Need Advice on FNP school!

Specialties NP

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hi, i have been a nurse for about 2 years, but with only about 7 months real experience in the hospital. i am wanting to go back to school for fnp, but am a little concerned that i don't have enough experience. my questions are: do i need a lot more experience to be a good np out of school? when you get hired as a new np does the job come with an orientation? i love diagnosing and treating patients, i think i am just a little scared of increasing my level of responsibility when there is so much i don't know already!

thanks to all who reply!!

Thank you so much! I feel the same way!

Sorry, I wanted to agree with Browndog, ER and ICU is where I would like to be it is just hard to go there with just coming off of orientation 2 months ago. I do have an interview tomorrow but it is med surg, which would be less hectic than IMC

Browndog, what do you think about home health with sick children as patients in a vent/trach environment? Also I am already ACLS qualified out of school.

Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.
PS: Also I was told I needed doctor's recommendations. When the heck do I have time to network with doctor's or get to know them on night shift! So I don't know what type of recommendations I need to get me into that program.

Now that just makes me angry!!! Once again, it perpetuates the notion that we are doctors' handmaidens and their opinion counts so much more than people who acutally know you well and can speak to your abilities. I would think your unit manager's or DON's opinion would be much more valuable. Are there any other programs you could look into?

Specializes in Trauma, Emergency, Urgent Care.

If it were me I would put myself in a position to learn as much as possible.

For my money, that means being around as many bright people (attendings, residents, mid-levels, RNs, PTs, RTs etc) and as many sick patients (ICU, ER) as possible. Home health care is a practice setting where you are generally on an intellectual island. Go with a high-level, high-volume ED or ICU. The learning opportunities are different between them, but both provide the potential for an accelerated clinical education.

Really stretch yourself. Make yourself uncomfortable now, as an RN, so you will be less so as an APN.

browndog

If it were me I would put myself in a position to learn as much as possible.

For my money, that means being around as many bright people (attendings, residents, mid-levels, RNs, PTs, RTs etc) and as many sick patients (ICU, ER) as possible. Home health care is a practice setting where you are generally on an intellectual island. Go with a high-level, high-volume ED or ICU. The learning opportunities are different between them, but both provide the potential for an accelerated clinical education.

Really stretch yourself. Make yourself uncomfortable now, as an RN, so you will be less so as an APN.

browndog

Great advice! I am just having a problem getting a job in ICU and ER, everybody wants med surg and IMC b/c there is such high turnover! I agree with you I have been trying to get to a teaching hospital in ICU but with this economy the GN positions were filled in June and I didn't have the opportunity. For me ICU and ER are more fun than what I am doing. I LOVE the intellectual aspect and love what doctors do more than the nursing tasks. I LOVE the mental part of nursing! Thanks for all your input, very helpful for me! I will let you know if I get an ER/ICU job. I will be doing the HH part time, it does include taking care of very sick children and I will be alone so that training might come in handy for the pediatric part of FNP experience!

So glad to see this post. My plan had always been to work for 2-3 years as an RN (hopefully in an ER) before applying to a FNP program.....but all of my Prof's are recommending that I go straight into my grad program after graduation.

Today, I spoke with an advisor from one of the grad programs I'm looking at and they also said that it's better to go straight from my BS in nursing program to grad school.

If you plan on working while you are in FNP school, then your skills will continue to grow.

If you plan on working while you are in FNP school, then your skills will continue to grow.

Whether I go straight to school or work for several years first, either way my plan is to work while I'm in my Grad program.

Curious me, which school wants you to go to their program right out of school? My school won't accept RN's out of school, they want 1 yr experience and preferably 2! I prefer FNP work better but it seems I have to gut it out for 2 years and I am not getting the opportunity to do ICU or ER?

Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.

The thing I would be worried about becoming an NP without previous RN experience is your potential marketability after you graduate. I do know that in my region, almost all the jobs advertised want at least 3 years of RN experience, with previous NP experience preferred - obviously these are jobs that are not really trying to recruit new grads, but at least with a few years of nursing experience under your belt you do stand a better chance of being able to sell yourself for job asking for the above experience.

As far as what type of nursing to get into which would help you as a future NP, I agree with ED nursing (especially for a FNP program). You see the whole age spectrum, plus many of the patients are there for things that could be handled in the office setting. You get the chance to see the labs, X-rays, EKGs, etc. ordered and interpreted right there and then. If you wanted to go the ACNP route, then ICU/CCU is the place to be.

Good luck! :)

Curious me, which school wants you to go to their program right out of school? My school won't accept RN's out of school, they want 1 yr experience and preferably 2! I prefer FNP work better but it seems I have to gut it out for 2 years and I am not getting the opportunity to do ICU or ER?

I spoke with admissions for the University of Pennsylvania.....not "my" school....just one of the ones that I'm looking at. I won't graduate with my BS in nursing until June of 2011.

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