Not Excited About Becoming FNP

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Like many younger nurses I have had the drive to continue my education. Less than a year after getting my RN-diploma I enrolled in a RN-BSN program. After being a nurse for only 3 years I enrolled in an FNP program. Here's the thing, I can't tell you WHY I enrolled in an FNP program. Sure, I wanted to continue my education, I thought I wanted to have more career opportunities, all those things that everyone says. But there is a problem.

I love being a bedside nurse. I love being on the front line working in the hospital and being the face that patient's see. I love learning and perfecting my skills that only a bedside nurse would use, like IV starts. I look forward to going to work.

I hear many of my co-workers that are younger saying how they can't wait to get away from the bedside and how exciting it must be for me to be almost done with my degree. I see other nurses I know graduate NP programs and get jobs, and while congratulating them all I can think is how boring their new position sounds.

I am doing great in my NP program and have an A average with a 3.75 GPA. I intend on graduating I am just not sure I actually want to use my degree as it was intended. For the part of the country I am in, I would expect a generous raise to go from RN to FNP, but money isn't what it is all about. I find myself thinking about certifcations and other things I had still hoped to obtain as an RN that I may not have time to obtain before I become an FNP.

Has anyone else felt this way or is it just me?

[roser13, ASN, RN]

If you actually HAVE a bedside position that you are able to enjoy (and better keep your location a secret or else be flooded with apps ), then I say keep it! Your explanation can always be that while having obtained your advanced education, you still feel a need to get more years of bedside practice under your belt before moving on.

Possible caveat: legally, will you be held to your advanced level of practice standards or the RN's?

Who knows, one day an opportunity may come along that really intrigues you and on which you can use your advanced degree.

[itsnowornever, BSN, RN]

I have a friend who works as an FNP during the week and picks up shifts in the ER because she loves that too. You can always do both if you want

Posting from my phone, ease forgive my fat thumbs! :)

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Possible caveat: legally, will you be held to your advanced level of practice standards or the RN's?

I know you are held to your highest level of license. I am also concerned if I take the FNP licensure exam and then don't plan on working right away what I could do to maintain certification so I don't lose it eventually.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I have a friend who works as an FNP during the week and picks up shifts in the ER because she loves that too. You can always do both if you want

Posting from my phone, ease forgive my fat thumbs! :)

I have thought about that, but seeing how after graduating I would like to start building my family, I don't know if I really want multiple jobs. I am the breadwinner in my relationship though so I do realize the FNP salary vs the RN salary would be more helpful with a family

[Twinmom06, ASN, APN]

what about staying at the bedside by teaching clinical? OR - can you delay your FNP boards for a while and just have the masters degree?

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

what about staying at the bedside by teaching clinical? OR - can you delay your FNP boards for a while and just have the masters degree?

Teaching clinicals is a good idea. I should look into my BON's policy's regarding delaying licensure and if I would have to take any additional classes or such later on if I were to do that.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I can relate strongly! I finished my FNP degree in December. I was also a good student. I started FNP school a year and a half after finishing nursing school. I went to nursing school originally thinking I wanted to be an NP. I loved nursing school. I hated my NP program. I hated clinicals. I felt lots of pressure just to see as many patients as fast as possible, without every really getting to know them. I remember thinking if I was writing orders for my patients at work, as their floor nurse, I would know exactly what they needed, but seeing them for 10 minutes every 4 months in a clinic, I had no idea. I felt unprepared and nervous for every clinical and it got worse instead of better the closer I got to graduation. I remember wishing I was at work instead for every clinical. Also, while I have many close friends around my age at work, I felt much younger than most of the NPs and even the nurses at the offices. Maybe I would have felt differently if I had done some acute care clinicals.

I haven't yet submitted any of my licensure paperwork, but I'm going to. I'm not sure what I'm going to do job wise. I love my job currently. I like my patients and their families for the most part. I like knowing them. I really like working 3 days a week and being done. A lot of the NPs I know in theory work 5 8 hour shifts but in reality get 5 10 hour shifts. I don't want to do that. I'll keep my eyes open for NP jobs.

In the end, there's no downside to more education. Maybe I'll want it in the future (though I know the longer I wait the harder it will be). Maybe I can go into another area where a master's degree is required.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Blondy2061h,

Glad to hear someone else feels the same way. I have wondered if I would have done an acute care program if I would be more excited about the prospect of graduating and getting an NP job.

I actually had a heart to heart and spilled all this on my husband recently. Despite the fact he has been looking forward to my graduating and getting a pay bump, he said he wasn't surprised in the least, and that while supportive, he has always wonder what my reasons were for going to grad school. He thinks I may have seen it as the next step after my BSN, but not necessarily something I wanted.

[OCRN3]

I agree, going from bedside to faculty had me in the same dilemma. Figuring that as I started grad school I would need to move from bedside to a step up on my career. Even though nurse educators are a great profession, at times I feel that bedside may still have more for me. Bedside can be great or bad depending on where you work,

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

I feel the same way. I'm 24 and been a nurse for 4 years. At first I wanted to become a CNM or FNP, however, I've found that I actually enjoy being a bedside nurse. I love working in a hospital, and giving direct patient care. I plan on getting my masters but It'll be in nursing education. I want to teach students to be the BEST bedside nurses they can be. There is nothing wrong with feeling the way you do. Once I got over the "you are young, you NEED to be a NP" I was fine. I got tired of everyone telling me what I should do....

[ukjenn231]

I know what a lot of you mean. It seems that it is expected that nurses go get their NP. In the department I work, it's not a matter of what you want to do later in your career, it's just "when are you getting your NP?" I have no desire to be a NP, maybe a clinical nurse leader one day, but people always act like I'm weird because I don't want to be an NP or a CRNA.