buffscotty

Honestly O.R. isn't for me. I prefer to see patients in the ER and help with diagnosis and medical treatements (sutures, chest tubes ect.) But I have heard of many NP's doing this as well. I think that FNP would be they way I would go (It seems to be the most flexable of the NP degree's).

As a new RN grad, I have concidered PA (Mainly for the Trauma/ER lifestyle, I love trauma haha), but I feel that FNP is moving in a direction that we can't even see yet. With the family practice shortage, I think FNP is going to blow us away in the next 5 years. But...as I said before I am a brand new RN with wishful thinking . My question is, what direction do you see FNP moving in the near future? I do not see many FNP's at Level 1 Trauma centers (mostly PA's), but I was just curious where you feel the profession will be heading in the next 5-10 years as far as salary, autonomy and job placement? Hoping for some great input. I do not know if any of you are practicing in Missouri, but this is the state I would most likely be in, so any input from Missouri FNP's would be appreciated. As for now, I'm going to enjoy my ICU RN life and just wait and see what happens.

Hey folks. Let me start off by saying I am Scott and I am a brand new R.N. (just passed boards Friday ). It is a ways down the road but I am undecided on Phys. Assistant vs a Family Nurse Practitioner. I truely love ER and trauma medicine. I am just trying to see what the practices are off FNP's Vs. PA's (Salary, practice, who is more oriented towards emergency medicine). Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all.

I PASSED, I PASSED!!!!!! I am officially no longer a GN. Nurses Unite!!! Haha. Wow, what a great feeling, thanks for the confidence boost everyone!

Well I just took my NCLEX and it was 265 ques. I know that isn't nessicarily a "bad" sign but I feel like junk. The questions seemed difficult, but I wasn't sure if they were in the "below the pass line" or not. I am going nuts, any advice? Thanks.

Haha no, it has nothing to do with a "male complex" (I just had flashes of "Meet the Parent's" pop up in my head). It simply has to do with me wishing to go into a career where I will have a high degree of autonomy and wish to help people. I don't think of pursuing high education as a desperation or a need for something more. I have always known that I had a desire to go on farther than traditional nursing (and that is no offense to those who are traditional nurses). Being 23 and fresh out of school is about the only reason I would consider going back to school for such a demanding career. I am single with no children, why not further my education now, rather than wait 10 years to become more involved. This is just a field I have always wanted to achieve. I wish others could see people who want to become MD's as more than just money hungry and out to prove they are better than everyone else, because this is simply not the case. It has nothing to do with a "male complex" or becoming "rich" or any of those aspects (If you wish to do DNP or MD for those reasons, than you will are going into them for the wrong reasons). It has to do with achieving a goal that I wish to have.

I didn't get into nursing wanting to do medicine. I wanted to be a CRNA until about 2 months ago. I realized it wasn't what I wished to do, so I started seeing what other options were avaliable.

Sorry, I just started as an RN (haven't even taken boards yet) and was concidering both those paths. But I guess this thread was specifically for MD/DO, I am sorry for bringing the DNP into the equation. Those are the 2 paths I am concidering for my post bachelors path. This of course following a few years as an R.N. and a break from school.

I understand. I actually have my BSN. I got into nursing because I was wanting to be a CRNA since about Freshman year. In the past year decided it wasn't for me. I am not looking into M.D. and DNP, I haven't decided either way, just considering all the options.

Is there a high success rate of those wanting to achieve their M.D. or D.O. after recieving their BSN? I am just looking at options and seeing what they all are. Has anyone on here taken this path? I would think being an R.N. would help very much in Medical School as well as in practice.

Yes, I did some research and the school associated with my hospital has an MSN program, then the DNP program is online through a school in Kansas City. Seems this will all work out. Yes, my instructors have all told me to go on and get my DNP. I did not know that it wasn't just Nurse Pract. that could recieve them (CRNA's, CNS, Midwives) could also recieve them too. I do think DNP will be manditory by the time I reach my MSN. I think I would want to obtain it either way.

Oh ok, so DNP is what I would want as far as if I wished to work at a clinic or Urgent care?

let me start by saying i will receive my bsn in 2 weeks (exciting stuff!) and am going to join a cardiac icu at a large level i trauma center. i am going to take a while off, but have really been taken with what i have seen in many dnp programs (which is offered at the university my hospital is affiliated with). i wish to work in an er or have a clinic in which i would see patients (an urgent care or a dr's office, or even the new "wal-mart clinics" i'm hearing about.). i was just questioning what all in encompassed in the dnp program? what is there more in dnp than msn (fnp) (pay, skills, and so on...)? which way is the field heading? from what i have gathered from reading and just talking to others, i feel as though dnp will become to family practice what crna has become to anesthesia. i think with the amount of md's wishing to specialize, family practice is an area that nurses are soon to be over in a much higher capacity. thank you for taking the time to read this post. i look forward to hearing from all of you.

Hey guys. Well I just finished with my Adv. Med-Surg final and didn't do too hot . I am not 100% sure, but I may get a C in Adv. Med-Surg. I hate this because I haven't gotten below a B since 2005. I have a 3.5 nursing GPA and a 3.38 GPA overall IF it stays a C. How bad will this hurt my chances of getting into FNP school? Sorry, I should be happy this time of year (getting ready to graduate), but this really bummed me out. Thanks!

I just had to share that I accepted my first position as a Nurse. I am a Cardiac ICU nurse at University Hospital in Columbia, MO. I start June 16th and am pretty pumped. I hope to do grad school and everything at Mizzou so I plan on being there quite a while. Sorry, just had to share my joy with you all, Go Nursing!! Haha

Hey, don't get me wrong, I don't want ICU. It's just that I do want a Level 1 Trauma center. And it's proving to be almost impossible to get as a Grad Nurse (unless you went to the school associated with the hospital). So ICU is def. on my back burner.

No, I do think I would enjoy it. I worked ED last summer at the same hospital and love it. So hopefully I would feel the same.

I am going the same route as the original poster, not for the same motives though. I wish to become the largest part of a patients visit to the ER. I want to write scripts and really figure out what is wrong with the patient. If that does not work I wish to become a DNP. I don't think of this as an insult, if I did get into med school and became a Doctor, I would be glad that I would of had the years of nursing experience.

I tried to edit my post, but it wouldn't allow me. I feel I have to add some to it. I love ER. I worked it last summer and realized that even after my graduate studies, I want to be involved in ER. I also want a Level 1 because I feel that is where I'll get the best training, plusI just love trauma's. I want to help people, very sick and injured people, which is why I got into nursing (I know it sounds corny, but it's the honest truth) and ER is where I felt the most satisfacton and went home at night feeling the best. When I hear hospitals telling me to do ICU, I know it will help, but it just feels like a punishment for me (ICU just isn't what I enjoy). I am a hard working person who will bust himself to be the best ER nurse I can be. I went to a small school most never have heard of outside of the area, so that may of hurt me. But if just one Level 1 Trauma center would just give me a chance, I would be the most ambitious and hardest working nurse they had. Just getting someone to take that chance is proving to be hard.

Hmm..this seems odd to me to see this post. Here I am willing to give my right arm to be a GN at a Level 1 ED, and there are people who have it that don't enjoy it. Makes you really see how different we all are when it comes to what we enjoy.

Hi, I'm Scott and graduating with a BSN in May. Does anyone know of any Level 1 Trauma centers which have a Nurse Residency program or are known to accept Grad Nurses. I have had a bit of luck, but most take those with ICU expereince or their own (I apply to alot of university hospitals, which like to keep their own students). I love ER, but feel overwhelmed trying to find a job with only 5 weeks till graduation and feel like I waited too long...

Yes, that is what I keep thinking. All ICU can do is help me. I did check into Vanderbilt and they do have a residency program, but it doesn't start until January. I'm not sure If I want to wait that long to go into it. I am just praying God lets me know where to go and what I'm suppose to do. It will all work out though i'm sure

This is proving to be harder than I imagined. About 4 of the 8 turned me away immediately (NO GRAD NURSES!). I have one in Illinois that has a Nurse Residency, that is my best bet. I haven't heard from Louisville or Cincinnati, but I'm betting they probably have enough applicants with their own students. I haven't called to turn down the ICU job yet. I think I'll give it the rest of the week and if nothing comes up, I think I'll take the ICU job. As much as I love ER, I think this is just a stepping stone I'll have to go over to get to it. Almost every level 1 trauma center requires ICU or Med/Surg. I would go smaller but I do want to make sure I'm getting a good orientation and becoming a better nurse. I think at Univ. Hospital (Univ. Of Missouri), I would get a better grip than most level II trauma centers. Sorry, this is all very confusing and I'm trying to get it sorted out. If I don't have any bites on the hook by Friday I think I'll take the ICU job.

Well I applied at every Level 1 Trauma Center I could get my hands on . I am praying that one of them accepts me. I'll list them all so in case any of you have any advice. I am graduating in May from Pittsburg State Univ. in Pittsburg, KS with my BSN. I am 22, single and have no children. I wish to do Level 1 Trauma ER. I am willing to relocate and one fun loving guy haha. St. Anthony Hospital (Rockford, IL) Rockford Memorial Hospital (Rockford, IL) Swedish Hospital (Denver, CO) Univ. of Louisville Hospital (Louisville, KY) University of Chicago Hospital (Chicago, IL) University of Cincinnati Hospital (Cincinnati, OH) Vanderbilt Univ. Hospital (Nashville, TN) St. Louis Univ. Hospital (St. Louis, MO). Any suggestions for places or any words of encouragement would be appreciated very much

I'm sorry, I didn't make it very clear in my original post. I decided against CRNA (just wasn't fast paced enough for me) (which CRNA is why I got into nursing in the first place.). As for the question above, I'm sorry. I will do ER as an RN for a few years but I aspire to either be an M.D., D.O. or Doc. Nurse Prac. I do have much respect for nurses who dedicate their life to bedside care, but I am 22 and just have a different path that I wish to follow (That BSN degree has so many means you can pursue in it, it really is amazing). I mean no offense by this to you or any nurse who has dedicated their life to bedside care.