Orthopedic surgeon looking for advice for a friend

[Bull's eye]

I am an ortho resident and my best friend is finishing his ARN in SE Kansas. We plan to work together and he just told me that he is considering becomming a nurse practitioner. Now, what would he have to do to get to that point, and be able to do H&P's, follow ups, D/C summaries, rounding and first assisting. Does any NP program do? or does it have to have certain requisites to qualify. I ask because there was one NP in the practice I am going to join that worked as an OB NP then went to ortho and was unable to practice as an NP and I have no idea why. I just don't want my friend having to go through the schooling if he is unable to use it. Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance.

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

I think when you become a NP, you must specialize right away. I was speaking to the PA that I see at my PCP's office. I eventually want to get my Master's, but I'm not sure in what. We were discussing the differences in scopes of practice and the biggie was that as a PA, if she wants to leave the doctor's office and switch to emergency medicine or another field , she can. Whereas, if I become a Family Practice CRNP, I want to switch to critical care for example, I can do that as a RN, but not working as a Critical Care CRNP. I would have to get another master's degree. So what it boils down to (or what it seems to boil downto to me anyway) is that a MA covers a broader range of care and a CRNP is more specialized toward one particular field. Hope that helps.

[prmenrs, RN]

I think you should look for an NNP program. Check out universities in his area. A lot of time they are Masters degree level. People often get a 2fer. Therefore, he may need a BSN.

[prmenrs, RN]

I checked online, Wichita has the full thing, BSN, MSN, NP, etc.

http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=chp_nurs&p=index