What path would be easier to get a job in with no experience?

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  1. What path would be easier to get a job in with no expierence?

    • 4
      NP
    • 3
      Management and leadership

7 members have participated

I'm interested in management and leadership or nurse practitioner. I am currently in an ADN program. What path would be easier to get a job with without much experience. I've never worked as an lpn either.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

THERE IS NO SHORTCUT to being an effective, successful NP or administrator. If you want respect, it will have to be earned; it's not a given, based on some fast-track to your end goal of being NP/Administrator. The vast majority of patients and colleagues will respect you much more if you have actual real-world experience, not just an MSN after your name.

Good luck.

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Specializes in PICU.

OP - Once you finish Nursing school and pass your boards, start working as an Rn. Join a committee/council/group at work and become involved. It will help recognize you as a potential leader. You will need this experience. If you can, get involved at school in your Student Nurses association or even the NSNA (National Student Nurse's Association). This will help you gain some leadership skills.

Even if you have a degree or two from a different background, RN experience is the only way to have RN experience.

Good luck.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Multiple threads on same topic merged.

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Specializes in Telemetry.
No. I love working the floor, but it's just a good time for me to get my education done. I don't have a husband or kids.

I'm confused. Working the floor? As a tech or what - you aren't a nurse yet, right?

Some places can be difficult to gain employment as a new ADN grad and not so difficult in others. Really depends on location. Once employed, serveral states have the option to attend Western Governors University (WGU) online for RN to BSN. Affordable and I've heard the program is well liked by most.

Please, please work as a nurse for a good number of years before deciding on advanced practice or management paths. You will learn so much about the field of nursing and yourself.

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Well you can say this about NPs who do have RN experience and choose to find a different path then they are used to to work as a provider- aka l and D nurse working out patient clinic as an internist. Does not have prior IM experience and outpatient is different then what she does as an NP yet she is trained on the job. Also, at the end of the day what NPs practice is medicine, yet docs can go practice medicine without RN experience, and have been doing so for years, so whats so different then a non NP doing the same? A lot of prestigious schools have DE programs Vandy being one and googling will show you physicians don't see a difference from NP RN to DE NP and neither do the patients but RN NPs seem to have issues with this

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Specializes in Psychiatric and emergency nursing.
Well you can say this about NPs who do have RN experience and choose to find a different path then they are used to to work as a provider- aka l and D nurse working out patient clinic as an internist. Does not have prior IM experience and outpatient is different then what she does as an NP yet she is trained on the job. Also, at the end of the day what NPs practice is medicine, yet docs can go practice medicine without RN experience, and have been doing so for years, so whats so different then a non NP doing the same? A lot of prestigious schools have DE programs Vandy being one and googling will show you physicians don't see a difference from NP RN to DE NP and neither do the patients but RN NPs seem to have issues with this

Nurses switch fields all the time, and yes, they are trained on the job. The difference is that as a nurse practitioner, the OP would need to be able to notice the minute nuances about a patient that might scream (insert ailment here), or be able to ask specific questions leading to a differential diagnosis when the diagnosis is a bit hazy. While the nurse referenced above went from L&D to internal medicine, s/he should still have a solid foundation in knowing normal from abnormal (labs, S&S, etc).

Doctors practice medicine solo after years of school, thousands of clinical hours, and a residency. Plus many of them began in the medical field somehow (I personally work with an ex-nurse, ex-EMT, and ex-phlebotomist) and have undergraduate degrees in fields that support their medicinal education. I'm not absolutely discounting the OP's ability as a possible NP savant, but I am saying I much prefer one that has some kind of floor experience.

Finally, my problem with DE programs (I assume you mean ones for people with a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field). I support them for people that have a BS in say biology or biochemistry, or maybe physical therapy or the like. As for people that have their bachelor's in say cybersecurity or finance? Yeah, they worry me a smidge, regardless of which school is promoting the process.

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Eeramsey, I think you should do what makes you happy. I've had plenty of so-called "Nurse Managers" with years of nursing experience, but no common sense. They couldn't lead/manage their way out of a paper bag. There are plenty of non-nursing leaders with no healthcare experience who lead/manage healthcare entities all the time. I will say that having experience as a provider will help you understand the nature and complexities of healthcare more fully. It may be better to meet with and/or shadow a Nurse leader to see what they really do before you set your decision in stone. No matter what you decide, don't let the Haters drag you down or stand in your way of future success. Good luck to you!

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Specializes in progressive care. med surg. tele. LTC. psych..

Don't you obtain experience while in school? you still have years and years ahead of you before becoming manager or NP. Don't worry about that now! Start networking and inquiring about future jobs, get to know some people higher up. That's what I did. Now I already have a job lined up for me when I graduate in the field I want.

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Specializes in ICU.

I am unsure of how someone would think they would be prepared to manage other nurses or diagnose and treat patients if the only patient contact they will have ever had is in school. Not to mention, go and see what current employers are asking for prospective applicants to have for job openings in these settings. I can't imagine any place would hire a new grad who has no experience working on the floor aside from clinical.

Edited to add, I am about to graduate with my BSN and I have worked on the floor for years as a PCT (combined CNA/phlebotomy position at my work), and I in no way feel comfortable even just applying for my masters at this point. I will work the floor for a few years as an RN before I even consider myself ready for that.

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Specializes in ER, Neuro, Trauma, Educator.

I felt alot like you when I was in school: I loved to learn and was already looking for the next degree! I graduated with my BSN and got the only job I could at the time (med/surg) and wouldn't trade the experience for anything! I think the best way to figure out which one of the paths you are considering is best is to get out there and get some experience! maybe be a patient care tech while in school, then work PRN or part time while getting pre-reqs for a master's degree? I am SO glad I did not go straight into a graduate program because once I started working and saw the positions I was initially interested in I was like "NOPE!" lol The experience will also likely put you into contact with professionals in the fields you are interested in, and you can pick their brains and hear it straight from the horse's mouth! :) good luck!

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