New BSN Grad - Should I get my NP now?

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Nurse Beth,

I am 22 years old and graduated with a BSN this May. I have applied to a masters for NP. Would I be able to manage the workload of the NP program and work at the same time?

---

Dear Should I get my NP now?

Congratulations :) You are very accomplished.

Yes, most nurses work while completing their NP, but not in their first year of nursing. The first year is a very steep learning curve. I would give it one year before going on to get my master's degree.

You are young enough that you have time and it will ultimately be a better learning experience for you.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

[cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP]

I am in 1000% agreement with Nurse Beth on this one.

Trying to start an NP program while in your first year of RN practice is both challenging and ill-advised. You won't have enough time to really dig into the RN role, learn what you need to know and figure out who you are as a nurse. Most NP programs were designed for expirenced nurses and thus why they had fewer clinical practices hours but when you a new grad going from your RN straight to your NP you don't have the benefit of that patient care experience and the impact that the limited number of NP clinical hours had on a student is even more pronounced.

If future employers know that you are going immediately into NP school then you are less likely to be hired as an RN because they will probably only have you part time for 2 years (maybe 3 years tops) and eventually they will be asked to work around your school schedule. They are not likely to see it as the best return on their time/training investment. Also, if your boss at a new job finds out about your NP school plans shortly after being hired you run the risk of them thinking you purposely withheld the information from them.

To the OP, I wish you success in whatever avenue you choose and I am sure that you will do well. I too remember the desire to hurry up and get grad. school started but I am thankful that I waited and got 5 years under my belt before getting started.

It allowed me to figure out who I am as a nurse and know what direction I want to go in my career (very different then when I started out after the NCLEX). Please put some thought into holding off on grad. school for a few years to give yourself time to grow into being an RN and take a break from school.

Best of luck!

!Chris

[llg, PhD, RN]

I definitely agree that you should wait a bit. The transition for student to professional is a challenging one. Some people really struggle with it as you can see if you read the threads here that deal with the 1st year after graduation. Give yourself the best chance to succeed, by focusing your attention on it ... getting rest ... exercising ... etc. Don't sabotage yourself by adding the additional stress of a new academic program. Get established in your new career and as a previous poster wrote, find out "who you are" as a nurse.

Once that developmental task is complete ... only then will you be ready to decide which career path is best for you and which graduate school (if any) is the best choice for you.

[MariposaOak]

I started my job as a new grad in October. I was simultaneously completing a school program during these past 10 months. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't, and I would advise everyone against it. I feel that I'm not as good of a nurse as I could be because my time and energy (mental and physical) has been so divided. Give yourself a few years.