Want to become A NP but have to Go the BSN route!

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Is there any one out there who really doesn't want to be a bedside nurse but know you have to go the long route to getting your BSN in order to become a NP. Well that is my delimma. I have no desire to become a bedside nurse, but most graduate schools require you to get your BSN and have a year's experience as a RN to attain your masters. My ultimate goal is to become a FNP and open up my own clinic in the future! Any one else?

first of all I never said I didn't want the experience so that I could be the best FNP, I just said that I hate that I have to go this long route. I have researched the field volunteered and talked to many doctors, and NP's about the field. I know what I must do, but it still doesn't mean that being a bed side nurse is my cup of tea. I want the autonomy of being able to work on my own and give the best care to my patients. so I will do what I have to do to the skills necessary and pursue what God has given me to be a FNP!

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first of all I never said I didn't want the experience so that I could be the best FNP, I just said that I hate that I have to go this long route.

Relax :)

I don't think anyone misunderstood you. They (and I) are reacting to your assertion that getting a BSN *IS* a "long route". It would appear that in order to become an advanced practice nurse (as surely you must know by now, having talked to several) you simply have to go through all the book learning AND hands-on learning that is required. No shortcuts, that's all.

I guess, having been the patient of a FNP for several years, that I'm very glad he had to go the "long route" himself before getting me in the exam room! :)

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Specializes in Cardiac.
first of all I never said I didn't want the experience so that I could be the best FNP, I just said that I hate that I have to go this long route. I have researched the field volunteered and talked to many doctors, and NP's about the field. I know what I must do, but it still doesn't mean that being a bed side nurse is my cup of tea. I want the autonomy of being able to work on my own and give the best care to my patients. so I will do what I have to do to the skills necessary and pursue what God has given me to be a FNP!

Good posts never start with, "first of all..."

You didn't have to say anything but, I want to be an FNP but not a nurse. It doesn't make sense. In order to be an advance practice nurse, you need to be a good nurse. If you think you hate bedside nursing now, wait until you are in nursing school, and then on the floor. Nurses need to know how to be nurses, before they can be 'advanced' nurses. Without that bedside experience, you will not be able to give the best care to your patients. You won't have the experience or the knowledge to do so. School doesn't teach you to be a nurse, nursing teaches you how to be a nurse.

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It does makes since. I know what you have to go through in nursing school. I have no problem with that. There are so many options for nurses besides the bedside. lawyers, Insurance, doctors office, Goverment, and many more. I know you need experience to be good at what ever you do. All I'm saying is that I have no desire to be a bedside nurse, but I will pay my dues so that I could be great at what I choose to do in the future. My ultimate goal is to be my own boss as an FNP and nobody but God is going to keep me from it. Lets start thinking big and not small! Beside Nursing is not all a nurse can be and That want be me its just a stop on the road to something better for me! No offense to any bedside Nurses because there are some great ones out there!

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How do you propose to open your own clinic without bedside experience? And...how do you know this is what you want to do? Maybe you won't even like patient care at all!

This is a legitimate concern for people who decide they want the advanced role without the experience. You NEED the bedside experience in order to acquire good clinical assessment skills. Your assessment skills are what makes or breaks an advanced practice RN.

:yeahthat: Excellent post trama!!

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I have no desire to be a bedside nurse, but I will pay my dues so that I could be great at what I choose to do in the future. My ultimate goal is to be my own boss as an FNP and nobody but God is going to keep me from it!

Sigh...:o

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Specializes in ICU.

I do believe there are direct-entry master programs? I could be wrong.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.
My ultimate goal is to be my own boss as an FNP and nobody but God is going to keep me from it.

I wasnt going to respond to this thread originally, but I wanted to comment on the above line of your last post, dmoorer76.

You are not technically your own boss, you will still need to work in collaboration with a physician in order to provide care. I worked in a clinic once with a FNP - she worked *under* a MD. The MD's name was on all of the perscriptions - but she wrote them. The MD had given her a book of common symptoms/diseases, and the medications used to treat them. Those were the medications she could perscribe, others she needed to consult the MD on. Now things may be different depending on the state, and im sure that they are, but I just wanted to respond to that one line in your post.

I also just wanted to add the following paragraph from :

http://www.nurse.org/acnp/facts/whatis.shtml

"A nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse with advanced academic and clinical experience, which enables him or her to diagnose and manage most common and many chronic illnesses, either independently or as part of a health care team. A nurse practitioner provides some care previously offered only by physicians and in most states has the ability to prescribe medications. Working in collaboration with a physician, a nurse practitioner provides high-quality, cost-effective and individualized care for the lifespan of patient's special needs"

I wish you the best of luck becoming a NP, but just remember, you need to have good clinical assessment skills. So take your time as a RN seriously, and learn as much as you can before going back to school for your NP. Learn from the other nurses around you, and if possible, shadow a NP when you have some free time and see what they actually do..and lastly, its still your license on the line. You want to be good at what you do, and knowledgeable about nursing, disease processes, and signs & symptoms. You will be the one diagnosing, so I think that its good to be a RN for a while - you'd be amazed at what you learn, and what you see. If this is the path you wish to take, make sure to take a hospital job. Dont take a clinic job, or drs office job, or home health job - you'll need the hospital experience in order to make you better. You wont get that in a clinic, drs office, or home health, or any other job for that matter - especially with going right back to school for the NP - you're going to need to get yourself exposed to as many different things as possible, and everything you do will help you further yourself as a NP.

Best of luck :)

-Meghan :nurse:

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
All I'm saying is that I have no desire to be a bedside nurse, but I will pay my dues so that I could be great at what I choose to do in the future.

I have tried to stay out of this thread, but just couldn't resist the temptation.

I also went to nursing school knowing that I was not interested in being a bedside staff nurse for very long. So I can sympathize somewhat with the original poster. However ...

It is wrong to view the bedside nursing portion of a nursing career as "paying dues." That puts a lot of negative connotations on the experience that are not justified and understandably offends a lot of people. If you want to be successful in your nursing career, you will need to learn to respect all aspects of the profession and use good interpersonal skills with your colleagues.

My advice to nursing students and beginner-level nurses is to view the entry level stage of your career as a necessary part of the process of becomming a nurse -- NOT because of dues that need to paid, but because of the valuable lessons the experience provides.

The bedside staff nurse stage of a career is a stepping stone along a career path -- NOT a toll booth. It provides you with opportunities to develop your clinical skills and also learn how the health care system works from the inside. It also gives you opportunities to learn to work as a team member and can teach you how to lead the team as you assume Charge responsiblities, preceptor responsibilites, do committee work, etc.

If you take the attitude that you are just "paying your dues," your negative attitude will probably hinder your learning and may cause problems with your job perfomance and your relationships with your coworkers. Together, these things can hurt your development as a nurse ... contribute to burnout ... and generally get your career off to a very bad start.

The best, most successful careers tend to be built over time ... with each experience contributing to your development. Please don't sabotage yourself at the beginning by starting it off with a bad attitude about your entry level position.

llg

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Specializes in ER.

I find it strange that someone would want to go into a field that is so much about caring and yet wants to get out of that part of it as soon as possible. I would hate for one of my patients that is suffering feeling like I was just there to "pay my dues". There are parts of nursing that are not my favorite, such as brief changes, but these parts are all a part of the bigger picture....caring for a patient. I am so proud to be able to care for these people in their time of need and I want them to know how much I love being there for them when they need me. Have we forgotten that nursing is about caring??

T

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I'm starting my MSN this fall. Do I regret bedside nursing...no. I love bedside nursing. Have I taken the 'long road'....you betcha! Mine has been a very long journey to get here...ups and downs. There is nothing wrong with "thinking big" but the journey to higher education is a learning process. You learn something every step of the way. What you learn in those steps builds...assessment skills, interacting with other team members...etc. Maybe for you, there will be a way to jump from the start to the finish without stopping along the way....I don't know...look around at different programs. For me....I wouldn't change a thing...I've enjoyed my opportunities so far....and am looking forward to continuing on with my education.

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I know you need experience to be good at what ever you do. All I'm saying is that I have no desire to be a bedside nurse, but I will pay my dues so that I could be great at what I choose to do in the future. My ultimate goal is to be my own boss as an FNP and nobody but God is going to keep me from it. Lets start thinking big and not small!

You seem annoyed that you are not getting the feedback you were seeking. Well, the thing is that while your GOALS do not need to change (becoming an FNP at some point is a good goal), your attitude toward reaching that goal DOES.

Like a couple of the others have said, if you view your bedside nursing experiences as "paying dues", I really REALLY feel you will never be "great at what you choose to do". Being a great nurse requires a certain amount of caring and committment to your patients' care. It requires a level of trust FROM them that they will never afford you if they feel (at all) that you are just sorta 'dealing' with them until you can move on.

Staff you will work under and with during clinical rotations are quick to pick up on this, too. Fastest way to alienate yourself from the best nurses (and the BEST opportunities for additional, advanced learning) is to come across as though you are putting up with the hands-on time for now.

The best nurses you have access to in your program, whether it be instructors or floor staff, do not believe they are "thinking small". It's exactly that sort attitude that they will find out in a heartbeat, and it won't work in your favor.

Goals and ambition are GREAT, and the determination to have "no one but God keep you from it" is admirable. But this is a very human field and you will absolutely find many people along the way having considerable input as to whether you will be allowed to succeed. It's not a one-person show where as long as you've turned in the assignment, studied for the test, you will end up with the degree. You will be eyed by many along the path, and your attitude may show you to be a beacon of promise or a glaring warning light.

I'm sure you will tell us that you aren't like that, that we're misunderstanding, that you'd NEVER give the slightest indication of a deficit about your bedside care and abilities. But the thing is, we've never met you and that's all we see.

Just worth considering.

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