Becoming an NP with little to no nursing experience??

[Blurr156]

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.

[lckrn2pa]

Well, in 1991 when I got out of nursing school I got my temporary license on a fri (back then it was a 2 day written exam ordeal at my state capital in a convention center with 1500 of my closest friends lol) and went to work at my local ER on Sat where I was a tech and made the announcement that I had my temp, guess how much orientation I got.....here's the narc keys lets go count, this pt has this, that pt has that, the guy in room so and so has whatever and there are 4 on lobby to for triage. I'll see you at 7pm. I was it, nobody else, just me a CNA pulled from the floor and a really, really, really, really, really, awesome ER doc that was also the medical director. The doc got me through that 1st day. Things have really changed in the past 20yrs. Back then I took notes on the things I was coming across in the ER and went home after every shift and looked things up and researched it on my own. We didn't have smart phone apps or computers to look things up just a pile of every kind of drug book you could think of, PDR's at the nursing stated (floor and ER) and if you were really lucky to be working when the new PDR's arrived they would let you have one of the old ones. Now if I want to look up a drug, open skyscape, epocrates or pharmacopia, type the 1st few letters on my phone and there it is. Things have changed.

[GM2RN]

*** I am curious about something. IS this (new grad orientation) an isolated case of irresponsibility on the part of the hospital, or does their careless attitude carry over to other areas? Are nurses pay and benefits poor? What are your rates for things like pressure ulcers, central line infection, VAP? Are nurses treated like disposable and easily replaceable that the sort of orientation you received indicates? Does your hospital ignore evidenced based practice in all areas or just in new grad orientation?

My hospital is part of a network of 13 hospitals/facilities. The pay for a new grad is 23.99/hr, which is $3/hr less than a sister hospital that is 30 minutes away, and is also less than a couple of other hospitals that are within 10 minutes or so of the sister hospital. Benefits are comparable to the sister hospital, and more or less as good as the other two hospitals not in the network.

Oddly enough, our Press Ganey scores are second highest of those in the network, and our hospital was recently scored in the top 5% of hospitals in the region in clinical safety and one of the best hospitals in terms of survival rates in the ED, while at the same time we have the highest acuity of patients in the ED of all hospitals in the network. Our rates of infection and pressure ulcers are low. And I'm not aware of other evidenced based practice being ignored throughout the hospital, but I haven't really followed what the other floors are doing either.

Are far as being treated as disposable, it does feel like that. In reality, the NM has ignored the concerns of more experienced nurses when it comes to the new grads practicing unsafely, and none have been let go for any reason whatsoever. The ones who have left are the experienced nurses who have had enough of the BS, leaving us with an ED full of inexperienced nurses, some of which are not open to constructive criticsism and are not open to learning.

[priorities2]

No comments on this thread since '11... any updates on people's thoughts on becoming an NP with little to no nursing experience? I'm thinking about taking the plunge and applying during my senior year of BSN to PMHNP programs. I would probably choose to spend more and try to attend a longer program (like OHSU or U of Washington) rather than an accelerated one like Vanderbilt.

[Ellen NP, MSN, NP]

I still believe that experienced RN's bring more to the NP role than do those without experience. That doesn't mean that it can't be done. There is an understanding of patient and staff needs that comes from providing direct care. The NP's whom I have known who went directly to graduate school without working miss that experience and are more like PA's in their approach (PA's are great, just different than nurses). I think that this is most important for those of us who practice in the inpatient role. My ability to work with staff RN's and their patients is definitely enhanced by my RN experience.

You can certainly get experience by working while in graduate school! That experience will add to what you are learning in school. School may help you to have a better understanding of the care you provide and working will give you the nurse's perspective on caring for patients in many different situations.

[SamHill]

This is just my personal opinion...If you take its personally, its on you. But to me one of the advantages of the NP role is that you have the nurse experience to guide you when diagnosing and treating a patient. Without it, its kinda like calling yourself a race car driver just because you got some speeding tickets.

[myelin]

oh, good, this thread is back.

[BCgradnurse, MSN, RN, NP]

oh, good, this thread is back.

Yeah, guess this dead horse hasn't been beaten enough....

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

No comments on this thread since '11... any updates on people's thoughts on becoming an NP with little to no nursing experience? I'm thinking about taking the plunge and applying during my senior year of BSN to PMHNP programs. I would probably choose to spend more and try to attend a longer program (like OHSU or U of Washington) rather than an accelerated one like Vanderbilt.

My thoughts haven't changed. I still think it's a bad idea. But why not start a new thread rather than resurrecting this old one?

[priorities2]

My thoughts haven't changed. I still think it's a bad idea. But why not start a new thread rather than resurrecting this old one?

Hm. I guess I've heard on other forums that bringing old threads back can be helpful in terms of consolidating information in one place. Is there a downside to bringing an old thread back rather than starting a new thread?

It's easy enough to ignore the thread if you're not interested in the topic.

[NucRN]

I am a relatively new grad (01/12). I only had 6 months of med/onc experience and have been doing Anticoag management since then. I am currently in an acute care DNP program and just finished my first term.

Patho/health assessment course were taken with all of the different NP programs. For what little experience I have, I was able to hang with the other students that had 10+ years of experience. I even passed my assessment final with 29.4/30. I was one of few students that didn't even use a "cheat sheet".

So I think it can work even if you don't have experience.

[1TraumaNurse]

I'm not here to put negativity, but I do just have to say.... there is no short cut to being a good nurse/NP. Bottom line you have to do the time to get into practice and do it the safest and best way. Everyone is always looking for the fastest way to shortcut their way in! You have to do what the rest of us did and put the time in. I have been an RN with my BSN for 15 years and decided to start school for my NP because it took me time to become confident in my clinical skills and learn how every area of nursing works, not that you have to wait that long, that is just how long I chose to wait. Everyone is different. I think its great you want to further your education and change your path and chose nursing, but please don't think you can just fast track your way in, the truth is, it takes time and you need to gain the clinical skill needed to be a good practitioner. People are sue happy and you have to be careful and cautious. Not to mention, do you want your family to see an NP who had no experience? Best wishes....

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I am a relatively new grad (01/12). I only had 6 months of med/onc experience and have been doing Anticoag management since then. I am currently in an acute care DNP program and just finished my first term.

Patho/health assessment course were taken with all of the different NP programs. For what little experience I have, I was able to hang with the other students that had 10+ years of experience. I even passed my assessment final with 29.4/30. I was one of few students that didn't even use a "cheat sheet".

So I think it can work even if you don't have experience.

"Working even if you don't have experience" while you're in school is one thing. Being an effective NP without bedside experience is quite another.