Bad idea to quit after 6m as a new grad for DNP school?

[Theanxiousnurse]

Ok so when I finished nursing school I got my dream job on a unit at a very well known and competitive hospital. My plan was always to work a few years and then go back to school to become an NP. Long story short I ended up applying to one of the best DNP programs in the county for my specialty last minute and I got in! Now I’m 6 months in as a new grad on my unit starting my DNP program (which will take 4 years) AND I have two young children in diapers. Basically, I’m crazy stressed out and have no work-life balance at all. I asked my manager if I could drop my hours at work and she said no. My husband thinks I should quit my job so we can have a better life while I am in school and also be able to spend more time with our kids while they are still so young. Do you think it would be a mistake to only have 6 months of bedside experience when I graduate as an NP? I realize having more bedside experience would make me a better NP but I also feel like I just can’t make it all work being full-time mom, student, and nurse.

[adjappleton]

Just one other thought, it sounds like you really love your current job. THAT'S AWESOME! Take a year off from the classes, and work at a job you love (so many don't have their first RN position be one they love) and work on raising the kids. Treat every shift like a class and soak up that experience. Maybe in a year, your manager will be in a position to move you to part-time as well. If I was you, there is no wayyyy I could manage FT work, 2 babes and 75% grad school.

[ArmaniX, MSN, APRN]

Don’t make the mistake of being married with children and a DNP with no clinical experience.

Lets take a look into the future:

You will lack experience for the acute care NP role you want, any hospital NP interview as a new grad will focus on your bedside nursing experience. You have 6 months = you have none, you are under-qualified. Job options will be limited and likely not local, ready to move your family and relocate your children to new schools?

So with bills, young mouths to feed, and pending student loans, you’ll start to feel desperate. So you consider looking for another RN position, “just until you find an NP role”, now you’re faced with scrutiny from hiring managers on why a “DNP prepared individual” is seeking employment as a bedside RN, you’ll be “overqualified” (in terms of degree only).

Highly recommend against falling into this trap.

[beekee]

I must say that I agree with the general sentiment on this thread. NP education has become a joke. You are responsible for finding your own preceptors in most cases. Due to extreme over-saturation, students will jump at anything just to be able to finish. It’s the Wild West, with seemingly no objective measures of competency. It’s embarrassing.

[londonflo]

You applied to the DNP program.....the program did not contact you initially. Why asking now when you are accepted? You had some intent when applying. 

[Theanxiousnurse, BSN]

To provide an update: I ended up staying at my job for a year while starting the DNP program then left to focus on school and my family. I’m about to graduate now and feel very prepared. I have a 4.0 and have had amazing professors and clinical experiences these past few years. I definitely feel like I made the right choice and can’t wait to start my career as an NP! 

[Calm and collected]

I think it is a huge disservice to the nursing profession to allow anyone to enter advanced nursing programs without significant experience as a general nurse. I worked with wonderful NPs while working in hospice and they all had YEARS of experience as RN's. I do remember one NP who jumped from nursing school to NP Program and she was unable to perform as an independent practitioner and we RN's had to guide her. Granted that was an anecdotal case but bottom line: Experience matters! Just my opinion based on my experiences.

[Theanxiousnurse, BSN]

@Calm and collected PAs don’t have bedside experience before entering into advanced practice roles. I think as long as you have quality education/training and work hard to always learn in your job there’s no reason to need years of bedside RN experience. Most of what I do as an NP student is very different than what I did as bedside nurse. This is why DNP programs are completely different than BSN programs….

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

21 minutes ago, Theanxiousnurse said:

@Calm and collected PAs don’t have bedside experience before entering into advanced practice roles. I think as long as you have quality education/training and work hard to always learn in your job there’s no reason to need years of bedside RN experience. Most of what I do as an NP student is very different than what I did as bedside nurse. This is why DNP programs are completely different than BSN programs….

PAs also have about 2000 hours of clinical education, which is far more than the average NP Program. Apples, oranges. 

Good luck.