Getting started??

[BellaBlackwell]

I've been wanting to get into the medical field. I have a little bit of experience as an aide and I loved it but unfortunately I lost that job, so I've been bouncing between minimum wage gigs for now.

I'm thinking NP would be a good choice because it's more autonomous than RN but not quite the amount of schooling (and therefore financial burden) of MD.

I was wondering what the schooling process was like for all of you NP's. What did you major in in undergrad (Nursing, biology, etc.)? What did you do form there and how many years of school total?

[Collor]

You need to be an RN before applying to NP school. Most school want you to have a few years experience as an RN before applying to NP school. So Associates degree in nursing is 2 years, Bsn degree is 4 years. Then Masters (NP) depends on where you go...is easily another 2+ years.

It sounds like you are putting the cart before the horse. If this is really the route you want to take focus first on getting your RN license.

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

Well, you technically don't need to be an RN to become a NP but you have more options if you are an RN beforehand. You also kind of have less competition in a way because the NP direct entry programs have a lot of applicants including those who did not get into medical school, foreign medical graduates, physician assistant school, 2nd degree applicants, etc. There are also fewer direct entry programs compared to RN to MSN or traditional MSN programs.

There are more options if you have a BSN or even an ADN because there are RN to MSN programs.

The downside about nursing is there are about a million pathways to become a nurse and about a hundred to become a NP.

My route was ADN to RN to BSN to traditional MSN. It is cheaper in the long run this way too. So all my degrees are in nursing. I am still in my MSN program.