Just passed NCLEX and trying to plan out my future (but I've got a ton of questions) NP?

[SPPhopeful]

Hi AllNurses,

Canadian new grad here. Just passed NCLEX and trying to plan some stuff out. Any advise/ tidbits will be greatly appreciated! ?

As I’m sure you know, you need two years of experience in nursing to get into an NP Program. Can these two years be from public health streams (e.g. contact tracing, sexual health, safe injection sites, healthy-babies-healthy-children program) and not bedside? Will I be at a disadvantage compared to someone with two years ED experience? I’m also interested in Northern nursing. Has anyone had success going to Nunavut/NWT/ Yukon straight after graduation?

My plan was/is to become a family practise NP and open my own practice (alongside a hobby farm). I don’t know why I haven’t learned about this sooner, but is it true that you have to go out of pocket to see an NP? Learning that left me with a kinda icky feeling (going to a poor/ underserviced area and asking patients to pay out of pocket). Now I’m not sure what to aim for. (What I like best about the NP stream was that I could work wherever I set up ‘shop’ and set my own hours). Is there some other avenue I’m not seeing? Do you think NPs will be billing the government (as opposed to clients) in the next 5 years?

I'm willing to work for the future I want (set my own hours and own some land), I'm just not sure on how to go about doing that. Again, any advice would be greatly appreciated.