Non nurse to NP

Grumble88 · Mar 17, 2016

There are a few options for someone with a non-nursing degree who wants to become a nurse practitioner, I'll give you a rundown below but first I'll answer your question about the difference between a MSN and a NP. The MSN is a masters level degree in the field of nursing and has numerous specialties, some of these specialties involve specific courses and clinical rotations that focus on a specialty in advanced practice nursing (family, pediatric, psych, etc.) and qualify the holder of the degree to take their state's board exam and earn their NP license. There are a few ways to get to that MSN and subsequently be qualified to take the NP board exam.

1) enroll in an accelerated or standard 2 year BSN program and then apply to traditional 2-year NP programs

2) enroll in an direct-entry MSN program, this can be a non-np MSN which would then require a 1 year post-masters certificate or a direct-entry MSN NP program

It's also important to research the specialty you are wanting to practice and the schools that offer programs in the field, some schools require 1-2 years of work experience in a field as an RN before allowing you to apply to their NP program, others don't.

mishamo · Mar 17, 2016

Thank you so much,

So as a follow up question, In option 1. I would do the 2 year BSN program and would be a registered nurse upon passing the NCLEX-RN exam?

And than I would apply to an NP program to get my NP license in the end? I would possibly need some work experience before I apply to the NP program depending on the specialty?

For option 2. I would be a registered nurse without a BSN but a Masters in nursing and depending on the school could either continue into the NP program or apply like in option 1 to an NP program?

Lastly do you or anyone know of any compiled lists that divide the schools up into what you are actually looking for?

I looked though a lot of them and it still confuses me.

If they for example say that upon completion of their program I can take the NP examination than it is basically a combined form of getting the NCLEX-RN, masters plus being able to be a NP.

Or if they say to choose a specialty upon entering their program it can be assumed it will end with some kind of ability to take the NP exam?

I guess as a little explanation why it confuses me is that as I understood it up till now, is that you need working experience (on the floor) to apply for NP programs. But if they claim that I can take the NP test than that would mean I don't need working experience or they provide it within the program?!

Gosh I am sorry, I hope it makes sense what I write (it does to me :)

twozer0, NP · Mar 17, 2016

Why not try and find a job in biochemistry? Pharmaceutical companies are big with this as well as other areas like epidemiology (CDC), NIH, WHO, and even the UN. For what its worth I would pursue those avenues first, good money can be made here.

mishamo · Mar 17, 2016

Mostly because I worked in a lab for a year now and it just is not for me. I need more people contact (and I am no salesperson) and immediate results in what I do. By immediate results I mean the impact of my work.

But I also by no means regret going the Biochemistry route, I just figured why being miserable for the rest of my life in a lab.

Grumble88 · Mar 17, 2016

1 yes that's all correct, 2 also correct, I'm not aware of any lists sorry, searching for nursing schools in your area and exploring their websites is a good place to start.

There isn't any single "NP exam" they are all geared towards a specialty, for example if your wanted to be a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, you would attend a program specifically for that and then take that specific exam.

Even if you do a direct-entry program or go straight from your BSN to an MSN-NP that doesn't require work experience it would still be HIGHLY advised to work as an RN in your specialty field during those 2 years.

staphylococci, NP · Mar 17, 2016

Your situation sounded a lot like mine. I was a Biochemistry major, too, and figured out a little late that I did not enjoy lab work. I really enjoyed biochemistry and microbiology but wanted a more clinical role versus a laboratory role.

I applied to the BSN program during my senior year. I worked for two years in the MICU (still do) right after graduation and then started the FNP program. I didn't enjoy the BSN program all that much, but I'm really enjoying the FNP program so far as I can study the basic medical and clinical sciences as in depth as I want to and get to actually use that knowledge!

There are few direct-entry programs out there that admit students with non-nursing bachelor degrees. Here are a few that I can think of off the top of my head:

Vanderbilt

UC Davis

UC San Francisco

Hope this helps!

momof3lv · Mar 17, 2016

Why don't you look into becoming a PA instead of a NP? Seems like that would be a better route for someone with no nursing degree.

mishamo · Mar 18, 2016

2 Things speak against PA for me personally.

1, autonomy and 2, more importantly my GPA is not competitive at all. Whereas for a direct entry program MS I think my GPA is ok.

James75 · Mar 18, 2016

Direct entry MSN programs around here *require* at least a 3.5 GPA, but that's usually not enough to get even an interview, much less accepted.

mishamo · Mar 18, 2016

I guess I rather take the chances with something I want to do and be rejected than not try. If no one takes me it's a good indicator that I am not meant to take that route, which I would have to settle with.

But untill then I like to figure out more about my options.

James75 · Mar 18, 2016

Yeah, I'm not trying to discourage you, just in my experience GPA is just as competitive for direct entry NP schools as for PA schools, which can be especially punishing for someone with a tough major like Biochemistry. Here, at least, they don't count that GPA much differently from the GPA of someone with an Art History degree.

The workaround (again, near me - don't know about nationally) is that for three year BSN programs they only look at your prerequisite grades and you can retake them as many times as you need to get all As. Of course, that's however many years to take/retake prerequisites followed by three years to a BSN and then you'd still need two more for an NP. So an accelerated BSN is certainly a better option.