Best Specialty for an RN before becoming an FNP?

[Nimrodel, BSN, RN]

Hi all,

I'm starting nursing school in the fall, and while I know it's early to be thinking about this, I'm trying to decide where I eventually want to go with it because I've got a planning obsession. I know for certain that my end goal is becoming an FNP, so I'm trying to decide where I want to work for the few years before that when I'm just a regular RN. I'm really interested in both public health and psychiatric nursing, but those are kind of unique subsets of nursing so I'm worried they wouldn't serve me well in the long run. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks :)

[Jules A, MSN]

I personally think ED is a great place for RNs to learn the FNP trade. I'd watch the "just a regular RN" line. Although it might seem benign and I'm sure you didn't mean to be patronizing its definitely not going to win you any friends around these parts. Not so long ago it was required that we gained valuable experience as just a regular RN prior to thinking we had the skill set or knowledge to diagnose and prescribe. I personally think its disgraceful and will lead to significant problems in the future now that people are allowed to become a NP without a reasonable amount of RN experience.

[Nimrodel, BSN, RN]

It's not patronising, but it is a reflection of the fact that I don't really want to be an RN, that it's a stepping stone for me rather than something I actually want to be doing. It's a reflection of how I feel about me and my goals, not how I view the profession.

[Jules A, MSN]

It's not patronising, but it is a reflection of the fact that I don't really want to be an RN, that it's a stepping stone for me rather than something I actually want to be doing. It's a reflection of how I feel about me and my goals, not how I view the profession.

Ok, I was simply trying to give you a heads up because it does sound patronizing and the fact that you are defending your position and that you don't understand NPs are RNs is likely to result in some peer discord. Good luck.

[Nimrodel, BSN, RN]

I appreciate the advice. However, you sound like you think that I think being an RN who isn't an NP is somehow a lesser choice to being an NP is somehow a lesser choice, which I now certainly do not. It's just not a choice that appeals to me on a personal level for an extended period of time. It's similar to someone who's dream is to work in L&D, but they can't find a job there right off the bat. Instead, they land a job in postpartum, so they're "just" going to do that for a year or two until they can break into L&D. It's not a lesser job and it's fantastic because you're learning and becoming a better nurse in the process, you're just not as right off the bat excited about it.

[wanna_be]

Community health nursing. You get a very broad base of experience and also work closely with midlevel providers as part of a team. There are also a lot of FNP programs that require community health nursing experience, or favor it. Programs also look favorably upon applicants who have worked with vulnerable populations.

[Nimrodel, BSN, RN]

Thank you!

[Aromatic]

If you are dead set on being an np (i agree with jules PA would be better if you dont want to be a nurse at all) I would work in the ER, pick up a good graduate level clinical anatomy book, read up on stuff, then a graduate level physiology course, do the same thing.

and please pick a good np school, not on online for profit, your just slapping your future patients in the face by going to one of these degree mills

[Cococure]

I understand what you are trying to say just be careful how you use the phrase "just a regular RN" and don't even use the phrase "just a nurse" ...speaking from experience I got reamed by some senior nurse as a new grad. So why do you want to be a NP? Have you shadowed NP's? If you have no interest in being a RN then the nursing model might not be appealing. Have you looked into the PA model? But to answer your question ER is a good place to work you will gain a wealth of experience. Good luck in nursing school!

[Nimrodel, BSN, RN]

My main interest is in medicine and I'd love to go to medical school, but that's not a realistic option. I've looked into PA but then I have to find a way to get >1000 hours of healthcare experience and it works out that it's shorter in the long run to do nursing. My first choice FNP program is one that's fully integrated with the PA program and if I wanted to I could dual certification as a PA and an FNP for just an extra three months. But to do PA school I would need to get my bachelors in some other field, which would take just as long as getting a BSN, and then I'd need to worry about clinical experience which is just a giant headache.

[Cococure]

Understood but getting 1000 is not as hard as you may think working as a emt or cna you can easily get in the hours in 7 or so months. Or you can get your BSN work as a nurse tech to get your hours and then apply for PA school. In any event UC Davis is the only school I know of that may offer what you are looking for not many dual programs out there ...remember shadow some PA's and NP's to get an idea of what they actually do on a daily basis.

[wanna_be]

I agree with the above post. My husband is a paramedic; I wish I'd fully understood the paramedic role before going to nursing school. I love being a nurse, but my ultimate goal, like yours, is to become a midlevel provider. I went through a lot of heartache trying to find a nursing school I could afford, then spent two years in school, and am now getting the experience I need (or feel is appropriate) before jumping into a graduate program. That's a lot of hoops if your ultimate goal is a midlevel provider, and you can get there with less time and money as a paramedic, plus still get a great education and great patient experience.