NP vs CRNA vs CNM

Mpompo838, MSN · Sep 14, 2016

BSN** lol and I know they are all MSN degrees as well.

SnowShoeRN · Sep 14, 2016

Congrats on graduating! Have you done any of your own research yet? This is a pretty broad topic and you might have better luck both for yourself and with the AN community if you have specific questions you're looking to get addressed. Try googling things like "advanced practice nursing roles" and "types of advanced practice nurses" to find more info. It's pretty easy to find answers to your questions as far as comparing and contrasting the roles. You could also try searching the AN site to check out similar threads that have already addressed the issues you're wanting to learn more about. Best of luck.

PG2018 · Sep 14, 2016

I like to sit and talk (but not for more than 15 minutes) > psychiatry

I don't like getting up early, critical care, or IV and anything connected to them

I do like sleeping patients and intubating is fun > anesthesia

I like broad based, generalized healthcare > family practice

I hate people coughing on me

I don't like handling babies

I don't like gynecology

I like vague, subjective, diffuse, qualitative complaints

If I had to ask someone to rate their pain again I'd need psychiatry

I like working in a capacity others are leary of > psychiatry

So for me, psych won.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Sep 15, 2016

I wanted to be a CRNA really bad, but I am the sole breadwinner of my family and so not working for two years was out of the question, and so I did the next best thing: acute care NP. I'll still get to work with the critically ill and hopefully even surgery/OR. If you have to work during school then NP is a good way to go. Just something to bear in mind.

AAC.271 · Sep 21, 2016

If you are a good student, you are still young enough to try and become a physican. If you are struggling in class and not generally good at academics, NP is an excellent option for young students for the time being as admission requirements are fairly low at the moment. However, I forsee stiffening of admissions and much more regulation of the profession as we gain more recognition.

It's like the early days of the DO degree. Very maligned degree because "med school rejects" went to it, but its standards improved so much and now it is very reputable. I see the same happening with the NP degree as it is in its infancy, so now is such a good chance to get your foot into the profession because it will really skyrocket with residencies, mandatory DNP etc.. and they shut down all the crappy schools.

However, if you are young and very good at academics maybe the MD route is okay. I confess that I struggled and could not get into medical school but always wanted to become a provider, so NP was the next best route for me to get my feet into the profession. I am always grateful that I was able to get in at the perfect time when we are gaining recognition and independence, while admissions for schools have not gotten ridiculously compeetive yet.

PG2018 · Sep 21, 2016

Nevermind

reggaemuffin, MSN, NP, CNS · Sep 21, 2016

If you are a good student, you are still young enough to try and become a physican. If you are struggling in class and not generally good at academics, NP is an excellent option for young students for the time being as admission requirements are fairly low at the moment. However, I forsee stiffening of admissions and much more regulation of the profession as we gain more recognition.
It's like the early days of the DO degree. Very maligned degree because "med school rejects" went to it, but its standards improved so much and now it is very reputable. I see the same happening with the NP degree as it is in its infancy, so now is such a good chance to get your foot into the profession because it will really skyrocket with residencies, mandatory DNP etc.. and they shut down all the crappy schools.
However, if you are young and very good at academics maybe the MD route is okay. I confess that I struggled and could not get into medical school but always wanted to become a provider, so NP was the next best route for me to get my feet into the profession. I am always grateful that I was able to get in at the perfect time when we are gaining recognition and independence, while admissions for schools have not gotten ridiculously compeetive yet.

This really varies school by school. I think telling someone NP is a good choice If you are struggling in academics is bad advice. My grad school was extremely competitive. You weren't getting in without close to 4.0- it is one of the top ten NP schools in the country but I know others that are just as stringent.

We should not be perpetuating that type of reputation for NPs. You should strive to get into the best school possible so you can get the best education and become an excellent provider. If your academic institution doesn't have the same standards then you should personally. You will have people's lives in your hands. That is an awesome responsibility that should be taken seriously and respected.

allnurses Guide · Sep 21, 2016

Totally agree with above. Good NP programs are extremely competitive and you won't get in with mediocre grades, and you won't stay in if you don't work hard and get top grades. Advanced practice nursing is not some consolation prize for MD wannabes. It is a distinct and honorable profession where you have tremendous responsibility for peoples' health and well being.

Work for a couple of years and see what you like. You may like hospital vs. outpatient, critical care vs. primary care, peds vs, adults. Your work experience will help you decide if you want to further your education and in what setting. You don't have to decide now.

AndersRN · Sep 21, 2016

This really varies school by school. I think telling someone NP is a good choice If you are struggling in academics is bad advice. My grad school was extremely competitive. You weren't getting in without close to 4.0- it is one of the top ten NP schools in the country but I know others that are just as stringent.
We should not be perpetuating that type of reputation for NPs. You should strive to get into the best school possible so you can get the best education and become an excellent provider. If your academic institution doesn't have the same standards then you should personally. You will have people's lives in your hands. That is an awesome responsibility that should be taken seriously and respected.

I agree with many things you said in your post, but it is what is it right now... Admission to NP school on 'average' is very lax. Of course there are VERY good NP schools... However, NP school has probably the worst admission standard out of all healthcare professions that award grad degree... If I had to rank them, it would be like: MD > DO~DMD/DSS > PA > OD > PharmD > PT > OT > NP.

You have students posting here asking help to find preceptors... How is that even freaking possible that these schools are accredited?

allnurses Guide · Sep 21, 2016

You need to to a lot more research before you even think about graduate school/advanced practice or you are going to waste a lot of time and money. I know you said you have done research, but you are talking about three very different and very distinct roles that share in common only that they are all APN roles. Shadow some APNs in each setting and try and have at least a general idea about what YOU want to do with your life before thinking about investing in grad school.

PG2018 · Sep 21, 2016

I agree with many things you said in your post, but it is what is it right now... Admission to NP school on 'average' is very lax. Of course there are VERY good NP schools... However, NP school has probably the worst admission standard out of all healthcare professions that award grad degree... If I had to rank them, it would be like: MD > DO~DMD/DSS > PA > OD > PharmD > PT > OT > NP.
You have students posting here asking help to find preceptors... How is that even freaking possible that these schools are accredited?

You can place DVM ahead of MD.

Clinical psychology PHD programs are hard to get in too I hear.