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.

I know we are speaking a LOT about NPs being hired..but what about RN (ADN), for example, who went to an ADN-MSN program and ONLY have a goal of opening their own practice, afterward?

I'm interested in entering an ADN-MSN program. I have the ability to take off 4-5 years, without having to work at ALL, and when I graduate, I ONLY want to open my own clinic. However, I was under the impression that, in order to do so, I would need to work as an RN a few years...or is that entirely true? I live in NY and would open my clinic here, Arizona, or Nevada. :-)

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Specializes in PICU.

Honestly, I can't imagine being ready for the responsibility. I have been a peds critical care RN for 21 years now and still don't feel ready.

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TI am a little surprised that people who graduate from NP programs (and hadn't worked as RN's) would have to take an RN position first and work for some time before being able to get an NP position. Why have these programs in the first place? It is misleading thinking that one can finish this program and start working as an NP. If my friend hadn't put that question in my head (and with the feedback here) I think I would have been in for a real shock after having worked so hard for those years only to find out I would be starting in an RN position.

I'm glad you pointed this out because an NP with little or no experience has the same playing field as a resident who just passed their boards. There's not much difference there. Both underwent training, academically and clinically.

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Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.
I'm glad you pointed this out because an NP with little or no experience has the same playing field as a resident who just passed their boards. There's not much difference there. Both underwent training, academically and clinically.

Except a resident is still technically supervised by and has to answer to an attending for at least a few more years; where new NPs are typically on their own as soon as they start working. It can be ok if their collaborating physician is on-site at all times; but can get scary if they are left alone to fend for themselves in a busy rural clinic, for example. This is where the prior years of nursing experience at the bedside helps tremendously.

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Except a resident is still technically supervised by and has to answer to an attending for at least a few more years; where new NPs are typically on their own as soon as they start working. It can be ok if their collaborating physician is on-site at all times; but can get scary if they are left alone to fend for themselves in a busy rural clinic, for example. This is where the prior years of nursing experience at the bedside helps tremendously.

No matter how many years of nursing experience one has, NPs need several years of NURSE PRACTITIONER experience before going out on their own. I made sure I had 5 full years of experience with most of that time spent working side by side with physicians (who knew what they were doing) before I even considered opening my clinic. You never know what's going to walk through that door.

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I know we are speaking a LOT about NPs being hired..but what about RN (ADN), for example, who went to an ADN-MSN program and ONLY have a goal of opening their own practice, afterward?

I'm interested in entering an ADN-MSN program. I have the ability to take off 4-5 years, without having to work at ALL, and when I graduate, I ONLY want to open my own clinic. However, I was under the impression that, in order to do so, I would need to work as an RN a few years...or is that entirely true? I live in NY and would open my clinic here, Arizona, or Nevada. :-)

Honestly, you need to work as a nurse practitioner for several years before even contemplating going out on your own. Get a job with a busy internist who specializes in complicated patients, so you will be exposed to a wide range of diseases/illnesses/injuries. I can't emphasize enough how important this type of experience is, because you never know what you will see out there on your own.

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i am a nursing student finishing up my accelerated bsn program for 2nd degree students. i plan on applying to pnp programs right out of graduation, but since i have a work commitment with the hrsa scholarship, i will have to work and go to school part time. so when i graduate with my pnp, i will have rn experience. but that is beside the point...

what i have noticed in my short time in nursing school is that there are some very good and knowledgeable rns, and there are some very bad and quite frankly, dumb rns out there. i precepted one day with an endoscopy nurse and one of the patients was found to have a hiatal hernia. i was pretty sure i knew what one was but i asked this nurse for clarification. she told me i was wrong and continued to give me some other explanation for what it was. turns out later on, she was totally wrong and my previous assumption was correct. what was even more appalling was the fact that this woman had been and endoscopy nurse for 8 years. 8 years and she had no clue what a hiatal hernia was!!! i am in school with some brilliant students who quite possibly have better diagnosing and treating capabilities than some of the rns i've come across so far.

bottom line, i get what many of you all are saying about how valuable rn experience can be for an np. and i don't doubt that in the least. but i would imagine that many students who have the ability to get accepted to an np program fresh out of their bsn, and then succeed in finishing it have adequate enough skills to be a good np.

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Specializes in Consultation Liaison Psychiatry.

Maybe this has to do with the state requirements or local preferences. I know a number of direct entry NP's who were hired as NP's as soon as threy graduated. I'm not recommending this, but they were legally able tp practice once they passed their NP boards. I still belive that NP students should have experience as RN's before acceptance into NP programs. The NP education assumes knowledge acquired in practice. If someone has no clinical experience prior to NP education, the NP clinical hours are really not adequate....my opinion, of course.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, RESEARCH, REHAB, HOME HEALTH, QUALITY.
I know we are speaking a LOT about NPs being hired..but what about RN (ADN), for example, who went to an ADN-MSN program and ONLY have a goal of opening their own practice, afterward?

I'm interested in entering an ADN-MSN program. I have the ability to take off 4-5 years, without having to work at ALL, and when I graduate, I ONLY want to open my own clinic. However, I was under the impression that, in order to do so, I would need to work as an RN a few years...or is that entirely true? I live in NY and would open my clinic here, Arizona, or Nevada. :-)

I think the question is not when you open up a clinic, the question is when will you feel confident to take care of patients and know you have the critical thinking skills to make the decisions needed to provide excellent care.. when you work as an RN you learn how to take care of patients and develop critical thinking skills, as a NP you will be working as a provider and will have a different mindset ( i would hope) the RN expereince will enhance your skills.

The Medical model is not the same as the nursing model., nurses are taught to take care of the whole patient, and not look at just a body part or system,...but as one post stated residents come out and have never been doctors, and I know you know all MD's are not in favor of NP's anyway and any enhancement you can have to make you a better provider I am say go for it.. nurses don't need to get physicans another reason to bash NP's for not meeting the educational standard to provide good patient care..

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I graduated from the same accelerated program and in my humble opinion there is a great range of nurses with varying abilities. I do think experience is necessary b/c of the querkey things you learn as a nurse that are necessary to know that isn't taught in school. Also, something to consider, will employers hire you when they have to choose you or one of your classmates with several years of nursing experience? That can be a problem. It is all about marketability and competence!

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One program near me (Columbia University) has what they call an ETP (Entry to Practice) combined BS/MS program. The first year is full time to satisfy the BSN portion. The rest of the program is for the MS(NP) which may be done part time or full time. I was thinking of maybe going through this program and after finishing the BS part (hopefully) then working as an RN and continuing part-time with the rest. Lots to think about, but I'm eager to move on from where I have been for a long time. Thanks again.

Hi Blurr,

I saw that you posted this a few years ago. I've been looking into that exact program and event went to an info session at Columbia when I was in NYC last. Sounds like a solid program. Just wondering if you ended up going and what you thought?

Thanks!

Matt

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I know that there are many who say that you have to be a nurse first. I totally disagree. I went through an immersion program. There are 35 Family NPs that graduated from our program. Not one of us has been turned away from a well paying job due to lack of nursing experience. The job that you will do does in fact differ from being a registered nurse on the floor. I do not mean this in a bad way at all. You are being paid to evaluate and DIAGNOSE a particular problem. What is important is that you understand nursing philosophy and principles which you will get in your education.

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