NP w/no desire for RN?

Well, not so much NO desire...but are there any NP's out there that wanted to become (and had their sights set on being an NP from day 1) an NP with no real 'drive' to be an RN first? My cousin is finishing up her RN-MSN program and never really wanted to become an RN, but she really wanted to become an NP, so she went the RN route to become an NP (which I know you have to do).

I know this is somewhat rare, but wondering are there any other NP's out there that looked at RN as kinda pre-NP school/clinical stuff in order to become an NP? Like, they may not be real thrilled with what they are doing (RN) but they know they have to do it in order to become an NP. Keep in mind I'm not saying you would hate being an RN or hate RN's or anything to that affect, but you dream has been to become an NP and RN school/work is a sort of necessary 'not the most enthusiastic' hurdle?

[Cyndee, MSN, NP]

Speaking as a nurse with years of psych experience, I find it hard to reconcile the thought of working night shift on a psych being a "piece of cake" with the much more likely reality that psych can be frustrating, unrewarding, and dangerous.

Psych is usually physically less demanding than, say, med-surg but all bets are off during a take-down of an aggressive/attacking patient. You also have to develop and use a high level of personal vigilance that is not commonly required in other areas of nursing. This refers to a constant awareness of your own physical safety as well as the monitoring of emotional involvement/attachment with your patients. If you don't keep your guard up in a healthy way, you can find yourself getting drawn in to the drama and "taken in" by patients who sometimes have decades of experience in staff splitting and the forming of inappropriate bonds.

Psych is a challenging and sometimes rewarding specialty, but it's not for the faint of heart.

Krissy, I've read some of your other posts and it seems like you are mostly looking for a door to get back into nursing. You could go after another credential, but that doesn't guarantee that you'll end up with what you want.

I think you may have something with the idea of volunteering. You could try several areas that sound appealing and get to know the staff and the atmosphere on a particular unit. As a volunteer, you aren't making a long-term committment. You can try different options till you find something you feel is a good fit. Then you can look into what it would take to find actual employment with that facility.

If you live anywhere near a children's hospital, that might be a good place to start. With both nursing and teaching degrees, you might find opportunities with a child life department.

I'm not putting down the idea of becoming an NP. Only saying that in your particular circumstances there might be quicker ways of accomplishing your goals.

I also worked psych for years, including travel assignments from New York City to Colorado and everywhere in between. I worked every shift on every unit and by far the easiest job I have ever had was working psych at night. Every single person I have ever worked with during the night shift concurred. In fact, I worked the night shift during graduate school and was able to study or write papers at least 85% of the time while I was at work. The vast majority of the night shift workers were pursuing degrees and they specifically worked psych so they would have all that "down" time to study. Of course, working other shifts was very stressful and there was absolutely no time to study.

[rn/writer, RN]

I also worked psych for years, including travel assignments from New York City to Colorado and everywhere in between. I worked every shift on every unit and by far the easiest job I have ever had was working psych at night. Every single person I have ever worked with during the night shift concurred. In fact, I worked the night shift during graduate school and was able to study or write papers at least 85% of the time while I was at work. The vast majority of the night shift workers were pursuing degrees and they specifically worked psych so they would have all that "down" time to study. Of course, working other shifts was very stressful and there was absolutely no time to study.

I worked nights, too, and you're right that down time is common. But where I worked there were scary times as well. Insomnia is a frequent complaint among psych patients. And some knew that we were staffed much lighter on third shift and picked then to act out or try to elope.

I'm not disagreeing that night shift on a non-medical unit can have some advantages. I just don't think it would give Krissy what she is looking for.

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

After much staff discussion, this thread is now closed. Thank you for all the responses that were informational and served to educate the individual seeking NP.