Would you do it all over again?

still in NP (Family) school, but after the shift I had last night, I certainly am looking forward to becoming an NP. Chasing patients all night, running to bed alarms, being kicked and scratched by demented patients for 12 hours (with two shifts remaining), I will welcome seeing the patient and watching them walk out the door....Sorry, I know you want input from practicing NP's, but I just had to vent a little.......ok...now I can patiently wait for actual NP's to respond....

I've been an NP now for a little over 3 years. Just like being an RN, you have to find your niche and a job that is good to you, but that is true in every profession. I've changed jobs a few times, paid my dues as an NP and finally found a job that is a great fit. I refused to settle for less.

I've never regretted being an NP and would choose it any day because of the opportunities and flexibility.

Well, I've been a FNP for over 13 years now. I completely agree that you have to find your niche. Being a NP has been very good to me and my family. We have 5 little ones and I am able to stay home all day with them since I work part time nights in specialty I love. However, I often wish now that I would have gone to medical school when I was younger. NP school did not offer the training I would have liked. My work experience provided that over the years.

NP is the way to go. It's more flexible than PAs if that is the priority. If $$ is the priority, then PA maybe better depending on the specialty. In my ever so humble opinion and experience, MD is overrated with ZERO flexibility( especially if you have a family you care to actually spend quality time with) and paralyzing liabilities. That is also the opinion of many NP/PA/MD friends.

Hi, I am a nurse myself for a long time, this question is to all you nurse practitioners for my daughter who is in her first year of college, wanting pre-med, she also wants information on NP's or PA's, would love to hear more positives or negatives, I work with PA's in OR area, how tough is it to get into PA programs? Is there more flexibility for NP's???

I LOVE being an NP. I was a staff nurse in oncology for nearly 23 years, became an oncology NP (loved it) and also worked as an adult NP in primary care (enjoyed that too) and am now in wound care (which I enjoy because my employer leaves me alone to do my job - no looking over my shoulder (well, minimal.)) I have NEVER regretted becoming an NP (but staff nurse in oncology was okay too - my back just wouldn't have held out for 20 more years.)

In college majoring in speech pathology I spent six wks in the hospital recovering from a bad car accident. Through this experience I decided to become a nurse because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others that I saw RNs making in mine when I was going through this horrible time in my life.

I love nursing because I get to treat the whole person and perform nursing interventions to help patients prevent illness, recover from diseases or die a comfortable, dignified death. I became an adult nurse practitioner to practice nursing in another setting, however, after 13 years, I went back into nursing so several reasons:

I never found a contracting doctor who respected me as equal, but different.

Many of the physicians tried to make me into a doctor.

I could never be good enough or knowledgeable enough.(not according to my patients, but to the doctors I worked with.)

I was never independent like I am as a nurse because I am diagnosing and treating illness in the same way physicians do.

What I love about nursing, the teaching and counseling and focusing on the whole person, was difficult to do in an outpatient setting because the focus is on seeing as many patients as you can for the income.

If I were to become a NP again, I would do it in a specialty area not primary care.

So my advice to you is: Do not make any decisions right now. Go to nursing school. See what areas you like the most. Get as much education as you can because it gives you options. Be a RN for awhile before you decide if you want to become a NP. If you are independent like I am, consider public health nursing or hospice. You can have your own patients and make decisions about them without having to consult with other nurses. The hours are good.

Best of luck to you!

[so my advice to you is: Do not make any decisions right now. Go to nursing school. See what areas you like the most. Get as much education as you can because it gives you options. Be a RN for awhile before you decide if you want to become a NP. If you are independent like I am, consider public health nursing or hospice. You can have your own patients and make decisions about them without having to consult with other nurses. The hours are good.

Best of luck to you!

Great post! Very good advice!

Thank you all for your kind responses! Lots of food for thought. :)