Any Psyche RNs go to FNP program?

Patti_RN · Jun 25, 2012

Clinical experience is very, very valuable. There are programs that require pertinent experience for admission. Admissions committees look at much more than just GPA--or just experience. My admissions advisor at Georgetown said he's seen applicants with 4.0 GPAs rejected--some of those with a decade or more of ICU or med surg experience. If you're worried about your lack of medical experience you might consider spending a year or two in med surg.

nursegirl2001 · Jun 28, 2012

rynophiliac:

:nurse: ......When I first began nursing, I understood that working in medical-surgical or geriatric care would sharpen and hone my skills as a nurse clinician. I am sooooo glad that I spent numerous years in medical surgical and home health nursing. Here's why....psyche patients often present with other physiological/medical health issues. Psyche RNs who lack this experience in the clinical setting are cheating themselves out of being more competent and capable as professional nurses. When I care for psyche patients, numerous times I have been able to accurately assess a patient who was in serious crisis and lives were saved as a result of yes medical surgical experience. :cool: ....I believe that every nurse should have either worked on the floor for a year or more as a CNA or as an LPN/RN in med-surg for 1-3 years prior to moving in another discipline or pressing towards a degree as an NP. This experience proves valuable because assessment skills are learned which greatly aid the NP in the family practice setting. As you know, in family practice the patients seen cover the life span. Otherwise, if psyche experience is all that you have, pursuing the PMHNP tract would be more applicable to your situation. Medical knowledge incorporated with mental health is a necessary and vital part of healthcare and is a must when treating patients effectively. I am speaking from experience and have done both over 17 years and am sooooo glad that I did. I worked with nurse colleagues in psyche who didn't have the medical experience that I did and were glad that I was there to recognize a patient with crisis symptoms....I took care of patients with mental and medical issues and I cannot stress the importance of such competent nursing practice. If you heed this advice you will never regret it......I hope that this response has helped you reach the right decision for you.......I am speaking from living, working experience. :rolleyes: ....

rynophiliac · Jun 30, 2012

rynophiliac:
......When I first began nursing, I understood that working in medical-surgical or geriatric care would sharpen and hone my skills as a nurse clinician. I am sooooo glad that I spent numerous years in medical surgical and home health nursing. Here's why....psyche patients often present with other physiological/medical health issues. Psyche RNs who lack this experience in the clinical setting are cheating themselves out of being more competent and capable as professional nurses. When I care for psyche patients, numerous times I have been able to accurately assess a patient who was in serious crisis and lives were saved as a result of yes medical surgical experience. ....I believe that every nurse should have either worked on the floor for a year or more as a CNA or as an LPN/RN in med-surg for 1-3 years prior to moving in another discipline or pressing towards a degree as an NP. This experience proves valuable because assessment skills are learned which greatly aid the NP in the family practice setting. As you know, in family practice the patients seen cover the life span. Otherwise, if psyche experience is all that you have, pursuing the PMHNP tract would be more applicable to your situation. Medical knowledge incorporated with mental health is a necessary and vital part of healthcare and is a must when treating patients effectively. I am speaking from experience and have done both over 17 years and am sooooo glad that I did. I worked with nurse colleagues in psyche who didn't have the medical experience that I did and were glad that I was there to recognize a patient with crisis symptoms....I took care of patients with mental and medical issues and I cannot stress the importance of such competent nursing practice. If you heed this advice you will never regret it......I hope that this response has helped you reach the right decision for you.......I am speaking from living, working experience. ....

Nursegirl,

thank you for your comments. I wish I was able to get a job in med-surg right now to start gaining that experience. The only problem is that all the hospitals where I live require experience to get a job! I wish the job market wasn't this way but it is what it is. I am pursuing the FNP degree because I want to work in Rheumatology as a nurse practitioner. I have spoken with several Rheumatologists that say they have to teach both nurse practitioners and PA's everything about Rheumatology because they just don't learn it in their programs. I am sure that the FNP degree will provide a great foundation for me but learning how to treat sore throats, UTI's and how to provide well woman and well child exams are going to do little for me as a Rheumatology nurse practitioner. Since I have no desire to work in family practice, I am considering entering a FNP program without the clinical experience of a med-surg unit. I have a Rheumatologist who has already offered me a job as soon as I'm certified and who is willing to train me specifically in Rheumatology. What are your thoughts on this? I do have some experience in family practice because I work part time in a family practice clinic and it has been a valuable experience to help with my assessment skills.

In fact, lately I have been thinking more about the Adult Nurse Practitioner. There are some Rheumatology patients under 18 years old but the majority of them are over 40 years of age. I have been thinking about the ANP lately for two reasons:

1: I think I would get a greater understanding of problems specific to that age group as well as more training in polypharmacy which would be useful in Rheumatology while treating patients in that age group.

2: Maybe the ANP program is less competitive than the FNP program since everyone wants to go FNP?

nursegirl2001 · Jul 1, 2012

rynophiliac;

The fact that you are working in a family practice clinic/setting is excellent as well because you are learning important clinical skills. Good deal there:up: Also, from what I understand since the FNP course of study is more broad, we are much more well-rounded going this route and there's so much more we can do with an FNP unless one chooses to specialize in another area like nephrology, women's health, pediatrics, psychiatric, ect.,. When you choose a specialty, you can only bridge from one specialty to another (same type) specialty; otherwise we are practicing potentially unlawfully from what I have studied. If in the future for some crazy reason you decide that rheumatology may not be for you after all, you have an avenue of other areas from which to implement your FNP degree/certification/area of expertise. I strongly feel that you should remain on the FNP course study. It will prove a wise move as you merge into the specialty of rheumatology. Congradulations on your future job !!!!!!!!!! At least you are in contact with someone/a health professional who will value your education and employ you !!!!:thankya:

SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS · Jul 1, 2012

The adult-gero NP might be a good choice for you. They can see patients under 18-

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/geriatric-nursing/adultgeroprimcareNPcomp.pdf

"The patient population of the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP practice includesyoung adults (including late adolescents and emancipated minors), adults, and older

adults (including young-old, old, and old-old adults)."

In a specialty setting, they do see younger people. I have seen documentation that the ANP scope of practice reaches down to age 13.