I am a new RN in a bridge program to become an ACNP. I am a part-time student, and seeking part-time employment as an RN in a hospital setting- preferably in critical or emergency care. As you already know, finding part time employment as a new RN in a hospital setting is very challenging!
I really want to get my foot in the door, but my applications are being immediately rejected by the recruitment teams due to the combination of being a new nurse + needing part time employment around my school schedule.
I am thinking my best shot is to become a nurse extern to get oriented, and get some support from the nurses on the unit for becoming a part-time RN.
Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this?
Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to respond. You guys are the best.
You're graduating in August with your MSN/NP? And you want to still get a couple of years working as an RN in acute care?
I'm not sure how beneficial that is. No matter where you start, your first couple of years are spent getting on your feet, at least commonly. I'm not sure how learning to manage your time and just getting everything done is the type of nursing experience that lends itself to being a provider. Unlike several years participating in the management of sick patients in a meaningful way.
But I guess what's done is done and hopefully you will land a great learning experience.
In fact a couple of years ago I heard directly from a faculty member of a well known, highly respected brick and mortar school in the Baltimore area that their goal was nothing more than retention. They found if students were not pushed to remain in school from undergrad through graduate programs the school risks tuition loss. There will be a percentage who don't return to school and a percentage who decide to go to another school if they do return for graduate studies and apparently the school wasn't in favor of taking a hit to their bottom line. The latter was probably as much of a concern as the former for this particular institution with tuition rates as high as its lofty self image although worth noting their rate of pay for all levels of nurses is historically awful. Years ago as a RN I made about $10 an hour more than they paid RNs with comparable experience and now I literally make double what they pay their NPs. Gotta love a good pedigree thought, right? rofl
So the bottom line means more than preparing and graduating fully competent providers to treat the public. I'm shocked.
...What about the medical school students who never worked before becoming physicians?
RN experience is valuable to have, but it is not guarantee that a NP with RN experience is better than one without it.
Though, don't get me wrong -
If the OP has the time get experience, then she should. Though, she should be careful as to where she works, and not pick a place that could put her license at risk.
This comparison is asinine. The education physicians get along with their massive clinical hours is the foundation of their knowledge. NURSE practitioners build upon their experiences as NURSES to become advance practice providers. Or at least that's how it should be. Every NP I have encountered had YEARS of experience at the bedside. They are rock solid clinicians and it shows.
Thus speaks someone who has no idea about medical(physician) education. Surely you don't believe that even one year of internship results in a fully-competent physician.They practice for one year as what used to be called interns, now R1, and they aren't fully licensed to be physicians until after that. And almost all of them are required to take one to nine MORE years in training for specialties, even for family practice.
In nursing, as in medicine, getting the degree isn't the same as "working."
There are no guarantees of anything in this life, and maybe not in another one, but .... yeah, it will be a lot more certain that somebody with experience will be better at ANYTHING than somebody without any.
When I mentioned medical students, it was to point out that, like the OP, not all medical students worked first before going to school for an advanced degree in healthcare.
(Yes, they get training throughout medical school and afterwards, but I was talking about before they do that.)
If the OP is going to a quality NP program, one that is on par or close to the quality of medical schools, then why is it like a crime for the OP to get into a NP program prior to getting RN experience? This is not like the OP has already graduated without RN experience, or is about to.
Someone could spend years and years as a RN yet still do not know how to put on a blood pressure cuff properly - though, that is an example.
I am in favor of the OP getting RN experience but why in the hell is there is focus on something that the OP cannot change? (Though, it is not a bad thing to get a spot in a NP program now; some programs give students 5+ years to complete their programs). It is not like she can go back in time. She is looking for solutions for now. NOW.
I think the OP gets that her best chance to get the type of hospital job that she wants would be to do a full-time new grad residency, and she seems willing to take a year or two off do so.
When I mentioned medical students, it was to point out that, like the OP, not all medical students worked first before going to school for an advanced degree in healthcare.
(Yes, they get training throughout medical school and afterwards, but I was talking about before they do that.)
If the OP is going to a quality NP program, one that is on par or close to the quality of medical schools, then why is it like a crime for the OP to get into a NP program prior to getting RN experience? This is not like the OP has already graduated without RN experience, or is about to.
Someone could spend years and years as a RN yet still do not know how to put on a blood pressure cuff properly - though, that is an example.
I am in favor of the OP getting RN experience but why in the hell is there is focus on something that the OP cannot change? (Though, it is not a bad thing to get a spot in a NP program now; some programs give students 5+ years to complete their programs). It is not like she can go back in time. She is looking for solutions for now. NOW.
I think the OP gets that her best chance to get the type of hospital job that she wants would be to do a full-time new grad residency, and she seems willing to take a year or two off do so.
In my opinion the reason and difference is that NP was meant to be an alternative to MD as a provider but who is bringing relevant experience to compensate (for lack of a better term) the difference in formal education. And traditionally that's how it worked, now there are these entry level programs, that to the best of my understanding do not provide an education to make up for the lack of relevant working experience.
Years and and years of not properly applying a BP cuff? That wouldn't be a suggestion if there wasn't a concern of NP programs not holding the highest standards with challenging programs, challenging for the sharpest best qualified candidates. It should be damn hard to bypass med school.
If the OP is going to a quality NP program, one that is on par or close to the quality of medical schools, then why is it like a crime for the OP to get into a NP program prior to getting RN experience? This is not like the OP has already graduated without RN experience, or is about to.
A NP program on par with medical school! Tell us more about this magical discovery!!
Yeah, students who go to legit medical schools tend to have more training than the typical NP student, but that is not the point.
Ugh, Super Bowl time. Peace!
Let me break it down for you:
Medical School:
Pre-Med (often 4+ years): One full year of General Biology, Physics (requiring calculus), Gen Chemistry, Organic Chem, Biochem, Calculus, and the humanities. Volunteering or healthcare experience is looked upon favorably in admissions. A bachelor's degree is required. Competitive scores on the MCAT and strong undergraduate grades.
Med School (4 years): courses such as Medical biochem, Micro, Anatomy/Physiology, Genetics, Embryology, Neuroscience, Radiology, Immunology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Clinical Medicine in the first two years, and rotations in family medicine, internal medicine, neuro, OB, peds, psych, surgery, acute care, and ambulatory care in the third and fourth year. Internships and electives are also completed. Must pass the USMLE (3 step examination process) to be licensed.
Residency (emergency medicine - 4 years): working an average of 80hrs/week, experience in burns/trauma, ultrasound, anesthesia, OB, various ICUs (SICU, CCU, Trauma ICU), plus EM.
(internal medicine - 3 years) - average of 80hrs/week. Must pass boards following residency.
(from internal med, additional 3 years): pulmonary and critical care
Total: 14 years including undergraduate, an estimated 30,000 hours of clinical completed. Cost is ~$360,000 for medical school.
ACNP Program (Accelerated Masters for Non-Nurses)
Pre-NP (4 years for a non-nursing bachelors, 1 year for BSN): Completion of a non-nursing bachelor's degree, GPA 3.0 or greater, pre-requisites: A&P, Micro, Nutrition, Statistics, Human Growth and Development (all can be completed online). Earn a BSN in the one year program, pass NCLEX prior to clinical. Students are required to choose their NP specialty when admitted to the program. 1 Year of full time RN experience in acute care is required prior to clinical hours.
NP Program (2 years): courses include research, professional writing, ethics, public policy, advanced physiology and pathophysiology (5 credits), advanced pharm (3 credits), health assessment, adult lifespan management, procedure lab (1 credit), acute NP I and II, clinical is 672 hours completed in ICUs, inpatient floors, emergency dept, and outpatient specialty clinics. Must pass the ANCC exam prior to working as a NP.
Total: 7-8 years (including non-nursing undergrad, and working 1 yr as an RN), an estimated 700 clinical hours for BSN, 672 hours for ACNP. Cost is $138,000 for the entire program.
Med School (4 years): courses such as Medical biochem, Micro, Anatomy/Physiology, Genetics, Embryology, Neuroscience, Radiology, Immunology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Clinical Medicine in the first two years, and rotations in family medicine, internal medicine, neuro, OB, peds, psych, surgery, acute care, and ambulatory care in the third and fourth year. Internships and electives are also completed. Must pass the USMLE (3 step examination process) to be licensed.
Residency (emergency medicine - 4 years): working an average of 80hrs/week, experience in burns/trauma, ultrasound, anesthesia, OB, various ICUs (SICU, CCU, Trauma ICU), plus EM.
(internal medicine - 3 years) - average of 80hrs/week. Must pass boards following residency.
(from internal med, additional 3 years): pulmonary and critical care
Total: 14 years including undergraduate, an estimated 30,000 hours of clinical completed. Cost is ~$360,000 for medical school.
.
Are you in some way insinuating my 1 diagnosing course, 8 pharmacology credits and 600 clinical hours, much of which was doing therapy BS, isn't comparable to most med school educations? FWIW folks I went to a well known brick and mortar that is consistently ranked in the top 10% in the nation.
Are you in some way insinuating my 1 diagnosing course, 8 pharmacology credits and 600 clinical hours, much of which was doing therapy BS, isn't comparable to most med school educations? FWIW folks I went to a well known brick and mortar that is consistently ranked in the top 10% in the nation.
In my opinion, if NPs want to be equal to physicians, then they need to have an equally rigorous education (which they do not). I really think NP school should be comparable to PA school in terms of clinical hours and the depth of medical knowledge it covers.
Jules, I might as well say that I have the highest respect for you. What your program may have lacked, you have more than made up for it with your knowledge and experience :)
FWIW folks I went to a well known brick and mortar that is consistently ranked in the top 10% in the nation.
Libby1987
3,726 Posts
I'm trying to picture this.
You're graduating in August with your MSN/NP? And you want to still get a couple of years working as an RN in acute care?
I'm not sure how beneficial that is. No matter where you start, your first couple of years are spent getting on your feet, at least commonly. I'm not sure how learning to manage your time and just getting everything done is the type of nursing experience that lends itself to being a provider. Unlike several years participating in the management of sick patients in a meaningful way.
But I guess what's done is done and hopefully you will land a great learning experience.