How long does it take?

Girlafraid13 · Nov 23, 2015

Depends what route you take, it varies.

Darre, NP · Nov 23, 2015

You should figure 4 years to get your RN and 2-3 for the NP. I recommend getting your BSN since most ADN programs still take 4 years, till you get all your prerequisites done. You will need a BSN for entrance into an NP program or spend an extra year in a ADN to NP program. On top of this most programs require some nursing experience to enter (which is a good thing and a sign of a good program). The experience you gain as an RN is important ( though I am only in NP school now, I pay attention to what my ER docs do and how they treat).

In the end ask yourself, with 8+ years till I have my NP, would med school be a better option? It will take more than 8 years for your M.D. but we are talking pretty far down the road for both. Not discouraging you, just saying it may be a viable alternative with your point in life. I started nursing later in life, so M.D. was never in the cards due to family ect., but for you it may be a smarter choice. Either way,nursing can be a great job, so study hard, plan ahead and make sure that healthcare is the right profession for you.

Good luck!

Breh_118 · Nov 23, 2015

You should figure 4 years to get your RN and 2-3 for the NP. I recommend getting your BSN since most ADN programs still take 4 years, till you get all your prerequisites done. You will need a BSN for entrance into an NP program or spend an extra year in a ADN to NP program. On top of this most programs require some nursing experience to enter (which is a good thing and a sign of a good program). The experience you gain as an RN is important ( though I am only in NP school now, I pay attention to what my ER docs do and how they treat).
In the end ask yourself, with 8+ years till I have my NP, would med school be a better option? It will take more than 8 years for your M.D. but we are talking pretty far down the road for both. Not discouraging you, just saying it may be a viable alternative with your point in life. I started nursing later in life, so M.D. was never in the cards due to family ect., but for you it may be a smarter choice. Either way,nursing can be a great job, so study hard, plan ahead and make sure that healthcare is the right profession for you.
Good luck!

Thank you for the clarity. Although I see your point as to why going to medical school may be a viable option, it is not the case for me. Medical school remains an excessively expensive and time consuming path. Not to mention the hours required everyday in the life of a doctor. I intend on doing many other things in my life other than my career, and becoming a doctor would not easily allow me to have a family and spend time with them. Becoming an np is the next best thing.

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 24, 2015

Thread moved to Student NP forum.