Return to bedside while in FNP school?

PG2018 · Oct 3, 2015

You know, I really don't think it matters. Many will contest that, but we see so many NPs come on the board and lament that they're making LESS than they did as RNs so clearly that experience doesn't convey. Additionally, I'm somewhat of an exception to the norm, but if I can do it then anyone can. I never worked a day of psychiatry, behavioral health, or whatever else you want to call it. Not one day. I'd never been to a therapist or seen a clinician other than undergoing a pre-employment psychological evaluation many years ago. However, I entered undergraduate nursing with the express purpose of becoming a NP. I chose psychiatry as my specialty. I received the absolute best, prime psych NP job in my state. I can attest, I actually have (not by opinion) the best position, and I had never worked in mental health. Family practice is so broad and "bedside" nurses don't really do anything remotely related to what FNPs do. Unless you're working in a really autonomous and aggressive capacity in something like an urgent care or maybe a prison clinic you're not going to do address a lot of primary care-oriented stuff. I don't even recall nursing school teaching anything about URI, lower back pain, HA, dermatology, and merely scuffed the surface on mood disorders, anxiety, OA, and dyslipidemia. They tout HTN and DM, but most RNs still know nothing about how and why treatments are selected. I completely fail to see the linkage. I say this to provide support. I think you could go to work mowing greens at the country club and do just fine during NP training.

Dranger · Oct 3, 2015

You know, I really don't think it matters. Many will contest that, but we see so many NPs come on the board and lament that they're making LESS than they did as RNs so clearly that experience doesn't convey. Additionally, I'm somewhat of an exception to the norm, but if I can do it then anyone can. I never worked a day of psychiatry, behavioral health, or whatever else you want to call it. Not one day. I'd never been to a therapist or seen a clinician other than undergoing a pre-employment psychological evaluation many years ago. However, I entered undergraduate nursing with the express purpose of becoming a NP. I chose psychiatry as my specialty. I received the absolute best, prime psych NP job in my state. I can attest, I actually have (not by opinion) the best position, and I had never worked in mental health. Family practice is so broad and "bedside" nurses don't really do anything remotely related to what FNPs do. Unless you're working in a really autonomous and aggressive capacity in something like an urgent care or maybe a prison clinic you're not going to do address a lot of primary care-oriented stuff. I don't even recall nursing school teaching anything about URI, lower back pain, HA, dermatology, and merely scuffed the surface on mood disorders, anxiety, OA, and dyslipidemia. They tout HTN and DM, but most RNs still know nothing about how and why treatments are selected. I completely fail to see the linkage. I say this to provide support. I think you could go to work mowing greens at the country club and do just fine during NP training.

I get what you are saying but I think it really depends on the specialty. For acute care I feel that my ICU experience has really helped so far (in namely patho class with fluid imbalance, acid/base disturbances, nepho, shock, pulmonology etc etc). Although the course is much more in depth than my undergrad a lot of the info really seems like review after seeing the same trends, lab values and interventions on patients I take care of on daily basis. Because we only have 1-2 patients you do get some time to really research diagnoses, interventions, pharm and physiology on all of your patients. For a future role as an inpatient provider I find my RN experience invaluable although I realize after a few years of NP practice it won't matter.

Jules A, MSN · Oct 3, 2015

I'm one of those big on nursing experience targeted to augment our lackluster NP education, although as PsychGuy points out there are exceptions. I would like to point out however PG-that you had a well balanced background in psych type stuff and an extreme willingness to self educate. Imo he is the exception rather than the rule especially when it came to negotiating his position as a new grad, just saying.

OP, I would find a nursing job that will lend itself to what you want to do as a FNP. Imo if I had wanted to work as a FNP when I was in the program I would have taken a job either in a physician's office, which I know can be hard to acquire, doing outpatient work or in the ED for the triage skills and varied presentations. Any contacts in the area you want to work will be invaluable to your future opportunities and negotiating tools.

Good luck with whatever you decide.