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 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.

This proves that you are good test taker. I would not feel comfortable with a new grad nurse taking care of a critically ill family member regardless of her GPA, nor would I feel comfortable with a new grad NP without nursing experience.

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I don't think I am a good test taker. Wish I was a good test taker. It just means I was able to learn how to do a thorough head to toe physical assessment and do it in a way that allowed me to get an OK grade.

I'm not sure how it is with other NP programs, but at our university, students work one on one with their preceptor for almost two years( 3 if you are in a DNP program) They are able to make decisions with an NP behind them. I think this is a great way to learn.

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I don't think I am a good test taker. Wish I was a good test taker. It just means I was able to learn how to do a thorough head to toe physical assessment and do it in a way that allowed me to get an OK grade.

I'm not sure how it is with other NP programs, but at our university, students work one on one with their preceptor for almost two years( 3 if you are in a DNP program) They are able to make decisions with an NP behind them. I think this is a great way to learn.

Agreed, it is a good way to learn, but it doesn't replace the experience that comes with bedside nursing. You don't have to answer but something to think about: All else being equal, do you think an employer is more likely to hire a new NP with practically no acute care nursing experience or one with several years of acute care experience when competing for a position?

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Specializes in Emergency.
This proves that you are good test taker. I would not feel comfortable with a new grad nurse taking care of a critically ill family member regardless of her GPA, nor would I feel comfortable with a new grad NP without nursing experience.

Than I guess you wouldn't feel comfortable with NPs who went through direct entry programs either, as they are designed to take a non-nurse college graduate through RN and NP training. Some do require some number of hours of RN work during the program, others do not.

The fact is there are many NPs who do not have extensive RN experience who end up as good of NPs as those with many years of RN experience. I have seen no evidence that proves otherwise.

I have seen students with many years of experience struggle and not make it, and I have seen them do very well. I have also seen both extremes from students with little to no experience. It really depends more on what you do with your time, how well you study the concepts and the underlying principles, and how good you are at applying what experience and knowledge you do have than some number of years.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Than I guess you wouldn't feel comfortable with NPs who went through direct entry programs either, as they are designed to take a non-nurse college graduate through RN and NP training. Some do require some number of hours of RN work during the program, others do not.

The fact is there are many NPs who do not have extensive RN experience who end up as good of NPs as those with many years of RN experience. I have seen no evidence that proves otherwise.

I have seen students with many years of experience struggle and not make it, and I have seen them do very well. I have also seen both extremes from students with little to no experience. It really depends more on what you do with your time, how well you study the concepts and the underlying principles, and how good you are at applying what experience and knowledge you do have than some number of years.

I am not a fan of any direct masters program, especially the Clinical Nurse Leader track. Bottom line is there are good and bad NPs, just like MDs, and while I can't offer statistics anecdotally the NPs I have encountered who are extra sharp ALL have significant experience as nurses in their field. The few I have encountered who are horrible do not. I believe there is a great value in spending time spending time assessing patients, administering medications and seeing the effects first hand while under the safety net of someone else actually prescribing those medications.

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Than I guess you wouldn't feel comfortable with NPs who went through direct entry programs either, as they are designed to take a non-nurse college graduate through RN and NP training. Some do require some number of hours of RN work during the program, others do not.

The fact is there are many NPs who do not have extensive RN experience who end up as good of NPs as those with many years of RN experience. I have seen no evidence that proves otherwise.

I have seen students with many years of experience struggle and not make it, and I have seen them do very well. I have also seen both extremes from students with little to no experience. It really depends more on what you do with your time, how well you study the concepts and the underlying principles, and how good you are at applying what experience and knowledge you do have than some number of years.

That is correct, in general, I would not.

The keywords to your statement in the second paragraph are "end up." There is no way that a brand-new NP with no nursing experience is going to have assessment and judgement skills as good as those of a new NP with some years of experience behind her will have. Period. Will those with no nursing experience "end up" as good as those with some experience after they have practiced for a few years? Perhaps. Some will and some won't.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
That is correct, in general, I would not.

The keywords to your statement in the second paragraph are "end up." There is no way that a brand-new NP with no nursing experience is going to have assessment and judgement skills as good as those of a new NP with some years of experience behind her will have. Period. Will those with no nursing experience "end up" as good as those with some experience after they have practiced for a few years? Perhaps. Some will and some won't.

Have you read the literature on the topic?

Sent from my iPhone.

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Specializes in Emergency, ICU.
That is correct, in general, I would not.

The keywords to your statement in the second paragraph are "end up." There is no way that a brand-new NP with no nursing experience is going to have assessment and judgement skills as good as those of a new NP with some years of experience behind her will have. Period. Will those with no nursing experience "end up" as good as those with some experience after they have practiced for a few years? Perhaps. Some will and some won't.

I actually agreed with you on this before starting my NP education. I don't anymore. There is very little correlation between my extensive RN experience and the role of NP. It's a totally different ball game and all students are equal. Nurses do not diagnose and manage patients; NPs do. I'm learning just as much as my classmates with very little experience -- sometimes, I've even found my nurse brain hindered my learning. Never expected that!

Sent from my iPhone -- blame all errors on spellcheck

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I don't think I am a good test taker. Wish I was a good test taker. It just means I was able to learn how to do a thorough head to toe physical assessment and do it in a way that allowed me to get an OK grade.

I'm not sure how it is with other NP programs, but at our university, students work one on one with their preceptor for almost two years( 3 if you are in a DNP program) They are able to make decisions with an NP behind them. I think this is a great way to learn.

It's becoming increasing clear that you don't know what you don't know. While I hope you correct this knowledge deficit before graduation, I realize that's extremely unlikely. If you want to be a passable NP (not saying great, just passable), you will start with an air of humility and a willingness to learn from EVERYONE you encounter at work. You will also develop the certainty that you don't know as much as you think you did -- hardly anything in fact -- and will grow from there. I hope your attitude changes before graduation.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
It's becoming increasing clear that you don't know what you don't know. While I hope you correct this knowledge deficit before graduation, I realize that's extremely unlikely. If you want to be a passable NP (not saying great, just passable), you will start with an air of humility and a willingness to learn from EVERYONE you encounter at work. You will also develop the certainty that you don't know as much as you think you did -- hardly anything in fact -- and will grow from there. I hope your attitude changes before graduation.

Exactly what did the PP say that makes you assume that he/she doesn't know what he/she doesn't know? Probably even more important is that at that stage of graduate education the PP indicated I wouldn't expect them too. That goes for brand new out of the box RNs and "seasoned" RNs. In my professional experience teaching and precepting APN level students, the overconfidence is more often a problem with experienced nurses.

The PP is at the start of their path to advanced practice. The fact he/she is investing in their education and working hard toward exceptional grades prior to the start of their clinical education is quite promising to me.

I am not about the NP school you attended but every NP school I have been involved with has placed great emphasis on distinguishing normal from abnormal and reinforcing collaboration and support in practice when starting out.

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Definite hot topic with lots of opinions. I enjoy reading these comments, even if some are less positive than others. Good luck to those who still wish to pursue a graduate program.

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Agreed, it is a good way to learn, but it doesn't replace the experience that comes with bedside nursing. You don't have to answer but something to think about: All else being equal, do you think an employer is more likely to hire a new NP with practically no acute care nursing experience or one with several years of acute care experience when competing for a position?

I actually put my two weeks notice in when I got accepted to grad school. My employer asked me to stay and work part time with hopes of me working for them as NP when I pass my exam. I am sure your assumption is correct with regards to who would get hired based on RN experience.

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