Best RN job to prepare for PNP

[JaxJax5423]

I am considering applying to pediatric nurses practitioner school in a year. In the mean time, what's the best job I can do as an RN to prepare me. I'm interested in primary care. I currently work as a staff RN at a hospital (acute).

I have a year....so any advice will help!

[Jules A, MSN]

If you are planning to work outpatient perhaps a pediatrician's office? The pay is probably low but the knowledge and professional connections a great pediatrician could bring to you would be invaluable in between vitals and vaccines of course. Kudos to you for being proactive and thoughtful before deciding you are qualified to write prescriptions for a vulnerable population based on 2 pharm courses. Best of luck!!

[JaxJax5423]

Ya...I'm sure I could benefit from primary care office....but I don't think I can swing the pay cut. I'm saving for school. Plus, I figure....my emergency response learning can come from the hospital. Hmm...thanks. I'll look into it. Thanks for responding.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

There is no "right" answer to the question, and if there was only you could answer it based on your current level of experience, so this is my opinion.

1. Any and all experience can be beneficial, if you want it to be. Take the time to start thinking about each of your patients, their meds, their diagnosis, what brought them to the hospital, and their challenges once they are discharged and start to think about what you would do as their provider in the primary setting.

2. If your interest is primary care, and you are thinking about investing (time and money) in returning to school to change careers to primary care, it is in your best interest to get at leat some primary care experience (switching jobs, taking a per diem job, shadowing) to decide if that's really what you want to do with your time/money/life.

3. Primary care and acute care are very different. The way problems are approached, the was diagnostics are ordered, the meds that are used, are all different. If you want the best experience, change your job to a primary care office.

4. The RN role and the NP role are very different. Shadows some NPs in different settings prior to investing in change of career.

Best of luck.

[JaxJax5423]

Awesome info. Thanks for taking time to write that. Taking it all in.

My reservations come from not getting in to pnp school. I will then strain my RN career because once you leave acute for clinic it is very difficult to get bk in. And if I remain an RN I will always stay acute.

I will check for prn. Thanks!