Best prep specialty for FNP

[guest769224]

Hey everyone!

I am looking to get thoughts and opinions on what specialty best prepares an RN to transition into the FNP role. I have seen various comments here stating that it is wise to specialize before moving into the provider role, like how a PMHNP student is benefited by optaining psychiatric RN exp.

From the searches I've done, it appears that ER experience is best matched in the patient population that FNP's may see.

What about being a public health nurse?

I appreciate any insight on how to best prepare clinically for FNP down the road.

Thanks!

[MikeFNPC, MSN]

I think that ER would be an excellent foundation to prepare for FNP. My wife has been an ER RN for years and while putting up, lol, with me during school, she had a very good understanding of many of the topics I was working on. That being said, almost any nursing experience would be beneficial. However, over 20 years of RN experience couldn’t prepare me for pedi or womens health. Those rotations ended up being my most fulfilling though considering I had nowhere to go but up.

[anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP]

I have been a home health nurse for 3 years as I finish up my MSN. FNP is typically focused towards primary care and after doing home health I know more of what patients may be up against once they leave the hospital or doctors office (don't understand med changes, forget what the doctor said, can't afford new prescription, etc). I have only been a nurse 4.5 years but home health has made me more confident and independent in nursing assessment and practice because you're on your own.

I have also become a good patient educator and have my ways of simplifying things so patients understand what is happening with their bodies.

For me I feel it worked out perfectly as I prepare for my certification exam and start putting in applications.

[Riburn3, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP]

Everything and nothing.

Like Mike said, the ER is a great place because you see a variety of things and will get lots of experience seeing skills (and likely working with an FNP depending on your region). The downside of this is ER experience will give you very little in terms of a primary care knowledge, which is a huge aspect of being an FNP.

Similary, nurses (like myself) that work in higher acuity areas will have a solid understanding of disease processes and critical thinking ability, but be clueless when it comes to the primary care standards, and the other patient populations you never encounter.

The role of the FNP is so diverse, it truly is the jack of all trades in the NP world. Just about any experience is going to be beneficial in some aspects, while other aspects will be lacking. I myself hadn't cared for a child since nursing school over 8 years ago when I started my peds rotation, but still did fine.

If being an FNP is your goal, perhaps you should think about what you want to do as an FNP, and that will give you a better idea of what kind of RN work you should be aiming toward.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I think Rapid Response would be the best. You get used to ordering, interpreting, and making care decisions based on the resuylt combined with physicial assessment. A lot of really sick patients get dealt with either by the RRT RN alone working on standing orders and protocols, or working with a physician who is not in house and making care decisions based only on our resported assessment. We respond to changing patient conditions on everyone from 1 month old up to geriatric (

What we don't see are 5 year olds with ear aches, rashes, and other minor things.

[honeykrown, MSN, NP]

I worked as a case manager in a primary care clinic. Calling patients back with lab results, some diagnosis and ordering medications when patients were discharged from other facilities. This allowed me an insight to lab values, some guidelines and medications for diseases. I worked with doctors and PAs who were willing to explain disease processes to me. It helped me a lot while I was in school

[BostonFNP, APRN]

There are aspects of every RN specialty that can/will apply to your APN practice. Honestly, the most important experience is in differentiating normal for abnormal and that experience can come from any area of RN practice. All areas of RN experience also have minor drawbacks.

From my experience having taught and precepted NP students:

Higher acuity RNs often tend to want to micro manage and over treat.

Med-surg RNs often lack the "own the patient" mentality.

ED RNs tend to lack the longevity for following patients.

Primary care and home health RNs often have bad habits to break but lack the acute management experience.

In the end you are applying you experience to an entirely new role. That experience can help you and it can hurt you. Most NPs value their RN experience, regardless of the speciality.

Sent from my iPhone.

[Laura.NP, MSN, RN, APRN]

I think it really depends where you want to practice as an NP. For instance, I never worked ED or even general med/surg as a nurse (always in a specialty). While this proved to be more challenging in clinical rotations, my previous experience in hematology served me well as a foundation to my role as an oncology NP. If you know where you want to work as an NP I don't think it's a problem to specialize as a nurse, but if you're on the fence it would probably be wise to gain general experience (like in the ED). Hope this helps!

[nursejl1]

Most school recommend having about 2-3 years of Medsurg bedside experience. ER, PCU and ICU is fine too!

[sfalumberjack007]

For sure critical care/emergency services