Minimum level of experience for FNP

[grumpygorillaface]

I am a nurse on a tele/med-surg floor. I am interested in becoming a family nurse practitioner eventually, but I was wondering if anyone has a recommendation on the minimum years of experience one should have before trying to become a FNP. I plan on transferring to the ER before I go to round out my experience.

[Oldmahubbard]

I was a second career RN and a third career PMHNP.

On the one hand, I know the benefit of having experience in the field. I considered my mental health job to be clinical hours, every single one of which I needed.

I can see how some RN experience, maybe 2 years in an acute care setting is helpful, but not completely necessary as an FNP, as the roles are different.

Still, as a new FNP, I would be nervous seeing some very serious conditions for the very first time in my office, if I had never seen them in the hospital.

Some people seem to do ok with this. I would not be remotely comfortable with it.

NP programs do not provide that much clinical. You have to know the basic lay of the land.

You simply won't have the big picture without experience. My opinion only.

[Rnis, BSN, DNP, APRN, NP]

On 4/20/2019 at 3:32 PM, subee said:

But not the same clinical component that Rn's have. Just from reading posts in AN, NP students often have to find their own preceptor, who is not vetted by the school in any way. If the student has to have an unvetted preceptor whi may have no talent field teaching, then the student should not have to pay tuition to the program because they are doing it DIY. Sorry, but online just isn't equivalent to classroom instruction, but you are charged as if you were.

I regularly take students. I have taken students from both brick and mortar and online schools, all have required minimum experience requirements and resumes/licensing from me. I am not sure any program really 'vets' their preceptors to ensure their a quality instructor.........but people aren't going to generally take students unless they find it rewarding to give back because we certainly don't receive anything for doing this role. I don't consider myself to be their teacher. I give them access to my patients and let them practice in the NP role. they can see how I choose to practice, sometimes it may be different than what they would choose. That is a good learning experience too.

Most brick and mortar schools do a majority of their classes online now. (I went to a local school for my MSN, and am getting my DNP through a nearby university) Almost all of my classes were primarily online, I honestly learn best this way, and i find that most teachers were very accessible when I had questions about content. My favorite model is when they offer it both online and in person with the lectures available to both classes.