NP clinically

anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP · Nov 22, 2014

It really just depends.

Adult care has a primary care path and an acute care path so it depends on which you want to do. Primary care clinicals are usually done in clinics.

As far as evening or weekend clinicals it depends also. Some schools set up your clinical sites so you have to go where they tell you (most clinics are open M-F 8-5). I had to find my own clinical sites so I was able to go to an urgent care one semester where I worked 12 hour shifts 1 day per week and had my hours for the semester.

You'd have to do some research into programs and how they set up clinicals. And also if you want primary care or acute care.

allnurses Guide · Nov 22, 2014

Please help. I work Monday to Friday, 8 to 5 as an RN. I am thinking of applying for NP program. Is there any way I can do all clinicals on weekends or in the evening. Also, if I do adult health care does that mean I can do all the clinicals at the hospital.

In all honesty it really isn't possible to work M-F 8-5 and do NP clinicals, especially a primary care NP program.

Sent from my iPhone.

HikingEDRN, BSN, RN · Nov 22, 2014

It would probably be easier in an acute care program. My manager (M-F) is in a family NP program and is somehow making it work but she has been with our hospital system for 15+ years and probably has a lot of vacation built up. I think she is working some on Saturdays and presumably using one of the weekdays for clinical.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Nov 22, 2014

You'll have hundreds of hours of clinical time to put in, probably. I don't see that it's very possible to work full time too.

zmansc, ASN, RN · Nov 22, 2014

As BostonFNP mentioned it is very difficult to do so. First, it is hard to find preceptors to begin with if you are available during the days. But if you work M-F you will be limiting your pool of available preceptors drastically, which would make it even more difficult to find preceptors with sufficient hours for you.

In answer to your second question, most programs I know of do not permit students to do practicums where they work as an RN. Depending on the program they may be more or less restrictive on this. I know programs that have given students a hard time when they worked at a hospital ER and the student wanted to do clinicals at a hospital owned clinic, so it really depends on the specific program and how strict they want to be about these kinds of issues.

As with many/most aspects of these questions alot of this depends on things like the program you choose, how strong your network of providers is, how flexible you can be in your schedule, etc. If the programs you are considering have their clinical hours all at the end of the program, you might consider working during the didactic portion of your program and then quitting or taking a leave/vacation during your clinical hours.

BirkieGirl · Nov 23, 2014

it depends on your program. my program offers all classes in the evening, and for 3 semesters, builds in the clinical during the day OF the class...so clinical all day, class afterward.

the last 2 semesters of my program are VERY clinical heavy and require 240 hrs in the fall, then 320 in the winter and spring/summer. Most students work two VERY long days in clinical, but I know of people who worked 4 days, clinical on friday AND saturdays. in my area of the country, we have pediatric practices open on saturday mornings, urgent cares, etc that are a saturday option. the dean of my program told me that is is VERY do-able to work full time up until those last two semesters.

i too work 5-8s and will likely drop to 4-8s this spring to start dropping my schedule a bit. next school year will be leading into my last 2 semesters and then i suspect i will drop to 3-10s or possibly have to leave completely. i really like my current position and it will be painful to leave, but i am moving upward, and i know that ultimately finishing school will lead to another awesome job, just as a mid-level.

allnurses Guide · Nov 25, 2014

I did it, but I did my program over 4 years part time, and worked pretty much 7 days a week between job and clinicals. I did most of my clinicals in critical care so was able to schedule night and weekend clinicals as long as my preceptors were willing. For clinicals in internal medicine etc, I took vacation days from work. For primary care tracks I imagine it would be impossible.

lhflanurseNP, APRN · Nov 30, 2014

As mentioned above, if you are going to do primary care, you will be hard pressed to find a primary care clinical setting that does not work beyond Monday through Friday. A few may have extended hours, but your clinical hours are, depending on your school, between 180 and 200 hours. That is hard to do if you can only work 2 -3 hours a day.