Should I work as a CNA prior to Direct Entry NP Program?

[shannon9r]

Hi everybody! I am a college senior currently majoring in Psychology, I'll be graduating in May. I want to apply to a direct entry FNP program and a majority of the one's I've been looking at haven't required clinical hours prior to acceptance. When I graduate with my degree, I am taking a year off to complete nursing Pre-reqs- I have Micro, Anatomy 1 and 2 left. I also want to take my GRE at some point within this year off. Do you think within this time I should complete CNA certification to get experience as a CNA prior to NP school? Or should I just focus on my classes and the GRE? I don't want to fall behind in my courses since I know they will be challenging but at the same time, I don't know if school frown upon those with little clinical experience. I volunteered in a hospital for a summer once and shadowed a few doctors when I was pre-med, but it wasn't much. What do you guys think? Thanks so much.

[RescueNinjaKy]

You should be thinking of np education like pa education. Pa students are required to have a certain amount of hours and medical knowledge whether as an emt, paramedic, nurse, or whatever before they can apply to the program. Anyone who is a nurse knows that passing the nclex and going to clinicals doesn't even come close to getting you prepared to hit the floor running. Direct entry nurse practitioner programs are a disgrace to the profession. If it requires a certain amount of direct patient care hours in the capacity of a emt, paramedic, nurse, RT, then I would certainly understand. But for it to be any non medical savvy person to go straight to a practitioner role is just ludicrous.

OP, I think it would serve you best to work as a nurse first but if that's a definite no go then working as a cna can beneficial still. It should at least teach you bedside manners, and you can familiarize yourself with some floor activities.