Best clinical experience pre-NP school

Trauma Columnist · Sep 20, 2007

I think what should be considered is your ultimate goal and then set yourself up with that experience. For instance, most of my RN experience was in the ER. So, going into a CNM course would not be wise. However, the ER did prepare me well for my role as an adult health CNS.

So..what do you want to do with an APN?

MissouriBSNstudent · Sep 20, 2007

Actually trauma, what I want to do is, from what I gather, very similar to what you do. I'd very much like to work in a practice with MDs, working as a midlevel, seeing their patients in the hospital and the office. Is ED experience useful you think? I definitely have an interest in ED even without grad school aspirations being considered.

Trauma Columnist · Sep 20, 2007

Yes, the ER set me up to be able to assess patients quickly and confidently. I still might not know what is wrong with a patient, but I can tell if they are sick and/or dying fairly quickly.

I also want to bring up that the first APN job you get might not be your niche. My first APN position was in a nephrology practice seeing chronic hemodialysis patients. I just gave my notice this week (15 months in this position) to take a hospital position where I will be helping to start a palliative care program.

I thought I wanted out of the hospital but found myself bored to tears with seeing the same patients over and over and over again and again.

So...in some ways you should do an intraspective search too:

1. Do you like fast paced care, where split-second decisions are necessary?

2. Or...do you like getting to know your patients and taking time to see them?

3... Do you like variety?

4. Or...do you want to be the expert in one particular area?

See where I'm going with this?? I'm not sure I'm explaining myself well - sorry.