Does home health prepare a nurse to transition to NP?

Specialties Home Health

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I will be graduating this May from an ADN program and plan to pursue an RN-MSN degree starting in August.

I hope to gain a PRN hospital position and also a home health position either full time or part-time. However, I will take whatever new grad experience I can get! I am not too keen on working full-time as a floor nurse due to family obligations, but I will if need be. I hope to do it PRN while working home health or private duty.

If I worked full time in home health, do you think it would provide enough experience to become an family nurse practitioner? I understand that assessment skills must be strong in HH and feel that is good for a NP. I was speaking to my nurse preceptor at my clinical practicum and she said she doesn't think it is good experience prior to becoming an NP.

What are y'alls thoughts on this subject?!

Thank you!

Specializes in Hospice + Palliative.

i agree with the others that you are jumping the line a bit. First, I'm not sure where you are located, but in my area new grad nurses are NEVER hired prn in hospitals. To be prn, they need you to be able to hit the ground running on any unit/ward in any area of the hospital, and new grads just aren't able to do that.

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Specializes in IMCU, Oncology.

I am in Texas. I actually applied for several new grad PRN positions. All the intern positions are posted now for students getting ready to graduate, but do not actually begin until the end of July. They train you full time for a few months and then you work PRN. However, I had a job interview yesterday for a full time medical floor new grad position and decided if I am offered it, I will take it. After reading everyones thoughts I decided I would work full time as a floor nurse even though I have a strong interest in HH. However, to become a floor nurse I have to go through a residency or internship and sign a 2 yr contract which I am not happy about esp. if I do not like where I end up employed. All the positions I look up in the area require experience, so I have to go through an internship. There are HH agencies in my area that hire new grads, however I think it is mostly pediatric private duty.

I do plan to take my resume to the floor where I am working with a my RN preceptor and hope they will consider me there in the CVCU too.

Also anywhere I am employed requires me to start working on a BSN within 6 months of hire. So, I have to start my education sooner rather than later anyway. If I plan to get a masters, it seems pointless to pay for a bachelors when I am going to get a masters anyway. I will probably wait until January however, so I can give myself a little time to get acquainted with my new job.

Thanks everyone for your input! It helped me to decide which direction I should go!

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Specializes in Hospice.
I am in Texas. I actually applied for several new grad PRN positions. All the intern positions are posted now for students getting ready to graduate, but do not actually begin until the end of July. They train you full time for a few months and then you work PRN. However, I had a job interview yesterday for a full time medical floor new grad position and decided if I am offered it, I will take it. After reading everyones thoughts I decided I would work full time as a floor nurse even though I have a strong interest in HH. However, to become a floor nurse I have to go through a residency or internship and sign a 2 yr contract which I am not happy about esp. if I do not like where I end up employed. All the positions I look up in the area require experience, so I have to go through an internship. There are HH agencies in my area that hire new grads, however I think it is mostly pediatric private duty.

I do plan to take my resume to the floor where I am working with a my RN preceptor and hope they will consider me there in the CVCU too.

Also anywhere I am employed requires me to start working on a BSN within 6 months of hire. So, I have to start my education sooner rather than later anyway. If I plan to get a masters, it seems pointless to pay for a bachelors when I am going to get a masters anyway. I will probably wait until January however, so I can give myself a little time to get acquainted with my new job.

Thanks everyone for your input! It helped me to decide which direction I should go!

Now THIS sounds like a workable plan. You'll be busy, but your pointing in the right direction.

It's refreshing to have a student who actually listens to what seasoned nurses are recommending. Usually what we get is "No Debbie Downers need respond. If you don't agree with me don't bother saying anything, because you're raining on my drreeeaaammm and I know in my heart I'm going to be the bestest nurse ever. Besides you're just a bunch of ugly COBs and you should be retiring anyway. Better yet, why don't you just die now so us thin, pretty, young nurses can have your jobs." [emoji35]

Good luck, I think you'll end up where you want to be, doing what you want to do. Please, keep us posted, if you have time.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I am a new grad fnp and I really appreciate the experience/background I have as a nurse. Work for at least a year. Never was a home health nurse but I think acute care experience has been valuable.

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That is a loaded and very broad question... In my personal experience and opinion being a nurse only helps you know A&P to SOME degree.. Being an NP is more about the practice of medicine and advanced problem solving. What home health will help you with is how to deal with people, read people and develop a rapport with people.. THAT will help you no matter what you do in life.

Hope it helps... and good luck!

-JD FNP-BC

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Specializes in IMCU, Oncology.

I accepted a post surgical floor GN residency today! I have to full-fill a 2 yr contract and then I may pursue HH. :-)

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I accepted a post surgical floor GN residency today! I have to full-fill a 2 yr contract and then I may pursue HH. :-)

Congratulations!! 2 years will fly by - the first year you will be so busy with adjusting to the nurse role and environment ....

After 2 years you should not have a problems to find something part time or prn and go back to school.

Plus I wanted to add because you mentioned your age earlier - even if you graduate age 50 from graduate school - you could still work another 15 - 20 years after ....

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I recently left a hospital position for home health and I am kind of regretting it. I do not feel like I am learning very much. Most of my patients are stable, they only need vital signs to be taken and teaching on their medications, wound care, etc. I am starting a nurse practitioner program this fall and I am wondering if I should go back to the hospital. I have only been a nurse for a year.

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I recently left a hospital position for home health and I am kind of regretting it. I do not feel like I am learning very much. Most of my patients are stable, they only need vital signs to be taken and teaching on their medications, wound care, etc. I am starting a nurse practitioner program this fall and I am wondering if I should go back to the hospital. I have only been a nurse for a year.

Our nurses would love to have a day of stable patients. We have so many sick and/or fragile patients.

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