Do I need ICU experience for FNP?

[BlessedOne]

I have been working in a Vascular Stepdown unit for almost two years. Do you think ICU experience is needed for FNP. I asked a NP and she said it helps. I want to be a hospitalist after graduating. Thanks for your advise :nuke:. Oh by the way, I am waiting to see I am accepted into graduate school. A little nervous here.

[carachel2]

I currently work in the hospital setting. I did my FNP and went back to school and got a post masters acute care certificate. I had to work an additional 500 clinical hours in the ICU setting. I have about 18 years of ICU and trauma ER experience. I feel very comfortable in the unit. I felt it was easier to go this route. I have heard for legal reasons many hospitals are going to having acute care trained NPs in the hospital.

Wow...now I can totally respect an additional 500 hours of hospital training! I am all for NPs working in hospitals who are trained this way!

[gettingbsn2msn, MSN, RN]

I had read this about Texas. The initial reason for allowing NP's in the hospitalist roles were the shortage of physicians. However, in my rural (and south) area that is being resolved with the hiring of foreign trained MD's. I am originally from the north and did not know any foreign trained MD's prior to moving here. Some of our hospitalists are trained in eastern european countries as well as the carribean. We do not utilize NP's at all in this facility. It seems to work well. Most of the docs are very young and this small hospital has adapted well to the cultural differences.