Please help.. Questions about becoming a PNP???

[bunnyboo56]

Hey guys.. I'm currently a high school senior, and I know that I want to work in the healthcare field. My end goal is to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. I've done a lot of research, and I've gotten a lot of mixed responses so I was hoping someone could clarify this for me. After getting my RN license could I to go straight into NP school? Or would doing so hurt my chances in getting a job? I know a lot of people say that it does but I would want to get all of my schooling out of the way rather than having to go back. If I had a lot of clinic hours/ volunteering in peds would that make a difference? How hard would it really be to find a job if I went straight through school, but also made sure I had plenty of experience in peds? Any advice would help.. Thank you!

[babyNP., APRN]

What kind of PNP do you want to do? Primary care (out-patient) or in-patient (acute care, hospital)?

Some programs will allow you to do primary care straight out of school, but most programs require at least a year experience doing peds if you want to go into acute care.

You can always go back to school part-time while you work, taking one class at a time. You can even do it as a non-degree seeking student so you don't have to have all your references and application lined up, and then you have to apply by after a semester or two, depending on the school's policies.

What I will say is that even just 1 year of peds nursing will make a huge difference in your own knowledge and will make it easier to transition to the NP role.