Can NP do medical research?

[rapidash425]

My question is can a Nurse practitioner do medical research? My nurse asked me if I could do that if I wanted to do research. By the way, what is the average salary for a Family NP and a Psych NP? If I cant do research, that is fine. I will just go to school for MD after NP.

[GilaRRT]

You do realise that having your NP would not entitle you to medical school? You would need to obtain a pre-medical type degree, take the MCAT, and join in the queue of students competing for slots into allopathic schools. This is of course after the six or so years spent obtaining NP education.

Additionally, research is an integral component of many APN programmes. You would likely need to do research to graduate with a MSN.

However, you need to seriously consider your future educational plans unless you simply have more time any money to kill than the average Joe.

[elkpark]

Lots of NPs and CNSs spend much of their career doing research -- participating in research is considered a core function of the advanced practice role. However, at the Master's level, you can't be a lead researcher; that requires doctoral level preparation. You participate in research directed by other people.

You could be an independent researcher with a doctorate in nursing; you wouldn't need to be a physician. There are many, many independent nurse researchers out there ...

If you really want to be a physician, however, I would urge you to just go ahead and do that. The time and effort spent becoming an NP will not get you any closer to that goal.

[cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP]

Maybe its just me but if your becoming an NP then you should be focused on nursing based research and not "medical research".

!Chris

[Runzhouse]

Shout out to “Chris” and “GilaRRT” for providing me some fascinating low IQ answers.