Changed My Mind

7starbuck7 · Apr 13, 2008

Good luck to you. I feel your pain, I don't know what I want to be when I grow up either....I wish I had a crystal ball:)

Trauma Columnist · Apr 13, 2008

Craig - I think you are on the right track: finish your MSN and then decide. THat's what I did and don't regret it.

yellow finch, BSN, RN · Apr 14, 2008

Best of luck to you, Craig. Are you attending Emory? I think that's the only ACNP program in the Atl area (I'm in Atl, too!).

Like you, I find that FNP isn't my goal anymore, but now that I'm finishing in December I've decided to complete it and hope that the peds part of the boards aren't too impossible.

If nothing else, there are tons of post-masters programs online that you can complete after entering a master's level field. That can broaden your options beyond the basic NP programs offered here in this city.

CraigB-RN, MSN, RN · Apr 14, 2008

No I"m not doing EMories program. I'm pretty new here to Atlanta. THe post graduate program is what I"m planning on doing. I'm hoping by that time I'll have a better idea what I want to be when I grow up. I'll also have a better idea what the market for ACNP's here in Atlanta is going to be.

jalma527 · Apr 17, 2008

That's a good idea. I've been working as a FNP for a little over 2 years now and I'm not really happy. In the middle of my program I thought about quitting and just stuck it out. I'm happy I did because now I know for sure that it's not for me and I'd hate to regret it or have doubts but if you are feeling that it's not for you trust your instinct.

ILoveIceCream · Apr 18, 2008

That's a good idea. I've been working as a FNP for a little over 2 years now and I'm not really happy. In the middle of my program I thought about quitting and just stuck it out. I'm happy I did because now I know for sure that it's not for me and I'd hate to regret it or have doubts but if you are feeling that it's not for you trust your instinct.

I'm curious...do you mind sharing what you don't like about being an FNP?

Thanks. :)

yellow finch, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2008

That's a good idea. I've been working as a FNP for a little over 2 years now and I'm not really happy. In the middle of my program I thought about quitting and just stuck it out. I'm happy I did because now I know for sure that it's not for me and I'd hate to regret it or have doubts but if you are feeling that it's not for you trust your instinct.

That's ironic. Now that I graduate in 8 months, I realize that FNP isn't what I want. ACNP would be a better fit. At this point there's not reason to quit, though. I can't transfer to another school without losing credits, so I'm grinning and bearing it.

llg, PhD, RN · Apr 18, 2008

If some of you don't mind sharing ... at what point in your career did you decide to aim for an FNP specialty?

I am in a position to advise a lot of nursing students. So many of them seem to have decided that they want to be an FNP (or PNP) even before they start nursing school (or while they are in school.) I always advise them to keep their options open for a few years to get a chance to actually experience nursing practice and to find out "who they are as a nurse" before making such a big investment in a graduate program.

I usually suggest that they work for at least a year before entering graduate school ... and then to start school part time if possible to give themselves a chance to find out what they really like and don't like about nursing and to find out where their true talents lie. I tell them that I have met lots of people who have gone through all or most of their graduate programs only to discover that they don't like where it has gotten them.

So ... at what point in your careers did you decide to head in the NP direction? Why did you pursue that? ... And where did you go wrong in your decision-making process?

Really, I don't mean to offend anyone. NP's are fine people and it is the right career choice for a lot of people. However, I have talked to very few BSN students who DON'T say they plan to go to grad school very soon after graduation and become an NP. I know it is not the right choice for all them and I need to understand that phenomenon so that I can give them good advice.

Thanks.

yellow finch, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2008

llg, my first job out of nursing school was a miserable experience. The nurses were nothing short of psychotic, the type that "eat their young", made orientation difficult by not being there to teach (sometimes you couldn't even find them), were more interested in chatting up the doctors... you know the type. I've recently met a number of agency nurses who've worked their 3 months there and call them the "nursing mafia". :uhoh21: At least I know it wasn't me.

Anyway, after 6 months of that I decided that nursing wasn't for me. I wasn't going to spend the rest of my life in sheer misery. I've had several careers before nursing (I was 34 when graduating) and never came across anything that compared to this experience.

So, I spent about a month breaking down my future. Not knowing what I wanted to do I looked at general MSN programs, read up on the different specialties, and eventually decided that NP was my best fit since education, CNS, and the like didn't appear to be the right type of jobs for me. Then I reviewed the various NP fields. The only NPs I knew were FNP, had heard that it was the broadest scope for mid-levels, and could find a job pretty much anywhere with it. That's when I started looking at schools.

In any case, now that I've been a nurse for 3 years, have completed my first big semester of clinicals in a family practice office, I realize that FNP in a doctor's office would be the death of me. I want to specialize, have found that peds terrify me, don't know how I'll face OB patients (I'm dealing with long-term fertility issues and have a hard time looking at pg women), and want to be certain that my scope of practice will encompass the type of jobs I'm looking at.

Granted, a Pulmonologist I spoke with thought that a FNP in the office would be able to provide primary care in addition to respiratory care leading to more billing and income. That might help with my future. Maybe this really is where I'm supposed to be. What I found funny the other day was an ACNP told me that her degree was the best because she could do anything... but to myself I thought nuh-uh... only FNPs can do "anything".

Yes, I like playing the role of NP. The whole process is mentally stimulating and I look forward to my future. At least I didn't go wrong with the basics. It's just that ACNP seems like a better fit since primary care isn't something I enjoy. Still, how could I have ever experienced it before starting school. Maybe shadowing various NPs would have helped.

Sorry for the crazy long post. I wanted to be sure to give you the type of insight that I've been reflecting upon the last couple of months so you could give some good examples to your students.

P.S. I really, really, really like my current job and coworkers, but definitely don't want to do it for the next 40 years.

:paw:

Trauma Columnist · Apr 18, 2008

llg - I am one of those who loved staff nursing. I loved the ER and would have worked there forever. However, as I go to my mid-40's (I had been an RN for 8 years at this point), I realized that I might not be able to keep up the pace until I was 70! So...back to school I went. I will be brutally honest here and say that I didn't do my research when I made this decision. I had to do a BSN first then I went right into an MSN with a focus in management and leadership. When I got out of that program, I realized, oops, I wanted a clinical focus. So...since I had huge student loans, I went back to the college of nursing at the hospital where I wored and all they offered was the CNS, either adult or pediatric. So...I did the post-MSN adult health CNS and then there were no APN positions at the hsopital when I finished! So...I had to look outside the hospital which meant that on my last day at the hospital, I had to bring a very large check with me since I owed them the tuition reimbursement.

I tell this story so that others can avoid my very costly mistake. Investigate thoroughly the job options for the degree you plan to get BEFORE you sign up for classes.

jalma527 · Apr 18, 2008

I apologize for this lengthy response.:typing

My goal was always to be a FNP. Toward the end of my undergraduate schooling I was in a MVA, car vs pedestrian, I was the pedestrian. The accident left me with depression that was undiagnosed for sometime and affecting my physical health, it wasn't until I met a FNP who asked me what was going on with my life mentally and socially that I was diagnosed and received mental health therapy. The care that the FNP provided made me look into the field. Prior to this I was already interested in public health and was planning on getting a MPH. So a career as an FNP made me feel like I would be able to make a difference in community health and help people on an individual level (I was right about that).

I researched the education and training I would need. I was in my senior year of college as a sociology major at a university that didn't even offer nursing (University of California). So I discovered that I'd need a BSN and MSN with FNP training. If I had gone back for a 2nd undergrad career and worked a couple years in between that and a MSN program (traditional route)I'd just be finishing my graduate degree this year.

Instead I was accepted into a Master's Entry Program in Nursing which included an accelerated year of RN training and then I started my graduate program immediately after. At the same time as the grad portion I worked part-time as a RN on a med/surg floor and much to my suprise I LOVED it. At that time I even considered stopping grad school and continuing my career as a RN, but I figured I was already half way through, might as well finish it, and continue with my original plan knowing that I would always have the option to return to RN work.

I have worked as a true FNP in primary care seeing pts of all ages and conditions (except prenatal care) for nearly 3 years and therefore I feel like I've given it a fair shake. It's just not as enjoyable for me as working as a staff nurse was.

I realize that I may go back to the hospital and work as a RN and dislike that too now that my knowledge and experience is different but I think it's worth a shot.

I'm glad I have a masters because I think it makes me more marketable, and the education and training I have make me feel confident that I can be successful in a variety of positions/specialties.

In my experience many people who plan to become NPs do so because they think it's what they "should do". It's viewed as more prestigious "you're almost a doctor". The majority of people who were in my cohort in my masters entry program were pre-med. I found this outlook ridiculously annoying. You are and always will be a nurse! And that is something you should be proud of!

But I digress...

I always tell nurses and nursing students to take their time. Do not put pressure on yourself. Be proud of the work you are doing, you are not "just an RN". There are many options in nursing. If you aren't happy with what you are doing don't assume you need a masters or NP to make a change. Think about other fields or certifications. Try to spend time with NPs in a variety of fields to see what their day is like and ask them what they like and dislike about their roles, do this before you even apply to grad school to get an idea of what specialty would be right for you. Also working as a RN in an outpatient setting where NPs practice is a good chance to get a feeling for the job, the environment, the type of patients etc. I worked for 1 year as a triage nurse in a community clinic, during my second masters year, much like the one I took an NP job in and that really helped me know what to expect. I also know a FNP who worked in a OB/GYN clinic for a few years and that helped her decide who career path as a midwife.

Hope this helps anyone who is still reading.

:nuke: