Nursing Student work in ICU or ER before becoming ACNP?

[LexSavDav]

Hello,

I am a nursing student at the Mayo Clinic/ASU BSN program. I will be graduating in December and my dream is to go on to become an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner! With my preceptorship coming up and my first job, I don't know if the ER or ICU will look better when applying for an ACNP school. I really want to work in the ER, but I have heard through other nursing students that if you want to get into ACNP school they only take nurses with ICU experience. I don't know if I am smart enough to work in the ICU and ER seems to fit my personality and fast paced mentality more. Is this true? Or would they also take someone with just ER experience? Any advise will be helpful! Thankyou!

[Dodongo, APRN, NP]

I've never heard of an ACNP program that only takes nurses with ICU experience.

My program only accepts nurses with ICU experience.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Another vote for critical care - you just get a more thorough, systems based approach to patient care with multi-system organ failure which will stand you in good stead during ACNP school. Much of what I learned in ACNP school I already knew from working ICU for many years.