Can an OR nurse become a nurse practitioner?

[orrn2124]

Hi everyone!

I am currently an OR nurse and have only been an OR nurse since completing nursing school. I am interested in becoming a nurse practitioner in the future, and I'm worried that my lack of bedside experience would stop me from becoming a NP.

I am currently looking at jobs in the ER, but am worried that I could be making the wrong decision.

If anyone has been in the same position or has some thoughts about this, I would love to hear them.

 

Thank you in advance!

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I have worked with several nurses with only OR experience who have gone on to graduate an NP Program. Also consider this: there are direct entry NP programs out there (whether people agree with their premise or not - I personally don't) where one does not even have to work a single day as a nurse to end up as an NP.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

Success as an NP is mired in so many variables. What is your ideal role as an NP? the field is as diverse as nursing itself and the career pathways are also quite confusing. Your previous role are as a nurse (or as a non-nurse if direct entry) will come into play or may even be an advantage depending on what kind of Nurse Practitioner you end up being. Some schools with primary care tracks (such as FNP) do not even require RN experience and some would argue that experience does not affect future success in many primary care focused roles.

For me, the advantage of having that bedside experience is having that perspective of how the healthcare milieu works and who the players in this field are. It allows you to make connections with physicians, NP's, and RN colleagues who may be in the same boat as you are. It also gives you an idea of various disease processes, treatment regimens, medications used, etc that may make learning the therapeutics part of NP school didactics easier. Having said that, it probably is more useful in acute care focused NP roles.

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

Of course you can become an NP.  You have RN experience, so you are eligible for both acute and non-acute NP programs.  

Contrary to the many naysayers here, I went straight through from an ABSN to an NP Program and did just fine.  I earned an MSN to become an Adult and Geriatric Primary Care NP and then did a post-master's certificate to become a Psych NP.  No one ever said I was somehow lacking in my NP skills because I did not work as an RN.

Decide what kind of NP you want to be or perhaps a Nurse Anesthetist.  If you want to work in outpatient, unless you want to do psych, I'd advise earning your FNP as that will give you the most options.  

I wrote a mini evidence review on why NPs w/o RN experience do just fine, so do a search and you can find it on this forum.

Good luck!