This is my first time posting on here so I hope I’m doing things correctly.
I’m currently in school completing prereqs for an ABSN program in hopes to become an NP. I was doing research the other day and found an APNI program at Seattle U. It’s a four year program going from a BSN to a DNP. Because it’s a consistent four years, they state in the description that it may only be possible to work part time as an RN.
My question is, is how ready would I be to work as an Advance Practice Nurse without previous RN experience? I’m extremely interested in this program, but also don’t feel 100% comfortable to take on that role if I don’t have previous experience. How would hiring look like if I did not work as an RN? I’m hoping to work in acute care.
Work part time! Find an outpatient clinic like allergy clinic or primary care. Maybe home healthcare that trains new grads? I know one new grad in patient residency accepting new grads part-time. You have so much time to network and find a part time opportunity.
Hey! I agree with lots of the comments above. Additionally, I find that RNs who don't get the necessary experience (I would say minimum 1 year, even that may be setting the bar too low) don't experience the entire ins and outs of the art of nursing as a whole. While it may be students' ultimate goal to become a nurse practitioner ASAP with very little experience as an RN first, it's difficult for me to believe that they become enriched with nursing practice, which is extremely vital to become a competent, compassionate, and wholehearted NP. However, this is not to say that you cannot become such a nurse practitioner with little experience - sometimes that's simply an individual's niche and they are able to thrive regardless, but that's likely a very small percentage of people. I've applied to a couple ABSN programs as well and want to get my MSN or DNP in the future too, so I understand where you're coming from.
My advice is to complete an ABSN program, get solid experience as an RN so that you could get a thorough understanding of various specialties that you may be interested in, then go for your DNP! This is what I plan on doing. I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck. ?
Seeing as you are doing prerequisites for an ABSN you would be on a 4 year plan. Assuming they don't hike up the costs you would be paying $217,564 + cost of living! There are MANY cheaper options. I wouldn't recommend taking an amount of debt akin to Med school or CRNA school for a DNP with much lower earning potential.
? I didn't think that was possible! Personally I wouldn't recommend it. Imagine climbing to one of the highest ranks in nursing with zero actual nursing experience. After you get your BSN I would try to work for at least a year. You pick up a lot on the job and I think it would be a benefit for you.
And you can't know what specialty suits you best without experience. No use taking the wrong road and then finding out a year later that it wasn't a good match.
“Rich (2005) found no correlation between duration of prior RN experience and level of competency in NP clinical skills as determined by NP self‐report, but physicians working with the NPs rated those with fewer years of RN experience as having greater competency in clinical skills than those with more years of RN experience.”
Uh, that blows my mind!
Read closely: “…as determined by NP self-report.” So much for that… As for the physicians, I just find that hard to believe.
I’ll never forget sending an injured worker to an urgent care center. The worker had a golf-ball sized lump above his diaphragm on the right side. He had fallen off a ramp, and oddly, he told me over the p hone, when he pressed the lump, “it disappeared.”
As an Occupational Nurse the thought that came to mind was a diaphragmatic hernia which could turn into an emergency. So, I instructed him to go to an urgent care center near where his truck was and he did.
Well, the just out of school, ANP, listened—did not palpate, did not even look, but sat there and berated him with “I won’t give you narcotics.” Mind you the fellow had not asked for anything at all—his nurse (me) had sent him there.
He drove back to the corporate clinic and I assessed him. Tenderness, but no lump. I did an accident report. He was sitting there answering questions, and all of a sudden said: “Look.” And there it was, a golf-ball sized lump to the right of the sternum. He put his hand on it—and it disappeared. Now that was neat, but my thought, “neat” (in an unusual way) so I sent him to his doc.
Eventually it was solved. The fellow had “costochondral separation.” He tore the cartilage from the ribs to the breastbone. He had torn several of his ribs right off the breastbone—no games involved, a real injury.
The just out of school ANP had assumed that because the lump had disappeared, he was playing a “get some narcotics” game. There’s a lot of room here for serious injury due to malpractice. I’m no NP but I do know when something is strangely amiss. That inexperienced ANP did not know.
My advice is: Be careful. If you work in an urgent care clinic, which is really, not “acute care,” and have good back-up, fine—but be careful, you will hold the title, and anyone working with you in real acute care has the right to expect that you know quite a lot, experience or not.
I’ve plenty more stories like that one. Get the right job—sure, get the wrong job, good luck with that.
“Rich (2005) found no correlation between duration of prior RN experience and level of competency in NP clinical skills as determined by NP self‐report, but physicians working with the NPs rated those with fewer years of RN experience as having greater competency in clinical skills than those with more years of RN experience.”
Uh, that blows my mind!
Read closely: “…as determined by NP self-report.” So much for that… As for the physicians, I just find that hard to believe.
I’ll never forget sending an injured worker to an urgent care center. The worker had a golf-ball sized lump above his diaphragm on the right side. He had fallen off a ramp, and oddly, he told me over the p hone, when he pressed the lump, “it disappeared.”
As an Occupational Nurse the thought that came to mind was a diaphragmatic hernia which could turn into an emergency. So, I instructed him to go to an urgent care center near where his truck was and he did.
Well, the just out of school, ANP, listened—did not palpate, did not even look, but sat there and berated him with “I won’t give you narcotics.” Mind you the fellow had not asked for anything at all—his nurse (me) had sent him there.
He drove back to the corporate clinic and I assessed him. Tenderness, but no lump. I did an accident report. He was sitting there answering questions, and all of a sudden said: “Look.” And there it was, a golf-ball sized lump to the right of the sternum. He put his hand on it—and it disappeared. Now that was neat, but my thought, “neat” (in an unusual way) so I sent him to his doc.
Eventually it was solved. The fellow had “costochondral separation.” He tore the cartilage from the ribs to the breastbone. He had torn several of his ribs right off the breastbone—no games involved, a real injury.
The just out of school ANP had assumed that because the lump had disappeared, he was playing a “get some narcotics” game. There’s a lot of room here for serious injury due to malpractice. I’m no NP but I do know when something is strangely amiss. That inexperienced ANP did not know.
My advice is: Be careful. If you work in an urgent care clinic, which is really, not “acute care,” and have good back-up, fine—but be careful, you will hold the title, and anyone working with you in real acute care has the right to expect that you know quite a lot, experience or not.
I’ve plenty more stories like that one. Get the right job—sure, get the wrong job, good luck with that.
Good for the experienced, "less competent" folks. Guess we aren't moldable enough for the MD's.
Specializes in OB, Women’s health, Educator, Leadership.
You can cite every study in the world, I have been a nurse 30 years and have seen the difference. That bedside experience is priceless. Some things can not be taught. Education + experience makes for a well rounded NP.
bsnandbeyond
22 Posts
Work part time! Find an outpatient clinic like allergy clinic or primary care. Maybe home healthcare that trains new grads? I know one new grad in patient residency accepting new grads part-time. You have so much time to network and find a part time opportunity.