Is home health good experience for FNP??

[HealthyRN]

I asked this question in another forum, but got no responses. I have been a nurse for a year and a half and started my career in the ED. I stayed for 10 months and then moved on to do community education for a home health care agency. I recently started an FNP program and I'm concerned that I may have trouble finding a job after I graduate due to my lack of acute care experience. I've thought about asking for a transfer into a direct patient care role and becoming a visiting nurse. Do you think home health would be good experience for FNP? Most jobs that I have looked at say "2 years clinical nursing experience". Would home health fulfill this requirement?

My other option is to take a med-surg position that I was recently offered. I just dread going back to the hospital! Any advice?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Personally, I think you might find more acute care experience beneficial to your FNP goal. I've been an APN for a little over a year and use my acute care skills daily. Also - if you need to find your own clinical situation, working in a hospital allows for much more networking.

What is your ultimate goal with your FNP? Office work? Hospital? Clinic? That might direct your work choice too.

Good luck.

[HealthyRN]

Thank you for your input. My career goals with FNP are to work in primary care, not in a hospital setting. I've thought about possibly going on to get a PhD in nursing after practicing for a few years as an NP. My clinicals are arranged through the university, so I don't have to worry about that.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Okay - that paints a little different picture. I still think you might some acute care assessment skills. Even working in a clinic, you get some really sick people that should have gone to the ER.

[caliotter3]

I agree with what traumaRUs has stated. Home health would tide you over if you really were having trouble getting a job, or if you really wanted to avoid an acute care situation, like you describe. However, home health nursing tends to be pretty routine. You could keep your assessment skills at a better level if you took a position in a clinic setting or in an acute care hospital. That is not to say that home health would not benefit from your knowledge base, but you would find it easier to get the position you want, by concentrating on your assessment skills and you wouldn't find the opportunity so much in home health. Remember, home health clients are long term disabled, and/or stable enough to send home to the care of family members and occasional health care workers. Good luck with finding a position that fits your plans.