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Discussion

NPs in the ER?

I apologize if this has been asked elsewhere...I'm just starting out on the road to nursing. In my preliminary looking around, I seem to be leaning towards a long term goal of becoming an NP. I think my interest lies in the emergency room, as I did a stint as an EMT back in the early 90s. That said, do emergency rooms in Illinois hire NPs? What schools should I look at for this? I have a B.A. degree, and am working on my nursing prereqs right now. Unfortunately, I'm a much more committed student in my 30s than I was back when, so my GPA with my undergrad is nothing to write home about, although I am 4.0 now. Would any of these schools that offer the bridge to a master's even look at me, or am I better off getting my RN at a community college or the BSN before I think about the master's? I know there's about 50 questions I've asked, but as an older student I really don't want to waste time if there's a faster way to go about it. Thanks! :D

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    In Illinois, the only school that does direct entry into advanced practice is the University of Illinois at Chicago. If you wanted to start in January 2011 you need to apply now, so I'd call their nursing dept. up to ask about that.

    As for the rest - you'll need to get an RN somehow before getting your NP. I'd concentrate at doing that and worrying about the APN once you have your first nursing job where you'll get your year of experience.

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    I'm an adult health CNS who works prn in a community hospital ER. However, I am back in school since I need to be able to see kids.

    My advice for APNs that want to work in the ER: a dual ACNP/PNP.

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    Thanks, TraumaRus. It's good to know there's a place for that. I'm trying to decide whether it makes sense to to an RN to MSN bridge (since I have a B.A.) or whether I should try to go somewhere for the BSN and then see. I read your blog about 10 easy steps to an APN. LOL.

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    • Experts

    Yep, the lol was quite tongue in cheek or foot in mouth, depending on the day!

    The joke between hubby and myself is that my social security check will pay off my student loans!

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    I am in a grad-entry program right now and it's great! There are a lot of people with a medical background not in nursing (RT's/EMT's/Army medics/etc.), and it definitely gives them an edge when it comes to clinicals, IMO. If you already have your bachelors, I would totally go for it. I think the emphasis the school places on your GPA depends on the school. Most of them place more weight on your GPA in the pre-requisites than the rest of your schooling. I think if you write a good statement, have good references, and a reasonable GRE score, you should be fine, as long as your GPA is above the minimum that particular school requires.

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    • Author

    Can i be nosy and ask where you go?

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    Ohio State. It's a fantastic program!

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    I'm a new graduate acute care PNP who started out with a business degree before going into nursing. My goal at the start, like yours, was to become a nurse practitioner. I had aspirations of getting through my BSN and MSN as quickly as possible to get where I (finally) knew where I wanted to go. I, too, looked at direct-entry MSN programs as a means to to this, but I ultimately decided to do an accelerated BSN first, get some experience, and THEN decided what specialty I wanted for my MSN. Yes, it took more time, but every single ounce of experience I had as an RN was invaluable to me to get through my MSN. (I've been a nurse for 4 years and did the MSN during the last 2.5 years).

    My interests changed after I had been working as a nurse, and by the time I applied to grad school, I was confident in the specialty I chose. My advice, too, if you want to work in the ED as an NP eventually: get critical care experience. ICU experience is especially invaluable.

    Just my 2 cents, but I hope this helps!

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