You don't need RN experience to get an NP job

[FullGlass]

I'm a new grad Adult and Geri Primary Care NP. I do not have RN experience. Since I started seriously pounding the pavement in my job search, I have had numerous phone and in person interviews. I've also received multiple job offers.

Has anyone asked me if I had RN experience? Yes. When I answer that I have none, here are the 2 responses I've received:

"Good for you!"

"You must be very smart."

This will probably upset some readers, but it's the truth.

There are some job postings for new grad NPs for outpatient specialty positions that do require RN experience - oncology is one.

Conclusion: if you want to be a Primary Care NP, you are fine going straight from BSN to MSN. There are plenty of employers that will be happy to have you, at least in the Western U.S.

[Dodongo, APRN, NP]

Not the OP, but we just specifically hired a brand new NO without experience as an RN because the medical director and physician wanted me and the other NP/MD staff to train and "mold" them from the get go. And they wanted someone who graduated from a top tier school. They actively sought out someone who was brand new.

I'll agree with this to a certain extent.

If it were between a NP with 3-5 years of applicable RN experience who went to one of the degree mills we all know and love

OR

A new grad NP who graduated from a reputable program with no RN experience

I'm going to choose the good program, assuming all other things being equal. The NP training is more important than the RN experience.

[kadphilly]

I do not think that inpatient RN experience makes a difference for primary care though. Maybe they should increase the credit hours and clinical hours in NP school. I am a fan of he DNP track, but believe it should be far more clinical based, and that should be the entry level for primary care NPs. Not expecting years of working as an RN, but more training in actual primary care.

And I have precepted students from probably 19 different universities, and the quality of the program absolutely makes a difference in the preparedness of the student, without or without RN experience.

[JKL33]

I would say it is smart for those who know that they want to be a Primary Care NP to go directly through school if they can. This is what I recommend the to college and high school students that I mentor. And to go to the best school that they can get accepted to and afford.

Nurse practitioners should be smart. There is nothing wrong with others saying so. Again, it's a self depreciating of nurses. Our profession is moving forward only to be sabatoged by ourselves. It's an attitude of "who do you think you are going to grad school before you put your time in like the rest of us?" We will never move forward with this mentality.

Agreed!

Just the same, there's nothing about someone's individual intelligence that can be fairly commented on just by knowing that someone took a DE approach as opposed to traditional. So the comment was thrown out as either a shameless ego boost, or else the interviewer was simply somewhat ignorant and/or biased.

By self-depreciating, do you mean self-deprecating? Self-deprecation is the idea of undervaluing or downplaying one's ability in a way that disparages the self. I think I understand your argument, although that has nothing to do with the comment I initially quoted. Say we agree that bedside experience has no positive value. That doesn't inherently mean that it has a negative value, either - which is what the poster implies by taking the interviewer's off-the-cuff comment so seriously.

[Dodongo, APRN, NP]

I do not think that inpatient RN experience makes a difference for primary care though. Maybe they should increase the credit hours and clinical hours in NP school. I am a fan of he DNP track, but believe it should be far more clinical based, and that should be the entry level for primary care NPs. Not expecting years of working as an RN, but more training in actual primary care.

And I have precepted students from probably 19 different universities, and the quality of the program absolutely makes a difference in the preparedness of the student, without or without RN experience.

I don't think it makes absolutely no difference. Working in the ICU as a RN gave me excellent physical exam skills which would be useful in primary care. I do think, a couple years out practicing as a NP, RN experience doesn't matter. It's more useful in school and in the first year or so of practice IMO.

Ultimately, the university/program and the caliber of the individual themselves are the important factors. I have a lot of improvements I'd like to see in NP programs - 1500-2000 hours of clinical, graduate level gross anatomy, required in person/hands on skill labs, etc. All of those things are higher on my list than required RN experience for primary care tracks.

I do firmly believe that PMHNP, ACNP and WHNP/CNM should have RN experience in their chosen concentrations.

I guess the main problem that I have is with a lot of FNP programs. They have abysmally low clinical hours, some accept anyone who can take out a loan, require no experience as a RN, and then, their graduates want to go work in specialty practice that they have no preparation or training in.

NP education needs standardization. Badly.

[kadphilly]

Yes, self-deprecation is what I meant. Lol. I'll correct the typo. I agree, I don't think that bedside nursing experience has no value, however, I do think that there needs to be more of a focus on actual NP education rather than RN experience. The roles are very different, especially in primary care.

And you can assume some level of intelligence based on perhaps where they went to school, but not necessarily by just taking the DE route. I can agree with that. We just hired a DE NP who attended an IVY league school for both undergrad and grad school and graduated with an excellent GPA. She is intelligent. We knew that on paper and it was confirmed by her interview. I have precepted for this school for years and their program is stellar and well deserved of it's top tier ranking. Will it guarantee that she will be a fantastic clinician? No, but it's a good start.

[kadphilly]

I guess the main problem that I have is with a lot of FNP programs. They have abysmally low clinical hours, some accept anyone who can take out a loan, require no experience as a RN, and then, their graduates want to go work in specialty practice that they have no preparation or training in.

I would agree with this statement. I have been shocked over the past few years at the quality of some of the FNP students that I have been asked to precept. Some programs seem to accept anyone and everyone, without consideration of their suitability to be an NP. I have refused students from all but two universities because of the incredibly low standards of not only the students but the curriculum itself.

Back when I went to NP school about 20 years ago, only those who would consider themselves strong academically would consider even applying. Now, it's just open access. It should still be rigorously competitive to be accepted to NP school.

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

I'm going into my last semester of my DNP studies. I've been an ER nurse for a long time. Will that experience help me? Yeah I think it will. Do I think that it is necessary for becoming a successful NP. Nope!!! Not in any way. Nurses have a culture of ripping down their own and casting judgement on things like "he or she didn't pay their dues" Dues to who??? If a young, smart NP can do the job then god bless them & to hell with what judgement may be cast upon them by nurses who did not make the effort to become an NP themselves. As far as DNP studies I personally think much more time should be spent on clinical experience and hands on training as opposed to the many, many wasted hours writing a CAPSTONE that most likely contributes little to the profession and will almost certainly go unread

[kadphilly]

Nurses have a culture of ripping down their own and casting judgement on things like "he or she didn't pay their dues" Dues to who??? If a young, smart NP can do the job then god bless them & to hell with what judgement may be cast upon them by nurses who did not make the effort to become an NP themselves.

Yes! The culture of nurses eating their young, and the jealousy and pecking order is holding us back. We can do better in supporting our profession.

[Irish_Mist, BSN, RN]

I do firmly believe that PMHNP, ACNP and WHNP/CNM should have RN experience in their chosen concentrations.

NP education needs standardization. Badly.

THIS. THIS. THIS.

[Susie2310]

There was a similar thread recently titled: "Seeking Advice: Direct Entry Blues." Several people, including myself, pointed out the value of actual bedside nursing experience prior to assuming an advanced practice nursing role, and provided situational examples, which didn't go down too well with some of the "No nursing experience experience necessary for NP folks."

I am so glad that my family sees a highly qualified and experienced Internal Medicine physician for their primary care. We also always state that we want to see a physician and not a NP/PA when we go to the Urgent Care.

[kadphilly]

There was a similar thread recently titled: "Seeking Advice: Direct Entry Blues." Several people, including myself, pointed out the value of actual bedside nursing experience prior to assuming an advanced practice nursing role, and provided situational examples, which didn't go down too well with some of the "No nursing experience experience necessary for NP folks."

I am so glad that my family sees a highly qualified and experienced Internal Medicine physician for their primary care. We also always state that we want to see a physician and not a NP/PA when we go to the Urgent Care.

Don't worry, we don't want to see you either. I already have a 2,000 patient following.

[Susie2310]

Don't worry, we don't want to see you either. I already have a 2,000 patient following.

So the thread descends to the level of childish responses.