How to prepare to be a Family Nurse Practitioner

[Kimberly815]

Hi there! I was wondering if any current FNP's or those in school can give me some advice! I've been working as an RN in a general ICU for about a year now and started as a new grad. My eventual goal is to become a Family Nurse Practitioner! I am not interested in becoming a Critical Care NP as I have figured out I am not passionate about critical care, although I have learned so much from this experience. My husband and I plan on trying to start a family in the very near future so it may be a couple of years before I start a MSN-FNP program. I am wondering where I can work as an RN now that will best prepare me for being an FNP? I would like to leave the ICU, so would anyone suggest working on a general med/surg floor? Or trying to find a job in a family practice or clinic? ED? I know ICU has taught me a lot and would continue to, but I would like to have experience and become familiar with the patients and diagnoses I will be treating. The patients in the ICU I take care of are often vented or have just had major surgery or septic and on pressors etc. and I know this is not the general population in which I will be working with as a future NP. I know I could work in an ED/Urgent Care setting as an NP and this will involve some of the same things I see in the ICU, but I would like to get the best experience to help me for what I will see overall. Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks!!

[Dranger]

Best way to prepare is realizing everyone else want to be an NP too.

I really don't think anywhere you go will directly influence or give you an edge at being an NP though. Urgent care or clinic work couldn't hurt for connection purposes though because you will most likely need to find your own preceptors.

[sauce]

tips

1. market will be saturated

2. wages will drop

3. its not hard to get in

4. boards are Ez peeez

5. hardest part about np school is finding preceptors, if you can do that its instant pass

6. best experience would be found not going to a for profit school

7. do what you like and pays the bills, not what you love

=profit

[BiotoBSNtoFNP]

I am wondering where I can work as an RN now that will best prepare me for being an FNP? I would like to leave the ICU, so would anyone suggest working on a general med/surg floor? Or trying to find a job in a family practice or clinic? ED? I know ICU has taught me a lot and would continue to, but I would like to have experience and become familiar with the patients and diagnoses I will be treating.

Many of my classmates worked in the ED and said this helped them with their NP schooling since they took care of a range of illnesses. During my last year of Np school, I worked at an urgent care. It was helpful to see the same illnesses at work that I was seeing at clinical and discussing treatment plans with the provider I was working with, however I really didnt continue to develop any nursing assessment skills at the urgent care. The only thing I used my stethoscope for was blood pressures. They did not want the nurses to listen or exam the patient at all to save time. However, im sure you could if you really wanted to.

If you want to work at an urgent care as an Np, I would get experience in ED. Because emergencies do walk into the urgent care. I am working in primary care, but I know I would not feel as confident seeing emergencies in urgent care since I do not have a strong emergency background that many of the other NPs/PAs have in this setting.

[bebbercorn]

I'm about halfway through my program, and I work in the ED. I recommend it because you have to know a little about everything, so helpful for an FNP program. Also, I think there more than most floors, you have to anticipate what the MD is going to order and either order it yourself or prep for it, within reason... it helps to get you ready. Those in my program in more specialized floors have a harder time. I almost wish I had more ambulatory care experience as well, but can't do it now (low pay, and we're being phased out by MA's, it seems).

[anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP]

I can see where ED would be beneficial as PP's have said.

I'll throw in home health as well. I went from cardiac step-down to home health while I was finished my FNP. Why home health?? You're independent - you're the ONLY eyes and ears on a patient post-op, monitoring for issues post pneumonia, with fragile CHF/COPD-ers, chronic wound care, etc. You also get to see what it's like for patients when they come home from the hospital or from a doctor's appointment. So many don't truly understand what is said.

If you're looking for a TRUE change and think home health might be fun I'd say go for it. No you won't get much peds or OB experience. But you do get some beneficial lessons that will shape how you interact with patients as FNP.

Again not the range you'd see in ED but can be beneficial!

[sailornurse]

I agree with PPs, I worked ER while in NP school. Sure helped to look a tons of X-rays, ekgs etc. Plus the kiddos since I had no acute care pediatric experience, only 20+ med surg years, plus telemetry.

[Psychcns]

Also, you can tell the provider you are a FNP student and trying to learn and ask questions about their plan of care-informal mentoring. Don't be challenging, just interested. I think you would learn a lot in the ED.

[PG2018]

I think urgent care or community hospital EDs (that don't have separate UC), primary care clinics, or jail clinics are likely your best options. In those realms, you get a smattering of everything. Google the top ten reasons adults and children visit their PCP and work where you'll primarily see that stuff. Throw in some work with radiographs, splinting, and suturing, and you should be good.

[WIBound]

I agree ED helps give you some background in a little of everything especially if your ED sees all ages. Spending loads of time in triage helped too. I could practice (in my mind) thinking through DDs and going through ROS.