Best Specialty for an RN before becoming an FNP?

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 6, 2017

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 :)

If you haven't even started nursing school yet, chances are you will change your mind more than once about what you want to do as a nurse. You may decide that public health nursing is more boring than watching paint dry and that where you really want to be is the OR. Or the ICU. Or that watching babies being born is the coolest thing in the world. Keep your mind open. And please, try not to patronize those of us who are "just regular RNs" and think we have the coolest jobs in the world.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 6, 2017

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.

Actually, it IS patronizing. And if you don't want to be an RN, please check into the Physician Assistant route. It will get you where you're going faster and without insulting as many people.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 6, 2017

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.

You're not getting it.

Nimrodel, BSN, RN · Feb 6, 2017

One person suggested it was a difference of semantics, in which case I understand and am on board with that. But otherwise, yes, I don't get it.

edit; didn't see your other posts

I have nothing but the highest respect for RNs. I understand that it is a challenging, incredibly important, incredibly rewarding profession. I can understand why some RNs feel that they have the best jobs in the world. It's just not /my preferred/ job. That's literally all that's going on here.

NurseLauraM · Feb 6, 2017

If you want to be an FNP, I would recommend working a primary care RN job. I know a lot of people believe FNPs should work inpatient first and there are many good reasons for that. However, I also believe that if you want to work in a particular setting having a background in that setting is best. Thus, if you want to work as an NP in primary care, first work as an RN in primary care. In doing so, you will (hopefully) make connections that will help secure future NP preceptors and eventually an NP job.

On the other hand, inpatient nursing allows you to gain excellent time management and technical skills. It would also lend you a diverse, in-depth understanding of the acute phase many diseases. I am probably sounding all over the place with this... but that's because you really can't go wrong. Any experience is good experience and, as BostonFNP said, it is what you make of it.

I would also like to reinforce what others are saying regarding the "just RN" statements. OP: it sounds like you have absorbed the advise others have given about this. However, I think it is so important because I hear RNs say "I am just a nurse" all the time, especially to patients. I know it's not always intentional, but it really downplays the importance of what we do.

babyNP., APRN · Feb 6, 2017

I think you have great goals in mind and are forward thinking which is awesome. Yes you may change your mind as you start school and your first RN job, but nothing wrong with making plans. My plans changed dramatically several times while in school (for example, I went from biology major to general science major to nursing major all in my first semester of college, yes officially declared my major 3 times! I also have a spreadsheet of about 20 schools when I considered doing a post-bacc linkage program to go to medical school), but I truly enjoyed doing the in-depth research and it allowed me to zero in on what I truly wanted out of life by the continual refining.

I can't help you with the question on what area of nursing would be best for FNP as I've never worked with adults, but I wanted to add another comment:

As you will continue to learn, you have to be careful about how you say things and to whom you say it. When I finally got to my end plans (that didn't change), I knew I wanted to be a neonatal nurse practitioner as I started a job as a new grad in a tertiary NICU center. I quickly learned that many of my colleagues did not really support those going on to school to become providers. I will not speculate on why this was so as only they can do that. But I remember showing a nursing student around the unit once and she (naively) was telling one of my colleagues how she wanted to eventually go to school to become a nurse practitioner and my colleague said, "What, isn't being a bedside nurse good enough for you like the rest of us?" and I also remember a time when I had a book out studying for my nursing certification (basically, you take a test showing off you knowledge in your specialty) and the on-coming nurse asked me if I was in school. When I told her that I was studying my certification, she smiled and said it was good to see someone who wasn't just trying to go to school.

I think bedside nursing is awesome and a harder job in many respects in comparison to the provider role, even as I prefer the provider role. But there was no way to articulate this that I've found to my colleagues without it sounding patronizing. So...I kept my head down and did my own thing when I went to school (I continued to work throughout most of school). So while you may have the best intentions in the world, I've found it's just easier to smile and nod.

Nimrodel, BSN, RN · Feb 6, 2017

Thank you both for the advice/constructive criticism.

guest769224 · Feb 8, 2017

I disagree with others in that I would not go the PA route preferentially over NP.

I am curious if you would mind sharing your reason(s) behind this? Particularly interested in your response based off your existing experience.

allnurses Guide · Feb 8, 2017

I am curious if you would mind sharing your reason(s) behind this? Particularly interested in your response based off your existing experience.

From a financial investment perspective, independent practice affords NP opportunities that the PA route does not.

Nimrodel, BSN, RN · Feb 8, 2017

From a financial investment perspective, independent practice affords NP opportunities that the PA route does not.

I'm in CA, in which NPs need physician "supervision" for basically everything, but that is good to keep in mind were I ever to move out of state. Thank you.

meaghann3 · Feb 13, 2017

You can go to PA school after Nursing school you don't have to be an NP.

Nimrodel, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2017

You can go to PA school after Nursing school you don't have to be an NP.

what would that gain md though? PA school is harder to get into, more expensive, I wouldn't meet the prereqs for a lot of schools, and there aren't as many schools.