Dislike RN role-- love NP role?

Hmmm....Well, I've always liked clinical work so NP fit me as my prior career was as a D.C.. However, I would not trade my time as a floor Med/surg, Cardiac/renal, ICU/CCU/Tele, and Ortho RN for ANY of the NP training I received. Reading and learning about diseases is MUCH different than seeing, treating, and feeling the awful human experience of these conditions. Yes, the task of cleaning up someones poop DOES help you to understand C-diff better. So if you want to make decisions for treatment and feel you best serve in that capacity, then by all means become a provider. However, I would encourage you to do your time as an RN with patients, get as much experience as possible from everyone (your patients are MUCH better teachers than your preceptors will ever be) before you practice as an NP. It's worth it. A serious problem facing the profession right now is that the schools have prostituted themselves to the almighty dollar and matriculate RN's into the NP program w/ZERO experience. That's not good in any way, shape, or form. How can one be an advanced practice anything they have NEVER done? Yes, they can walk until they run but that is NOT what our peers or the public expect. They expect us to have RN experience treating patients FIRST. Lastly, it drives down our value...it pains me to see NP's talking about accepting $80K or below for salary...that absolutely makes no sense in ANY area of the country. If we keep doing this and flooding the market there won't be any reason to be an NP or justify having a doctorate...

Interesting. I've noticed a lot of my classmates have CRNA aspirations. I've floated the idea in my head, but I don't think I would truly enjoy it. The idea of primary care is much more enticing to me. I've also thought about starting in psych (because there are multiple openings at a local psych center), but I'm afraid not having that acute care experience will hurt my chances of getting into NP school. Do you mind telling me a bit more about your role as a psych NP?

If you're interested in being a FNP in Primary Care....why not be an RN in Primary Care?

I did my first 3 years as a nurse in Family Practice. I started as an LPN and was able to complete my ADN while working FT. I learned a *ton* and the doctor I worked with help set me up to shadow two psychiatrists and helped show me that I really do want to be a PMHNP. I'm now working in the hospital setting and am really enjoying critical care but I definitely know that I have a special skill set that other hospital nurses do not have, with my background in primary care. I think people get a little overly focused on needing that hospital experience even when they know that it is not their cup of tea -- it's not a requirement to be a "real nurse". I worked with a doctor that promoted critical thinking and autonomy with her nurses so I was able to make a lot of decisions myself after I learned her general templates for how she managed situations. I did a lot of my own phone triage without ever needing to involve her. I also assessed patients that were in the clinic and assisted with procedures.

If you're sure Primary Care is where you want to be....why not start out there, build those skills and those relationships with people in that specialty, and see if that really is the path that you want?

If you're interested in being a FNP in Primary Care....why not be an RN in Primary Care?

I did my first 3 years as a nurse in Family Practice. I started as an LPN and was able to complete my ADN while working FT. I learned a *ton* and the doctor I worked with help set me up to shadow two psychiatrists and helped show me that I really do want to be a PMHNP. I'm now working in the hospital setting and am really enjoying critical care but I definitely know that I have a special skill set that other hospital nurses do not have, with my background in primary care. I think people get a little overly focused on needing that hospital experience even when they know that it is not their cup of tea -- it's not a requirement to be a "real nurse". I worked with a doctor that promoted critical thinking and autonomy with her nurses so I was able to make a lot of decisions myself after I learned her general templates for how she managed situations. I did a lot of my own phone triage without ever needing to involve her. I also assessed patients that were in the clinic and assisted with procedures.

If you're sure Primary Care is where you want to be....why not start out there, build those skills and those relationships with people in that specialty, and see if that really is the path that you want?

It's been my experience that RN positions in primary care are few and far between. Most of them are case management type positions that require their own set of experience and skills. One of the reasons is it is far cheaper for them to employ an LPN who is really using more of their training in that environment than an RN. Though your phone triage was probably an exceptional tool there as well.

I was a floor nurse for a about a year and really didn't like it. I then spent about a decade & a half in the ER and loved it. Nursing has many roles and faces. You can do a heck of a lot things once you are a RN. I think if you have decided you want to be an NP you should go to school for it. If you can get in now & can fund it go now. You will be missing out on some valuable experiences but at the end of the day they are simply different roles. Some schools (like mine) won't consider an application until you have some years of nursing experience under your belt but some will. You have to decide if the school you pick is a good one. In my opinion some things really cant be taught online (physical assessment for example) but its your life and your career so you are the Cptain of the Ship. Good Luck!!!

Like you, I went into nursing with ultimate aspirations to become a primary care NP. I liked my experience as an RN, but knew I wanted to be an NP more. Clinical experience is required for CRNA and Acute Care NP programs, but not for primary care. I say don't get too caught up in the experience vs. no experience argument. What I've been told from program directors to professors to experienced NPs and admissions counselors is that there is no research or definitive evidence that suggests experienced RNs make for more competent or better NPs than inexperienced new grads. Your role as an NP will very likely be very different from your role as an RN anyway.

I went back for my associate's RN as a second degree student (had a prior BA in biology and sociology) and then transitioned immediately to a RN to BSN online bridge program afterwards. Completed the whole thing in about 4 years while working full-time. I was just recently accepted into a top ranked DNP program and I never worked clinically as an RN. While some may not agree with this, I did not want to wait as I was afraid life would get in the way of my career goals and I'd never make it back to school. At the end of the day, everyone has their opinions and thoughts but you have to do what is right for you. I wish you the best of luck!

I have a professional background in public health. After I obtained my RN license, the program I work for (non-profit, DOH funded program at a major city hospital) happened to receive additional funds to hire a nurse case manager and since I was already here and experienced with the program my boss asked me to stay. Essentially, my job has not changed much and it is still a non-clinical position which is the only reason the hospital HR agreed to it (BSN is required for all nurses at my hospital).

I knew which 2-3 schools I wanted to apply to before I even started nursing school actually. I'm a 5 year plan type of person lol. It just happened that all three schools that I planned to apply to converted their MSN programs to DNP in the last year or two. So if I wanted to pursue an NP, the DNP was my only option unless I wanted to change schools. I'm going for Adult-Gerontological Primary Care DNP as opposed to FNP as I have no interest in seeing tiny humans clinically.

There are some primary care RN jobs out there. School nurses are primary care. I also met an RN with a really cool job while visiting Washington DC - she was an RN for Congress with her own little clinic in one of the buildings! She loved her job and had a lot of autonomy.