What is it exactly the Family Practice?

kstec, LPN · Jul 31, 2007

They deal with newborns to geriatrics. In my office the doctor sees everything except pregnant women and postpartum women. He does alot of referrals to specialty areas, ENT, GI, Pain Center, Cardiology, Ortho, etc. If he can't fix it or figure it out, he sends them out with a referral.

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 31, 2007

I am very interested in how nurses make career decsions ... and I am curious.

How do you know you want to be an FNP if you don't know what they do?

Seriously, I'm not trying to be difficult here. I am truly trying to understand. I talk to so many nursing students with plans to go into one specialty or another -- or to focus on one role or another -- without knowing much about those things. Sometimes I think that making these decisions prematurely is one of the reasons people are so unhappy with their jobs later.

What is leading students to set their hearts on a particular nursing role and make these important career decisions prematurely -- without having the necessary information?

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jul 31, 2007

Moved to Nursing Career Advice Forum.

EmmaG, RN · Jul 31, 2007

I am very interested in how nurses make career decsions ... and I am curious.
How do you know you want to be an FNP if you don't know what they do?
Seriously, I'm not trying to be difficult here. I am truly trying to understand. I talk to so many nursing students with plans to go into one specialty or another -- or to focus on one role or another -- without knowing much about those things. Sometimes I think that making these decisions prematurely is one of the reasons people are so unhappy with their jobs later.
What is leading students to set their hearts on a particular nursing role and make these important career decisions prematurely -- without having the necessary information?

Good point; I was wondering the exact same thing...

RNDude · Jul 31, 2007

Is it the case, perhaps, that you would like to set a goal for yourself down the road of an andvanced degree in nursing, and Family Nurse Practitioner happens to be what you've heard of that fits the bill? If that's the case, be aware that there are other advanced nursing degrees besides nurse practitioner, and FNP is not the only type of nurse practitioner either.

In any case, good luck in your RN program & congrats for getting to this starting point. By all means investigate the juicy possibilities that lie ahead. Just keep your perspective all the while on what you need to focus on now. There was an ADN student I know of who insisted that certain nursing tasks were unimportant for her to learn or perform because she was going to go on to become an NP and wouldn't be needing those particular skills. She didn't make it.

Not to imply that you seem in any such danger, but just keep your perspective on what you have to master in becoming a great RN. Doing so is what will keep doors open for you such as for advanced practice.

Joe NightingMale, MSN, RN · Jul 31, 2007

I'd like to once again recommend the book 101 Careers in Nursing. Very helpful; in fact, I might be checking it out again.

In my own case I'm not entirely certain what I'm going to do with my MSN when I finally get it. I like the idea of pain management/palliative care, but I'd like to widen the concept to include psychological as well as physical suffering. Not sure what specialty covers all that. Teaching and research will probably be included in there too...