Why Can Pre-Med Students Know Their Choice But Nursing Students "Can't"?

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Specializes in Psychiatric RN & Retired Psychiatric CNA.

This is a question that has been nagging me for quite some time.

Why is it so horrible for us to plan out our route? I want to become a NNP and as stated in a previous thread, infants are the only reason I chose nursing instead of completing a tech degree. From what I have seen on this board and a couple of others say, nursing students shouldn't choose their route before clinicals. But many pre-med programs allow students to choose their route beforehand. I even have a close friend who is a pre-med major and they are writing research papers about their route.

Why can't we know ours?

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

It's not bad to have a goal, but realistically not every aspiring NNP is going to get that plum NICU RN job. Many, many new grads are taking sub-acute or long-term nursing jobs because that's the reality of their market... geriatric nursing is extremely important and honorable work, but likely not a good preparation for an aspiring NNP.

I don't know that pre-med students are actually choosing their path either though. I mean out of a med school's graduating class, not everyone is going to get a residency/fellowship in cardiology or anesthesia. Some are going to be in proctology. The pre-med students I knew in college were bio or chem majors who had aspirations but no residency placements.

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Specializes in Psychiatric RN & Retired Psychiatric CNA.
It's not bad to have a goal, but realistically not every aspiring NNP is going to get that plum NICU RN job. Many, many new grads are taking sub-acute or long-term nursing jobs because that's the reality of their market... geriatric nursing is extremely important and honorable work, but likely not a good preparation for an aspiring NNP.

I don't know that pre-med students are actually choosing their path either though. I mean out of a med school's graduating class, not everyone is going to get a residency/fellowship in cardiology or anesthesia. Some are going to be in proctology. The pre-med students I knew in college were bio or chem majors who had aspirations but no residency placements.

I am willing to do everything in my power to have placement in a Level III nicu even if that means I have to relocate or even get placement in a nursing residency program for NICU to gain experience. Which is what I might do seeing as though we don't have a clinical in a NICU at our school. The passion that I have for infants is incomparable.

So I don't see the problem at all. Many nurses have chosen their field before even starting school and is now working as NPs in their field.

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Specializes in ER.

Overall, the path to med school is an uncertain and expensive journey. They don't exactly write their own tickets. I think you are terribly misinformed.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
I am willing to do everything in my power to have placement in a Level III nicu even if that means I have to relocate or even get placement in a nursing residency program for NICU to gain experience. Which is what I might do seeing as though we don't have a clinical in a NICU at our school. The passion that I have for infants is incomparable.

Good -- that willingness and passion will definitely be an asset in your future. :)

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Specializes in Psychiatric RN & Retired Psychiatric CNA.
Good -- that willingness and passion will definitely be an asset in your future. :)

:) Thank you.

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Specializes in ICU.
It's not bad to have a goal, but realistically not every aspiring NNP is going to get that plum NICU RN job. Many, many new grads are taking sub-acute or long-term nursing jobs because that's the reality of their market... geriatric nursing is extremely important and honorable work, but likely not a good preparation for an aspiring NNP.

I don't know that pre-med students are actually choosing their path either though. I mean out of a med school's graduating class, not everyone is going to get a residency/fellowship in cardiology or anesthesia. Some are going to be in proctology. The pre-med students I knew in college were bio or chem majors who had aspirations but no residency placements.

Agree. Med students do rotations in all areas. I work at a treaching hospital. I see med students every day I work.

The reason why people are saying these things to you is because it's very difficult to get into the specialty you want right off the bat. You don't just go to school and bam, that golden nicu job lands in your lap. I don't know the requirements to getting into NP school for what you desire, but I'm guessing you are going to need ICU experience to get in. Have you researched the requirements to get in? Do you have a plan to make it happen? Are you currently working on that?

There's a lot to planning your route. And you need a back up plan. Do you have a back-up plan to achieve your goal? So if you don't land in NICU or any ICU for that matter right out if nursing school, you have a plan to get there and get the experience needed for NP school? You need a plan other than I want to be a NICU NP.

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Specializes in Psychiatric RN & Retired Psychiatric CNA.
Agree. Med students do rotations in all areas. I work at a treaching hospital. I see med students every day I work.

The reason why people are saying these things to you is because it's very difficult to get into the specialty you want right off the bat. You don't just go to school and bam, that golden nicu job lands in your lap. I don't know the requirements to getting into NP school for what you desire, but I'm guessing you are going to need ICU experience to get in. Have you researched the requirements to get in? Do you have a plan to make it happen? Are you currently working on that?

There's a lot to planning your route. And you need a back up plan. Do you have a back-up plan to achieve your goal? So if you don't land in NICU or any ICU for that matter right out if nursing school, you have a plan to get there and get the experience needed for NP school? You need a plan other than I want to be a NICU NP.

*Neonatal NP. & yes I do. I gave up a full scholarship for a tech degree so it would have been foolish to not have planned out my route. Also I said pre-med not med school.

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[…]

…But many pre-med programs allow students to choose their route beforehand. I even have a close friend who is a pre-med major and they are writing research papers about their route.

[…]

What exactly are you trying to say here?

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Specializes in Psychiatric RN & Retired Psychiatric CNA.
What exactly are you trying to say here?

They aren't shamed for knowing what they want to do with their career early on. It's encouraged.

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They aren't shamed for knowing what they want to do with their career early on. It's encouraged.

And who exactly is it that is "shaming" you?

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.
And who exactly is it that is "shaming" you?

Nursing schools (and some on this forum) are full of the following silly attitude: you couldn't possibly know what you want until after you are experienced, and you can't be experienced without a year of med-surg, so shut up about your desires and go work med-surg for a year minimum. (As if med surg wasn't its own specialty, it is)

And I think that attitude is bludgeoned into some NS. A better message students is: "keep an open mind and be willing to switch tracks."

One can learn a little about a poster in a single thread, but OP is clear and I like OP's determination. I'd want that determination in a NNP.

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