NP with different RN work exp than NP field?

rnsrgr8t · Nov 21, 2007

I know there is a thread about the controversy of NPs having little or no RN experience at all. But what about a NP with a different type of RN experience than what they are going into as far as their NP field? For example, a Pediatric NP with mostly adult RN experience in their past... with only a small amt of peds experience in comparison... would he/she have a hard time getting a job as a NP? Do NP employers look for that aspect too?

I think it depends on what specialty you are going into. I am a pediatric nurse practioner but all of my nursing experiance has only been in peds. I have never done adult. Prior to grad school, I was in hematology/oncology and primary care. I am now, as a PNP, in Urology and they hired me right of school without any prior Urology experiance. I also interviewed with a cardiac group but they wanted me to have prior cardiac experiance. Also, where I work, they wanted you to have 5 years prior pediatric nursing experiance. I am not sure it would be as easy to get a job as a PNP with limited pediatric nursing experience. As far as specialties, I think it is unique to each practice. Some are willing to train, some are not. Good Luck!

DaisyRN, ACNP · Nov 22, 2007

also something to consider... look into the program you are thinking about doing and see what their admission requirements are. the reason i say that is because my program (acnp-adult) required at least 2 years in adult critical care to qualify for admission. i can't imagine anyone being able to do a graduate program in something where they have little to no experience.

what concerns me about this is how does the applicant even know that they are suited for that particular specialty if they have little to no experience in the field, ya know? i would recommend getting your feet wet, at least a little bit, to make sure its a good fit. np programs are just so exclusive from one another that if you were to get half way into the pnp program and realize you didn't like it... you wouldn't be anywhere. you'd have to start back over from the beginning (minus the core courses).

good luck! and i dont mean to rain on your parade... i'd just hate for you to get into the middle of something and realize you didn't like it. maybe join up with the prn float pool or something and float to pedi to try it out.

Trauma Columnist · Nov 22, 2007

I think Charlsie has it right: if you think you want to go into another NP specialty than what you work in now (or have experience in), then maybe you should work a little while (one year?) and see if you like it. This would be especially true if you were doing adult care now as an RN and decide you can't stand adult care and peds has got to be better!

See where we are going with this? Good luck in your decision.

MommyandRN · Nov 23, 2007

Of course! Maybe that was typed wrong... I'm not saying to become an NP with zero experience in that field. With me, I have been a nurse for a long time, so I am saying what if the majority of experience is from a different specialty, adults for example, with only a few years of peds. Since some people have little experience AT ALL when becoming a NP I am wondering if all of the adult experience would sort of be worthless, and it would be seen as only a few years of pertinent exp... or if any of the past adult stuff would even be taken into account at all.

Anyway, thanks!

Trauma Columnist · Nov 23, 2007

Got it...sorry for the confusion. I think if you have years in adult care, that yes, it would count too because all care requires critical thinking, time management and good assessment skills.

ruralnurs · Feb 13, 2008

I recently experienced this. I was a psych nurse in a state hospital, had some some part time work as an RN during that time (6 years). I entered a MSN program in the FNP track. It was tough and a steeper learning curve for me as compared to my class mates that had been ER or M/S or ICU nurses for a long time. Another classmate had been an OB nurse forever first. It was tough but we made it.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Feb 13, 2008

I know there is a thread about the controversy of NPs having little or no RN experience at all. But what about a NP with a different type of RN experience than what they are going into as far as their NP field? For example, a Pediatric NP with mostly adult RN experience in their past... with only a small amt of peds experience in comparison... would he/she have a hard time getting a job as a NP? Do NP employers look for that aspect too?

I am pretty sure that there would be a nurse practitioner out there who can claim being hired in a scenario similar to your example. I actually know of a former CCU nurse (no peds patients at all) who became an FNP and is now working in a clinic with a group of pediatricians. So I guess this scenario can happen. However, based on my experience interviewing for NP jobs after graduation, I found that employers do ask what your RN experience was and factor this into their hiring decisions.

In the scenario you painted, if there are other applicants who have strong peds experience, then there is no question that this candidate will land the job and not the one who has limited peds experience. This, I think, is most true in markets where the job opportunities are tight. The candidate with the stellar resume would get hired.