Years of RN experience before NP

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Specializes in BMT.

I was wondering if having more experience as an RN helps with getting hired as an NP. I understand that more years of experience is ideal for applications to schools, but is that important to employers?

Thank you for your help!

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I think having a foundation is fine. They never inquired about years of experience just a little overview of areas I had experience in

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Specializes in Critical Care.

20 versus 5 years as a bedside RN.. no real difference. Perhaps the longer at bedside will leave you privy to more exposure but how that’ll effect your practice as an NP... who knows.

I believe there’s is research that shows RNs with no bedside experience who go directly to NP have similar outcomes as those with prior experience.

As a new NP, I feel my experience in an ICU for 5 years as helped tremendously with my learning curve as an NP in the ICU.

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I think it depends on what specialty you want to get into as an NP. For example, I know many oncology NP positions prefer experience as an oncology RN but that is not a hard and fast rule. To be a primary care NP, I don't think there is a concern about being an RN--acute care is so different from primary care.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).

It depends on your NP specialty.

If you intend to be an Acute Care NP, then having some relevant RN experience will likely be viewed as a plus by employers. In addition, many Oncology NP positions state that Acute Care RN experience is required (doesn't have to be Oncology).

If you wish to go into Primary Care as an NP, then RN experience is not required and employers won't care one way or the other. I went straight through from ABSN to MSN Primary Care NP and had no problem finding a job.

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I think it depends on your specialty. I spent almost 8 years in corrections with brief stints in public health and psych and currently work for a occupational medicine company. I got hired as a new grad (which they said they generally don't do) but since I had years of working with no supervision and making decisions based on protocols and treating patients/inmates (corrections), they felt I'd do just fine in an occupational medicine setting dealing with workers who are hurt and angry.

Primary care however is a whole different beast- I don't know if there is any RN field that can gear you up for that. But that is juts my opinion.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).
2 minutes ago, thinbluelineRN said:

I think it depends on your specialty. I spent almost 8 years in corrections with brief stints in public health and psych and currently work for a occupational medicine company. I got hired as a new grad (which they said they generally don't do) but since I had years of working with no supervision and making decisions based on protocols and treating patients/inmates (corrections), they felt I'd do just fine in an occupational medicine setting dealing with workers who are hurt and angry.

Primary care however is a whole different beast- I don't know if there is any RN field that can gear you up for that. But that is juts my opinion.

I agree with you. However, there are some RN roles that would help with being a primary care NP - school nurse, there are RNs that work in primary care clinics, so that type of role would be good background, RN role in a nursing home - it usually primary care NPs that work in nursing homes.

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My employer never inquired, but I knew my years of psych RN experience qualified me.

Otherwise, I would have been rather useless.

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Specializes in AG-ACNP.

Hi! I am an AG-ACNP and I completed an accelerated NP program (no prior RN experience). I took my first NP job at a highly specialized heme/BMT outpatient clinic (which was a mistake) but it did not work out because they did not have the resources to onboard and train a new grad NP into a role that twas new in the clinic. In addition, they had not hired a new NP in 7 years. I am now figuring out my next step and I have an opportunity to complete a new grad RN program on a CV floor or complete an NP fellowship in oncology (both inpatient and outpatient), both at great facilities. What do people recommend? I want the RN experience but don't know if I need it to be successful. I also worry about transitioning to being an NP in 1-2 years because then I will be 2-3 years out of graduation. I live in the Bay Area where it is very competitive and my goal is to become an inpatient NP. Any advice is so appreciated.

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Doing an RN program makes no sense at this point and will make you look very bad. My opinion only

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Specializes in AG-ACNP.

How will it make me look bad if I take the stance of "I wanted to get hands-on experience, especially since I never had that chance." Any suggestions for brushing up my RN skill while working as an NP?

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44 minutes ago, Michelle27r said:

How will it make me look bad if I take the stance of "I wanted to get hands-on experience, especially since I never had that chance." Any suggestions for brushing up my RN skill while working as an NP?

I think what Oldmahubbard is trying to say is what we’ve all been saying for awhile- being an NP without first being an RN is tough and you needed the RN experience before you went to NP school. If you go to RN school now, it’s like saying you don’t really know what’s going on and are in to deep.

Do the NP fellowship- it is more in line with your current degree.

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