Do you feel more people are entering nursing only to become APRN's?

[BiscuitStripes]

I am not a nurse yet, but I'm an EMT, have worked in and around the hospital, and I am currently finishing my last two prerequisite courses before applying for ABSN programs. It seems like 90% of my current classmates in nursing prerequisite courses, along with other prospective nurses I've worked with, are entering the nursing profession with the goal of become a Nurse Practitioner or CRNA.

Do you, especially those already working as nurses, feel a lot of new graduate nurses are entering nursing for the sole purpose of becoming an APRN? I feel like since APRN's are gaining more popularity, people are entering the nursing field to become an APRN and not a "nurse", in lieu of becoming an MD/DO or PA. I'm not saying more education is bad, but it seems like people want to be an NP, not a nurse, if that makes sense. Which leads me to believe (and I know it's been discussed before) a huge over saturation of APRN's is in the near future.

Thoughts? Again, I'm not a nurse yet, so I could be completely off base.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

So, do you think that people who moved across the country, speak with an accent, survived traches and other manipulations on their vocal apparatuses, ect., etc. are all sounding like idiots just because they pronounce some words differently? It is quite an interesting point of view for someone who dedicated life to caring for others, I must say.

One so-called "nurse" who targeted and tortured me all my first year because she somehow found my accent "offensive" and "detrimental for safety", later survived a complicated surgery on her throat. She lately learned to speak again but her speech is still more "accented" and less understandible for strangers than my own and it will likely stay like this till the end of her life. I still refuse to even say "hi" to her although she spent time looking for me and then cried and asked to forgive her for being a cruel and ignorant fool that she was.

I've moved across the country several times, and I was HAPPY to have someone in Massachusetts explain to me that "Comber" was a "coma," that "an elastic" is a rubber band and that "cah" was my automobile. "Angina" is pronounced different ways in different parts of the country -- nice to know these things before some surgeon (and it's always a surgeon) lambasts me for stupidity. Or just walks away thinking I'm stupid or ignorant.

If it's just correcting pronunciation, I'm happy to be corrected as are most people I know. If it's something else again -- surviving a trach or throat surgery, speaking six languages and occaisionally mispronouncing one in English, etc -- probably it's more than one word that's getting mangled. Personally, I think it's a kindness to correct someone politely and privately.

[Boomer MS, RN]

I've moved across the country several times, and I was HAPPY to have someone in Massachusetts explain to me that "Comber" was a "coma," that "an elastic" is a rubber band and that "cah" was my automobile. "Angina" is pronounced different ways in different parts of the country -- nice to know these things before some surgeon (and it's always a surgeon) lambasts me for stupidity. Or just walks away thinking I'm stupid or ignorant.

If it's just correcting pronunciation, I'm happy to be corrected as are most people I know. If it's something else again -- surviving a trach or throat surgery, speaking six languages and occaisionally mispronouncing one in English, etc -- probably it's more than one word that's getting mangled. Personally, I think it's a kindness to correct someone politely and privately.

And perhaps it's not just the correction of the pronunciation but how it is delivered.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

And perhaps it's not just the correction of the pronunciation but how it is delivered.

I also think intent is important: it seems like in the initial post it was being suggested as a way to insult or belittle the person.

Anyways, back to the real discussion....

[HermioneG, BSN, RN]

You're not off base. And, even if they aren't going into nursing with the initial goal of entering advanced practice, if they are attending a college or university that also has a graduate program in nursing, they are getting told nearly every day that they should aspire to becoming an APRN.

I really agree with this..

on a side note, it kind of makes me sad because I've run across a good number of people recently who seem to look down on "just" doing bedside nursing. It drives me nuts. I was at my graduation party, thrilled to have finally made it out of the seemingly never ending tunnel that is the road to being a RN, and I already had people asking me when I was going to go to NP school. It was so aggravating because it diminished all the hard work that had to be put into getting the RN.

Both bedside nursing and advanced practice nursing are the heart and soul of the nursing profession, and both are equally as honorable. Someone should only be an APRN if that's where their heart is. Not for the money or the title or because someone said they should, but because it's what they want for their life. It's not for everyone and that's totally fine! I don't think it's for me..

[NuGuyNurse2b]

^ don't be surprised when you go on interviews and hiring managers ask where you see yourself in 5 years. If you (Heaven forbid) say you just want to be bedside nursing, you'll be looked upon as having no motivation. It's almost expected that no one stays in bedside nursing, as if it's just a stepping stone.

[HermioneG, BSN, RN]

^ don't be surprised when you go on interviews and hiring managers ask where you see yourself in 5 years. If you (Heaven forbid) say you just want to be bedside nursing, you'll be looked upon as having no motivation. It's almost expected that no one stays in bedside nursing, as if it's just a stepping stone.

I personally didn't get that vibe in my interview, but I can see how people might experience that. The thing is, though, is that there's so many options out there besides APRN and bedside nursing! The world is so diverse, and there's so much impact to be made outside of just those two subsets! :) but even if someone wanted to do bedside nursing for the duration of their career, that's great! Because in doing that they're probably a great role model and resource for all the new nurses coming in, and are a wealth of knowledge.

[nursel56]

You're not off base. And, even if they aren't going into nursing with the initial goal of entering advanced practice, if they are attending a college or university that also has a graduate program in nursing, they are getting told nearly every day that they should aspire to becoming an APRN.

This is true, and to encourage academic progress in nursing, or any profession is a good thing. Although I feel as someone in this or perhaps a similar thread recently mentioned there seems to be a concurrent lack of emphasis on the role of the clinical nurse specialist, who deals more directly with staff nurses providing direct patient care, they are specialists and in my experience accessible within a reasonable amount of time.

I felt their role actually raised the level of esteem given to bedside nursing.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

it kind of makes me sad because I've run across a good number of people recently who seem to look down on "just" doing bedside nursing.

Are these lay people or nurses? I think there are a fair number of RNs that have become/are fed up with bedside nursing and I think they have some valid reasons for that. Lay people really don't understand what an RN vs a APN vs a MD vs a PT vs a RT really do.

It drives me nuts. I was at my graduation party, thrilled to have finally made it out of the seemingly never ending tunnel that is the road to being a RN, and I already had people asking me when I was going to go to NP school. It was so aggravating because it diminished all the hard work that had to be put into getting the RN.

Don't let things like this drive you nuts and definitely don't let anything/anyone diminish what you have accomplished; when people say things like this take the time to educate them. I think often times those comments are really just strangely worded/attempted compliments.

FWIW, it doesn't get better as an APN. From some experience of friends, it doesn't get better as an MD. People seem to always be asking when you are going to accomplish the next step. Same thing with family life: have a significant other, when are you getting engaged? Engaged, when are you getting married? Married, when are you having a baby? Baby, when are you having the next?

Both bedside nursing and advanced practice nursing are the heart and soul of the nursing profession, and both are equally as honorable. Someone should only be an APRN if that's where their heart is. Not for the money or the title or because someone said they should, but because it's what they want for their life. It's not for everyone and that's totally fine! I don't think it's for me..

Absolutely. The only good reason to be an APN (IMHO) is because you want the role.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

As I have stated repeatedly I'm just starting the race. I have stated that I only speak on what I've observed and what other APRNs have spoken out about the programs.

That's ok, just trying to figure out where you are coming from. I feel compelled to say, keep an open mind. You can't believe all that you read on the internet. I feel like we hash out these debates on the forums but I actually see very little debate in actual clinical practice.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

This is true, and to encourage academic progress in nursing, or any profession is a good thing. Although I feel as someone in this or perhaps a similar thread recently mentioned there seems to be a concurrent lack of emphasis on the role of the clinical nurse specialist, who deals more directly with staff nurses providing direct patient care, they are specialists and in my experience accessible within a reasonable amount of time.

I felt their role actually raised the level of esteem given to bedside nursing.

Sadly, the CNS role is going extinct due to the almighty $$$.

[db2xs]

Nursing is often a backup plan for people who don't make it into med school, and advance practice is the alternative.

I don't know any nurse who became a nurse because they didn't get into med school, but I'm not saying I know every single nurse out there.

I was talking with a PA student recently and she told me that apparently you can now become a PA and then do a fast-track sort of course to become an MD after PA school. I would think someone who didn't get into med school would opt to do something like that.

[db2xs]

It seems clinical bedside nursing practice is becoming the domain of new grad nurses and nurses with 2-3 yrs experience.

New grads or those who have been around for 20, 30, 40 years.