NP specialty/women's health, natural medicine nutrition?

NHavenRN · Jul 8, 2006

I don't know much about this, but I believe you can receive an MSN in holistic nursing from certain schools, and I'm pretty sure one of the nurses I work with, who has her MSN in holistic nursing, had the option of sitting for NP boards if she'd finished another class or two (can you tell how little I know about this??).

Another route for you might be an ND program = naturopathic doctor (I think), which I believe would take less time than a DO/MD program. Hope that helps a little!

arciedee · Jul 13, 2006

I don't know much about this, but I believe you can receive an MSN in holistic nursing from certain schools, and I'm pretty sure one of the nurses I work with, who has her MSN in holistic nursing, had the option of sitting for NP boards if she'd finished another class or two (can you tell how little I know about this??).
Another route for you might be an ND program = naturopathic doctor (I think), which I believe would take less time than a DO/MD program. Hope that helps a little!

ND programs are actually 4 years long as well. And there are only about 5 or 6 in the country right now.

Josh L.Ac. · Jul 14, 2006

And the main criticism of the ND programs is the lack of clinical training. I think on average they see 400-500 patients to graduate, and the chances of getting one of the few residency slots is pretty slim.

But if you get the ND degree [4 years] from Bastyr University, you can do a FNP bridge at Seattle University [i think it is 14 months]. This is a great option if you don't mind the extra year. This way you see more patients plus you have a combined scope of practice between the two professions.

brownrice · Jul 14, 2006

Hi:

I attended one of the "four" ND schools for one year. It was Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. (Tempe Arizona) I realized however that it was not really grounded in "usable' scientific knowledge, and that I was not building a very strong base. In addition, these schools will cost about 100k if you graduate in 4 years, more if not. IF I were to attend one of these schools again, it would be Bastyr only.

Therefore, I am getting my FNP. Then, if I want, I can pick and choose which natural modalities I would like to incorporate into my practice. I can take a seminar or workshop here and there. MUCH CHEAPER OPTION-SAME KNOWLEDGE! For ex: why pay to learn about homeopathy if you never intend on using it? Read about it in a damn book, it's free that way!

So, the message is, don't get the ND and then bridge to NP. You'll have school debt you could never imagine, and it can be extremely tough to find work as an ND. The reality is that the rest of the practitioners in healthcare still do not really view ND's as knowing what they are doing. This is fair judgment based on what I saw graduating from my school, and knowing what type education they had received. Sad but true. The day I left the school was when I walked out of a class after the instructor brought in a dowsing rod. He continued to guide it around the room, finding the negative energy in the room. That was the last straw, I was so disgusted.

There is promise in alternative medicine, especially that which is gounded with testing done by scientific principle. But an educational program or instructors that make a mockery of it are really doing the profession an injustice. Be careful if you choose to study this formally.

Josh L.Ac. · Jul 14, 2006

Hi:
I attended one of the "four" ND schools for one year. It was Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. (Tempe Arizona) I realized however that it was not really grounded in "usable' scientific knowledge, and that I was not building a very strong base. In addition, these schools will cost about 100k if you graduate in 4 years, more if not. IF I were to attend one of these schools again, it would be Bastyr only.
Therefore, I am getting my FNP. Then, if I want, I can pick and choose which natural modalities I would like to incorporate into my practice. I can take a seminar or workshop here and there. MUCH CHEAPER OPTION-SAME KNOWLEDGE! For ex: why pay to learn about homeopathy if you never intend on using it? Read about it in a damn book, it's free that way!
So, the message is, don't get the ND and then bridge to NP. You'll have school debt you could never imagine, and it can be extremely tough to find work as an ND. The reality is that the rest of the practitioners in healthcare still do not really view ND's as knowing what they are doing. This is fair judgment based on what I saw graduating from my school, and knowing what type education they had received. Sad but true. The day I left the school was when I walked out of a class after the instructor brought in a dowsing rod. He continued to guide it around the room, finding the negative energy in the room. That was the last straw, I was so disgusted.
There is promise in alternative medicine, especially that which is gounded with testing done by scientific principle. But an educational program or instructors that make a mockery of it are really doing the profession an injustice. Be careful if you choose to study this formally.

A dowsing rod? Wow. I think the worst I heard about the ND program at Bastyr was people doing interperative dances about crystals or something like that.

You point about the debt is should be so painfully obvious to me it must be a denial-coping mechanism causing me to forget about that. My cost-per-credit hour for acupuncture was the same as the ND program, so my debt was pretty high after school.

The point that, as a ND, you are required to learn about modalities you might never want to learn is also right on. I had countless friends that hated homepathy but they still had to take a few classes on it and also study it for the boards.

Yeah, being a FNP and doing seminars is probably a much better way to go.