Nurse Practitioner Career Trajectory

[GraysAnaTummy]

Greetings, fellow healthcare warriors.

As a midlife career changer, I am in the process of satisfying a few prerequisite courses in preparation for application and entry into a nursing program with the ultimate goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner. I envision myself starting off as a travelling provider serving vulnerable and marginalized populations including, but not limited to: Native Americans, the elderly, LGBTQ, people of color, rural americans and undocumented residents. Alongside whatever years of bedside practice my midlife body can endure, I would like to use these experiences to direct research and teaching at the university level for as long as I have life. (I am especially interested in the genetic, social determinants and treatments of and for mental health.)

A bit about me:

I am presently employed as a nursing assistant in a PCU/Telemetry unit and, just prior to this, was an activities assistant to people with dementia. I possess a BA in Sociology and a BA in Biology (graduated Cum Laude). My love of people and support for equality goes back as long as I can remember.  Before the career change decision took place a few years ago, I worked for a number of years as a paralegal at a firm specializing in special education and elder law and also as an elementary school paraprofessional. While attending college, I was awarded five individual National Science Foundation LSAMP grants and served for five years as a research assistant. With these experiences in hand, I feel I am decently equipped and prepared for the rigor of a graduate program and for working with people, teaching and research.  However, choosing the right program is still unclear. From what I have gathered thus far, the educational options I appear to have are an Accelerated BSN OR a direct entry MSN to either a DNP or, perhaps more appropriately, a PhD in Nursing.

I am hoping there is someone out there with comparable experience/ambitions who can extend some insight into what educational trajectory they followed, what types of preparatory employment they secured, and why they considered these things to be the best options for the task at hand. 

Thank you in advance for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.  

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Awesome background!

Personally I think its important for an NP to have bedside experience. However, there are many that disagree with me on that. 

That said if time is of the essence, ie you are older (and I don't mean OLD, I mean >50) you might want to do a direct entry. Again, I would choose MSN but if teaching is your ultimate goal, then a DNP is needed. A PhD is non-clinical so may not be in your set of goals.