What do you think about...

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What do you think about nurses who become nurses just for the sake of becoming a nurse practitioner? Do you think one must enjoy being an RN in order to make a good nurse practitioner or do you think the sooner you become a nurse practitioner the better off you'll be. I'm just curious how others feel about the subject.

You shouldn't get "flamed" for this one. I agree. My experience as an RN before becoming an NP has only enhanced my practice. I am a better NP because of the experiences and knowledge I have had while being a staff RN. My RN experience is priceless, I learned things that none of my graduate courses could have ever taught me. I'm not saying that one can not be a good NP without being an RN first, my point: it's an added benefit.

The reason I choose to see NPs is because I hope they have a different attitude than PAs and physicians. They have been there on the patient side. I always ask the office staff if the NP I am planning on seeing worked as a nurse first and for how long. I don't want to see someone who just want to school to be an NP. They often don't know, but will get back to me with the answer.

Given the choice of an MD and a NP with no nursing experience, I will take the MD. At least I know he did a lot of hours of residency. I know that nurses aren't diagnosing, etc when working as a nurse, but they are still gaining the experience and are oftentimes quicker to diagnose something than the docs who are taking care of the patient because they are there all day long with their patients. Someone who goes to NP school just doesn't have those instincts or experience, IMHO.

The reason I choose to see NPs is because I hope they have a different attitude than PAs and physicians. They have been there on the patient side. I always ask the office staff if the NP I am planning on seeing worked as a nurse first and for how long. I don't want to see someone who just want to school to be an NP. They often don't know, but will get back to me with the answer.

Given the choice of an MD and a NP with no nursing experience, I will take the MD. At least I know he did a lot of hours of residency. I know that nurses aren't diagnosing, etc when working as a nurse, but they are still gaining the experience and are oftentimes quicker to diagnose something than the docs who are taking care of the patient because they are there all day long with their patients. Someone who goes to NP school just doesn't have those instincts or experience, IMHO.

BreastfeedingRN, I really have to disagree with some of your statements. Does a NP with many years of nursing experience make a better NP than a NP with fewer nursing experience years? I think not. I did not have many years of nurisng experience when I went to NP school and I could run circles around alot to the veteran nurses in the NP program. I don't have a problem with some nurses going to be a NP with a few years of nursing experience. If that is what you want to do, then do it. A lot of nurses do not have the balls to do it and would rather just stay in their comfort zone at the bedside. Many physicians and hospitals are hiring those same NPs with hardly no nursing experience. In my opinion, it is not the nursing experience you have, but the NP experience that makes you a better NP. In planning my visit at the doctors office I would ask how much NP experience the NP has instead of how long he/she worked as a nurse! I don't hear people saying you should have tons of nursing assistant experience before you become an RN.

Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
I'm in a direct entry NP program. For those that don't know, it's an accelerated program designed for people with non-nursing/medical degrees to come back to graduate school and become RNs and NPs.

MOST of the tracks do not require any working time as an RN prior to the NP clinicals and other advanced classes. But, most of those tracks are office care focused. I guess it's not as big of a deal there potentially.

My track (NNP) requires two years in the NICU before you can do any of your advance practice coursework. (I think that may be a national requirement) I am consistently surprised by the number of people who are put off by that, but I'm thrilled - this program was actually the way for me to get my RN the fastest, and the opportunity to become an NNP is icing - nursing is my first goal.

I would think that especially in any high acuity setting, there would be a benefit to having hands on experience as a nurse prior to taking the NP coursework.

Hi there,

The specialty I am choosing is the Adult care and we can take our core courses after our RN licensure but have to have some time in before starting our specialty.

The time frame for me would be the same for BSN or ADN as it is for the RN portion of the program but, the courseload is what is different. I have six classes left for the ADN and two years to complete another Bachellors, (this one as BSN of course) or the RN portion of the program I am going into. The main difference is intensity.

I guess if I wanted to make less stress I could take the 2 year, six class option towards the ADN but, my aim would be to still complete the in between stuff for the BSN then to the MSN. I did take the BSN non-nursing courses at my College while I am in the process of completing my non-nursing degree.

The direct intry program has a non-stop 15 month NCLEX-RN preparation. I am also enrolled to complete my ADN though and have not been accepted yet to the direct entry program, (application deadline is not over yet.)

Thanks for reading,

Gennaver

BreastfeedingRN, I really have to disagree with some of your statements. Does a NP with many years of nursing experience make a better NP than a NP with fewer nursing experience years? I think not. I did not have many years of nurisng experience when I went to NP school and I could run circles around alot to the veteran nurses in the NP program. I don't have a problem with some nurses going to be a NP with a few years of nursing experience. If that is what you want to do, then do it. A lot of nurses do not have the balls to do it and would rather just stay in their comfort zone at the bedside. Many physicians and hospitals are hiring those same NPs with hardly no nursing experience. In my opinion, it is not the nursing experience you have, but the NP experience that makes you a better NP. In planning my visit at the doctors office I would ask how much NP experience the NP has instead of how long he/she worked as a nurse! I don't hear people saying you should have tons of nursing assistant experience before you become an RN.

i totally respect your opinion and i have my reasons for mine. my main problem is with people who go to direct entry programs and have basically no experience being a nurse and their title is a nurse practitioner. or have no desire to actually be a nurse for awhile and in my opinion look down on what nurses do.

as for not having the "balls to do it'" i think that has nothing to do it. before having children i wanted to work as a nurse for 5 years and then go to NP school. after having a child, my priorities have changed. nothing to do with not having the "balls" to go to NP school. i like working 2 days a week and being home the rest of the time. also, some people actually enjoy floor nursing and have no desire to become NPs. it doesn't mean they aren't smart or have no goals or as you put it "balls." they simply have other priorities or possibly enjoy nursing.

One reason that it might be beneficial to have a few years of nursing experience under your belt (versus being an PA/MD) prior to becoming an NP is that you have a different perspective when you order tests, meds or procedures as you've been there and done that.

If you get flamed then so do I . I am close to completing My MSN FNP. I have been a Nurse for greater then 20 Years. Its what I am and what I do. I feel nursing is a calling and that is what makes Practitioners stand out as compared to PA;s. I am not putting Pa's down but there is a real difference in what we bring to the table. Obviously Physicians are also seeing the difference because I am seeing more physicians hiring Np's over PA's .

I am probably going to get flamed for this but... it seems to me that if you become an NP without appreciating or embodying the special qualities of nurses, then you're not really bringing that extra something special to being an NP. In my opinion what makes me prefer an NP over a PA as a practitioner is the knowledge that an NP has been there, in the trenches, sharing the pt's experience (as an RN) in ways that no one else in the medical profession can. If you just go straight through school or "put up" with one year at the bedside, than how can you claim to have that extra ability to relate? You just can't. You're a PA with a nursing license. Not that there aren't great PAs and MDs out there who are really empathetic BUT there is just that something extra, that nondescript nurturing quality that a nurse brings to everything she does IMO.

Hi Nena...

I was nauseous because I think a lot of the nursing stuff is crap (just personal opinion... no offense to anyone). I wanted to practice medicine from the get go, and chose the NP route for several reasons. It was very frustrating to have to write papers about nursing theorists when I desperately wanted to know everything about EKG, xray, surgery, etc etc. That was the hardest part.

Amen sister. The theory, in my opinion is BS. They call that science?

Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

The primary reason I've been drawn to nursing is that i want to be a nurse-midwife, but cannot start C.N.M. training without my R.N. At least I'll have approximately 4 years of nursing experience prior to receiving my C.N.M. :)

Several reasons.

1. Malpractice insurance (850/yr compared to tens of thousands a year).

2. No long, moneyless, work-your-a$$-off-for-pennies residency.

3. Started practicing as NP 6 years before I would've started as MD out of residency (get to start living normal life much earlier).

4. Saved about $900,000 in lost income/tuition/interest between now and the time that I would've got out of residency.

5. In primary care, I would've made the same amount of money I'm making now (especially as an employee). Soon, I'll make more than average PCP doc makes.

6. I have a baby girl, and don't want anything (including career) to come between us.

7. As NP (in my particular situation) I have no call, no weekends, no holidays, 40 hours/week.

Those reasons above made it an easy choice for me. Now, I'm fresh out of school and loving every minute of it. No regrets.

Well, I hate to break it to you, but you're not practicing medicine, you're doing advanced practice NURSING.

Want to practice medicine? Go to med school. But don't try to muddy the two. It's disrespectful to both disciplines.

And I personally would never allow someone with no nursing experience (e.g. a "direct entry NP" to treat me). I would have serious doubts about how solid that person's knowledge base was, and even more serious doubts about the character of the individual in general. It comes across like that sort of person is just looking for the fastest route to make more money.

Specializes in Pain Management.

I start an accelerated BSN program in August in order to become a FNP. But the school that I am going to has a loan-forgiveness program if you work 2 years at a HCA hospital, so I plan on working as a RN for two years while taking the NP classes part-time.

I know the master's entry NP programs in Seattle (UW and Seattle U) allow you to work part-time as a RN after you finish that part of the program, and I was told that most of the students in those programs do work as RNs for the remainder of the program [2 years].

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