NP education

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Hello good Folks of allnurses,

I hope everyone is doing well.

My name is Andrew Garcia, and I'm a registered Nurse. I'm new to this forum and website, but I have a few questions and some observations.

I'm currently contemplating on furthering my education. I always wanted to be a MD/DO, but the cost of medical school is horrendous, and I honestly do not want to go into such debt. The face of medicine is changing rapidly and I think NP's will have more autonomy as healthcare moves forward.

With that being said, I've been looking into APRN/NP schools and I feel that the NP schools lack education in preparing NP's for a more advanced clinical role; in other words I feel that many schools do not truly prepare the APRN student for the role of a diagnostic clinician. I know that the NP/APRN role is based off of the nursing model and evidence based research, and something such as PA is based off of the medical model.

I compared didactics for both PA and NP, and it just feels like the APRN lacks some education. Regardless of the model/didactic that is taught, both roles are still advanced practitioners who treat, prescribe, and diagnose so the PA didactic seemed a little more established and comprehensive as opposed to the typical APRN model.

Another thing I noted is that every school kind of seems like they teach what they wish to teach for the APRN role, and it seems as if there is no clear standard didactic. I've been an RN since 2009, and many will say that the experience I've garnered over the last 9 years should be enough to help me for the APRN role, however I feel that it is not the case. As an RN, I do not have experience diagnosing, treating and/or prescribing medications, or interpreting labs and radiology exams, so it is, in my opinion not the best experience for the APRN/NP role.

I want to believe that the APRN role is a good role and that it is worth it, so I am asking, can any APRN/NP's share their experience with me in this? How was the schooling, how are you liking your role as a NP, how does it fare against what you can see, against being a PA or even an MD/DO?

I just want to say, lastly, that I am not attempting to start any problems or attempting to degrade the field itself. These are just some observations/opinions on my end, but I do have an open mind, which is why I would appreciate feedback from fellow peers.

Thank you all!

Respectfully,

Andrew Garcia

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).

So why don't you become a PA?

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Good evening FullGlass, that's a good question lol. I'm trying to decide but I would like to hear from More NP's about their experiences with their schooling, and careers. How was your schooling? Did it prepare you well to take on an advanced role? How do you like your line of work? Do you enjoy it?

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Specializes in Neurology, Psychology, Family medicine.

I feel like this exact same topic has been said over and over these last two months. Trying to refrain from being rude, but this topic can easily be found by using the search button.

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Cool beans lwsoccjs. I'll look into it. I'm new to this thread, and just wanted to inquire about the questions I have, and in return speak to some Advanced Practice Nurses, so that I can use their advice as guidance for my future endeavors. Thanks again though.

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Specializes in Behavioral health.

The glass is not half empty. It's half full. I read many threads complaining about NP schools should teach this or teach that. Just because it's not in the curriculum doesn't mean you can't go beyond it on your own. The knowledge is available. It's online. It's in books. What to learn biochemistry or gross anatomy? Get the textbooks find some MOOC's and start learning. If you insist on the college classroom experience for academic credit, sign up for a tutorial study with a professor.

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Gentleman_nurse, you have a great and awesome point. I thought of that too, and I found a few books I am going to purchase. Also inquired at my local university about classes I want to take like cadaver anatomy. You make a great point, and valid point. We live in an age of information that is easily accesssible. Thank you for your input! Truly appreciated my good Sir!

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).
I feel like this exact same topic has been said over and over these last two months. Trying to refrain from being rude, but this topic can easily be found by using the search button.

Good evening FullGlass, that's a good question lol. I'm trying to decide but I would like to hear from More NP's about their experiences with their schooling, and careers. How was your schooling? Did it prepare you well to take on an advanced role? How do you like your line of work? Do you enjoy it?

I am very happy with my NP education. I don't think any new provider - NP, PA, MD, DO - feels really prepared. A good friend of mine just started his medical internship and was totally terrified. (Of course, he is doing fine). I'm a new grad NP and will be starting my first job in a few weeks. Yes, I am nervous, but that is normal.

If you want to have a general provider education, go the PA route.

If you know what you want to specialize in, like Peds Primary Care, Adult Acute Care, etc., then go the NP route. In addition, in 23 states and with the Veterans Admin, NPs now have full practice authority, so you could own your own practice in those states.

If you're ambitious, you can complete a dual track program and become both an NP and a PA:

M.S. — nurse practitioner and physician assistant dual-track program

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This sounds a lot like a troll.

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Hi Pedsnurse0977,

Nice to meet you. I guarantee you, I am no troll. I asked and shared a serious thought and requested peoples experiences, and observations. Part of asking and explaining things is to seek clarification and educate oneself. Unfortunately, some such as yourself, have nothing of substance to add to a conversation, but are really good at making idiotic assumptions. I am at a crossroads as far as what I want to do. I've been a nurse for a total of 12 years and I want to move forward, just as you want to with all your titles attached to your alias here. But the one thing all those lovely titles did not teach you, is how to give useful information, hold a conversation, and how to give proper advice, so thank you for your useless comment. What you speak correlates to who and what you are.

From one "troll" to the troll of trolls

Andrew

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

Welcome. Well here's the rub. Some schools don't adequately prepare you. If you attend EasyNP Online Skool.com then perhaps you won't get the education you desire, but if you attend a good school, maybe one that's affiliated with a medical school, then you'll be more than adequately prepared. I haven't understood a lot of these types of conversations because the school I go to has been superb and is preparing me extremely well. This semester we are taking an entire class in diagnostics, which is a follow up from the one last semester where we learned how to research pathology and associated clinical decision rules. We are being taught to read x-rays, interpret labs, apply it to real case studies of real patients and encouraged to diagnose patients appropriately and prepare our differentials. I've placed central lines, arterial lines, and worked alongside acute NPs who run the show in the ICU. My school also places me in clinicals in the top 4 hospitals in the state in the specialty of our choosing, and we have the best professors, the best sim labs and a wealth of collaboration with our affiliated medical school. Find the right program and you'll get the right education.

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