What was your path to NP?

AAC.271 · May 24, 2016

Nursing school followed by ER followed by MSN. Considered applying to med school, but did not do well on the MCAT. I think all of us would have been great physicians, but there are just so many barriers and exams to jump through and it is much more cut throat with all the crazy premed psychos.

akcunnin · May 25, 2016

I am currently a nurse case manager working with patients with chronic conditions. My dream is to be an NP but I've been out of the clinical environment for a few years now. I also got my MSN in leadership and management. But I now have had a change of heart and want to be clinician again. Any advice on the best route to take to become an NP?

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · May 28, 2016

I did paramedic, traditional ADN, then RN to BSN, and now I am in a MSN program. I wish I had majored in nursing earlier since I had chosen psychology initially but switched two semesters before graduating from OSU to a community college. I chose to do an RN to BSN program instead of an RN to MSN because for most places, it is far cheaper to do the RN to BSN compared to RN to MSN. I think I saved like 4,000 in tuition. Plus if I go crazy and decide not to finish, I will have the BSN.

akcunnin, see if you can apply for a post-masters NP program although we have an acute care adult NP in our traditional MSN program. Kind of weird.

Rita AGPCNP-BC · Jul 7, 2016

I started as a Medical Assistant at 18. I worked as a MA for a couple of years while going for my LPN. During the LPN I attained my CNA license and did home health and home hospice. Once getting my LPN I worked in the nursing home doing long term care, long term ventilator care, rehab and dementia care. While doing this I attained my ASN and subsequent RN. I worked in the LTAC and transitioned to critical care. At that time I worked on and attained my BSN. I immediately enrolled in and completed a MSN Leadership and Management program. I remained working in critical care but also opened a health education company. I enrolled in the AGPCNP program shortly after this. While in the program I became pregnant with my fourth child. Shortly after delivering my daughter I was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had brain surgery in the middle of my program. I recovered and picked my program back up the next semester. I was also dually enrolled in a MBA program at another school. I transitioned from the ICU to Rapid Response and then to Nursing Administrator. With much perseverance I completed my MBA-HC and six months later my MSN in Primary Care Nursing Practice and passed my boards. My path took 13 years, 4 kids and one divorce. But I'm the strong and dedicated Rita RN MSN MBA AGPCNP-BC CCRN-CMC.

Rita AGPCNP-BC · Jul 7, 2016

In response to the post about there being. BS to MSN for non healthcare degrees- There are paths for BS to MSN. I know IU has this option. I don't know what state you're on but I believe the programs are offered all over.

Bumex, DNP, NP · Jul 7, 2016

I started as a Medical Assistant at 18. I worked as a MA for a couple of years while going for my LPN. During the LPN I attained my CNA license and did home health and home hospice. Once getting my LPN I worked in the nursing home doing long term care, long term ventilator care, rehab and dementia care. While doing this I attained my ASN and subsequent RN. I worked in the LTAC and transitioned to critical care. At that time I worked on and attained my BSN. I immediately enrolled in and completed a MSN Leadership and Management program. I remained working in critical care but also opened a health education company. I enrolled in the AGPCNP program shortly after this. While in the program I became pregnant with my fourth child. Shortly after delivering my daughter I was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had brain surgery in the middle of my program. I recovered and picked my program back up the next semester. I was also dually enrolled in a MBA program at another school. I transitioned from the ICU to Rapid Response and then to Nursing Administrator. With much perseverance I completed my MBA-HC and six months later my MSN in Primary Care Nursing Practice and passed my boards. My path took 13 years, 4 kids and one divorce. But I'm the strong and dedicated Rita RN MSN MBA AGPCNP-BC CCRN-CMC.

Um......wow. You rock!

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 7, 2016

I haven't graduated yet but I will next year. I started out in England as a diploma nurse in 1989 and worked on pretty much every floor of my hospital. I ended up in ICU and then emigrated to the USA in 2003. Since then I worked in acute dialysis and various ICUs ending up in a cardiac open heart ICU and then informatics, while getting my BSN and CCRN and CDN certifications. I started my acute NP program 2 years ago and am starting my final year this fall. I am realizing that I have been in school for the past 4 years straight (soon to be 5) and I'm getting tired. I turn 50 in January and am wondering if it will all be worth it. Who knows, but I'd regret not doing this.