNP, ENP, or doing a combined program.

I would like advice going forward with my education, the different paths I could take, and choosing a specialty that suits what I want to do.

Here comes the fun part- I have a very wide variety of interests that encompass many different fields- all of which excite me. Some interests include: being a traveling (Locum Tenen) nurse, working in wilderness medicine ( encompassing camp medicine with child groups), expedition medicine, working on military bases, traveling and working abroad with NGO/military/FBI/CIA/Government programs.

I am an extremely adventurous person with a love for kids yet the desire to travel and practice medicine along the way. I have a strong love for the outdoors along with a terrible drug addiction to adrenaline. The more excitement the better for me.

Does anyone have any ideas as to my path/speciality moving forward? Know anyone who has done similar things and what path they took to get there?

My conflict here is in some instances an ENP would be critical for military based positions and emergency response teams into the wilderness and the ability to fulfill my adrenaline needs, yet an FNP degree would be useful for primary care in the wilderness/traveling along with allowing me to work with more autonomy and allowing me to work with children.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

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Well, I'd find a nursing program first :)

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

There are a few FNP programs which specialize on rural/difficult to access populations. Grads of these programs get jobs in medical missions, Doctors Without Borders, Peace Corps and the like organizations. But most, if not all of them, have extensive experience before graduating and many volunteer in missions while in program.

And, AFAIK, pediatric camp medicine has nothing to do with "wilderness medicine" (whatever that might be in the first place). All nurses who worked in the camps my kids attended had PICU/peds ER and trauma experience, and without it I wouldn't even bother to pull credit card out.

Overall, it is all about pretty long shot in your situation. Figure out the way in a nursing program and graduate from there, to begin with :)

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For wilderness medicine, you really want to look at EMT-P rather than FNP. Go into the military if you want adrenaline.

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Send me over an email, and we'll talk from there. I'm the founder of Black Cell Special Operations Group. See some of the stuff we do at Black Cell Special Operations Group.

Email: [email protected]

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Wilderness medicine is an actual discipline and an elective option now in many medical schools. Think...expedition medicine on high altitude or extended backcountry excursions. Wilderness medicine education is available for laypeople all the way through CME conferences, etc for physicians and other healthcare personnel.

Camp nursing does not typically require the same skill set that a PICU requires. School nurses, Peds nurses, med/surg and others thrive in camp settings. My first job as an RN was at a camp. We served students with diabetes, CP, and so on. It requires time management, broad knowledge, and ability to work independently/remotely.

OP: best of luck with your search. Have you looked into Wilderness EMT training?

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