Working as an RN

rafael80 · Jan 9, 2006

can somebody explain to me what an msn is?? sorry im an idiot. i am just learning all i can about nursing and i am currently taking all the prerequesites for registered nursing at vvc in southern california

elkpark · Jan 9, 2006

Because all FNPs (all advanced practice nurses, period) are RNs, you will always maintain an active RN license. Your advanced practice licensure will be in addition to your "standard" RN licensure. (If, for any reason, you lost your RN licensure, you wouldn't legally be able to practice as an NP.)

You can certainly work as a "regular" RN even though you have advanced practice education and licensure. As for travelling as soon as you finish school, though, there are lots of threads here that talk about the degree of specialization and experience travel nursing agencies and, more importantly, the hospitals that hire travel nurses are looking for, and you may want to search and read some of those.

NathanDH · Jan 9, 2006

You can certainly work as a "regular" RN even though you have advanced practice education and licensure. As for travelling as soon as you finish school, though, there are lots of threads here that talk about the degree of specialization and experience travel nursing agencies and, more importantly, the hospitals that hire travel nurses are looking for, and you may want to search and read some of those.

I appreciate your straight forward answer, that helps a lot. Anyway, like I said, I plan to be working as a RN while in my MSN program, so that would be over a year experience as a RN before I decide to do any travel nursing. Would this be sufficient?

Also, would my chances of being hired be low do to being overqualified or would it be the opposite?

pvjerrys · Jan 9, 2006

can somebody explain to me what an msn is?? sorry im an idiot. i am just learning all i can about nursing and i am currently taking all the prerequesites for registered nursing at vvc in southern california

MSN - Master's of Science, Nursing

elkpark · Jan 9, 2006

I appreciate your straight forward answer, that helps a lot. Anyway, like I said, I plan to be working as a RN while in my MSN program, so that would be over a year experience as a RN before I decide to do any travel nursing. Would this be sufficient?
Also, would my chances of being hired be low do to being overqualified or would it be the opposite?

Would you be working full-time as an RN while completing the Master's program? In what area of nursing? Most of the travel agencies require at least a year's (full-time) experience, but many hospitals will not accept travellers that have less than a few years experience in their specialty. Hospitals pay agencies very big bucks for travellers, and, for the amount of $$ they're shelling out, they expect to get a seasoned, experienced person who can walk in and start doing the job with minimal orientation. They are not interested in people who are still learning the ropes of nursing in general.

Another consideration which you didn't specifically ask about (but which I can't help mentioning, since I'm an advanced practice nurse myself) is this: do you really think it is a good idea to complete your FNP training and then spend a year or more working in settings where you will not be practicing as as FNP?? (Does the phrase "use it or lose it" ring a bell? :) ) My advice (if anyone happened to be asking), as a long time CNS and even longer-time RN, is that, if you want to be an FNP, be an FNP Get an FNP job right out of school and start developing your professional skills, knowledge, and expertise in that role. Just like "regular" nursing school, what you learn in a Master's program about an advanced practice role is just the tip of the iceberg; just enough to get you started. Your education continues when you start practicing as a novice in the new role and gain experience over time. Not only would the plan you've suggested delay that necessary process, but you would also forget quite a bit of what you learned in your graduate program during the delay. I would also expect that it would put you at a disadvantage later on when you did go looking for an FNP position.

You can take that advice for whatever you think it's worth :) , but I also encourage you (again) to review some of the threads here about travel nursing in general. You may also want to post a question in the Nurse Practitioner forum and ask that group what they think about your plan.

Trauma Columnist · Jan 9, 2006

To the OP - Are you sure an FNP is what you want to do the rest of your career? My question comes from your post about doing travel nursing after you get your FNP. Also, you state that when you finish school you'll only be 22. You are right - that is young and you have the whole world at your door. Maybe expanding a little while you are in school via clinicals would help? Maybe a semester abroad or in another state would give you a little more life experience? Just a thought.

NathanDH · Jan 9, 2006

So here are my thoughts. I will be applying to the BSN/MSN program, if I get accepted I will keep track of my progress in the program, I must keep a 3.0GPA in order to be admitted into the MSN portion of the accelerated degree. As of right now I have a 4.0 in all prerequisite coursework and all other classes. If I keep a good GPA, enough to get accepted into a program after I finish my BSN and apply, instead of using direct entry, I will leave with my BSN and go on to pursue travel nursing. Once I am done with that, I will go on to apply to a MSN FNP program. If on the other hand I only keep the required 3.0GPA, I will go directly into the FNP program from there.

Trauma Columnist · Jan 9, 2006

That sounds like a plan. You also have alternative ideas and that is a positive too.