Family Practice Prior to NP

[revolution]

Hypothetically, if someone wanted to be a FNP, would entering into a general/family private practice as a RN serve well? I would think that someone wanting to practice family health care would benefit enormously by actually working in family care as a RN prior to being a NP.

I am not sure if the hospital route is the only feasible option for such a specialty.

Your take?

[LisaDNP]

I think being a clinic nurse for a family practice MD or group would be a good segway into becoming a FNP, but the students in my cohort that did the best and had the easiest transition were the ER nurses.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Agree that acute care experience is a good route. It will give you a better feel for assessment skills as well as ancillary testing and interaction with ill patients and their families.

[ANPFNPGNP]

Hypothetically, if someone wanted to be a FNP, would entering into a general/family private practice as a RN serve well? I would think that someone wanting to practice family health care would benefit enormously by actually working in family care as a RN prior to being a NP.

I am not sure if the hospital route is the only feasible option for such a specialty.

Your take?

I've never quite understood why people think that working in a hospital will benefit their primary care skills b/c it doesn't make sense. Hospital care and primary care are 2 different balls of wax. I think RN's who seek to become FNP's would benefit immensely in a famly practice setting, even though it probably won't pay as much. I sure wish I had worked in internal medicine or family practice before going to NP school. My hospital experience really didn't help me in primary care.