2 yrs exp. ideal to go for FNP?

Jules A, MSN · Jul 25, 2017

I received my BSN abroad (third world country) and let me tell you, the education system was horrible!! I don't think I'm competent enough to take very good care of my patients, that's why I decided to continue my education, go on to earning my masters and become FNP.
Does having more nursing experience makes you a better NP? Any thoughts?

Hi, I so appreciate your thoughtfulness and insight into the benefits of RN experience. Normally I do think 2 years is sufficient to start a NP program provided the person works while in that program which would result in 4+ years total nursing experience.

My concern based on what you've written is that you don't feel competent as a BSN yet and if that is the case I would not add more responsibilities on your plate until you become more comfortable in your current role. I would definitely suggest continuing education such as seminars, webinars and conferences to bridge the gap in your formal education.

Best wishes and again kudos for your insight and desire to be competent in your role.

shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 25, 2017

2 years is plenty of RN experience prior to an FNP program. Do you now feel competent? If not, what are your weaknesses?

As to whether you need more RN experience, that depends. There is no evidence that RN experience makes you a better NP. In fact, the few studies on this suggest the opposite! Being an NP is very different from being an RN.

Rich, E. R. (2005). Does RN experience relate to NP clinical skills?. The Nurse Practitioner, 30(12), 53-56.

Assessing successful entry into nurse practitioner practice: a literature review. By: Rich ER, Jorden ME, Taylor CJ, Journal of the New York State Nurses Association, 00287644, 2001 Fall-Winter, Vol. 32, Issue 2

El-Banna MM, Briggs LA, Leslie MS, Athey EK, Pericak A, Falk NL, Greene J. Does Prior RN Clinical Experience Predict Academic Success in Graduate Nurse Practitioner Programs? J Nurs Educ. 2015 May;54(5):276-80. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20150417-05.

Dodongo, APRN, NP · Jul 26, 2017

I agree that the roles of RN and NP are very different, however, I would expect someone entering a NP program to be comfortable as a RN first. If you aren't competent/comfortable as a RN then you probably shouldn't be applying to NP. A RN should be comfortably managing basic medical issues. If you feel very challenged in the RN role then you are not ready to move to a role with more responsibility.

IMO you should make the leap from RN to NP in this manner:

I am very competent and comfortable as an RN and getting bored/feeling stagnant. I think I should go to NP school for more of a challenge.

Not in this manner:

Wow. I'm not a very good RN and feel like I'm not performing well in this role. I think I'll go to NP school and hope I'm better at that...

ella2990 · Jul 26, 2017

I wouldn't say I'm incompetent, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I want more knowledge, I want to be able to explain to pt why s/he is experiencing this and that, and why this medicine is prescribed by the doctor vs the other medicine. I don't know if I'm making any sense at all. I am in no way saying that I'm uncomfortable with performing my role as an RN. I guess I want more educational background. We had a travel nurse before and he too is on his way to becoming an NP student, I admire him a LOT!! He was able to explain the pathophysiology of the pt's disease and the mechanism of action of a certain medicine is helping the pt. I want to be that kind of nurse.

I hope that made sense, I'm not really good at expressing my thoughts in writing. lol

shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 27, 2017

Well, you should have learned basic patho in your BSN program.

The NP job is different. You will be performing much more thorough physical exams in order to diagnose, and then have to order tests and be able to prescribe medications. If that is what you truly want to do, then go for the NP.

In the MSN program, you will have more detailed patho. You will also learn when to prescribe different medications and why. You will learn how to diagnose, etc.

2 years as an RN is enough. I previously provided you with 3 studies indicating being an RN or years of RN experience has no correlation with how well you do as an NP. A lot of people on this forum disagree with me, but that is just their bias. The evidence supports my position. If you want to be an NP, then start looking at schools and applying. good luck

ella2990 · Jul 27, 2017

In the MSN program, you will have more detailed patho. You will also learn when to prescribe different medications and why. You will learn how to diagnose, etc.

Yes! That's what I'm itching to learn. I want to have a deeper background in patho to be able to explain to pt's in layman's term. I feel like for my BSN, I can explain some diseases just fine and some diseases I just flat out forgot the patho!

Also one of the reasons why I wanted to do NP and didn't want to do bedside nursing in the long run is because I injured my back, back when I was in 8th grade. So being in med/surg unit where we also get quite a few bariatric pts is taking quite a toll on my back.

And yes, I am starting my program this fall, I just wanted a reassurance that having less years in my belt wouldn't hurt me when it comes to doing clinicals.

Thanks so much!!

lwsoccjs · Jul 28, 2017

I would add that becoming an NP is not just about learning more. Make sure you are going into it for the right reason. NP is about taking on the provider role. If you do not want that responsibility then it is not suited for you. Anyone has the opportunity to pick up a pharmacology, pathology, physiology, microbiology etc book. No one stops someone from learning. Also graduate school, for the most part, is all just self-teaching. Of course, the teachers help fill in the blanks. But, much of it is self-taught and requires self-motivation. So if you're looking for someone to spoon feed it to you then again that's the wrong reason. There are 100's of resources out there that no one could possibly finish them all. If you honestly need resources of information I could gladly provide them. So all I am saying is if its just the additional knowledge you seek then that's the wrong reason to do it.

ella2990 · Jul 28, 2017

. So if you're looking for someone to spoon feed it to you then again that's the wrong reason. There are 100's of resources out there that no one could possibly finish them all. If you honestly need resources of information I could gladly provide them. So all I am saying is if its just the additional knowledge you seek then that's the wrong reason to do it.

No, it's not the ONLY reason why I decided to do NP in the first place. I wanted to have a deeper background on patho/pharm. And I think nursing is always changing and continuous learning/education is necessary, so I don't know why I'm interpreting some of the replies on my post so negatively when I stated I wanted to learn more. (Maybe that's not their intention, but that's just my vibe)

But anyway, yes I wanted to be more than just a bedside nurse. I wanted to be more involved in decision making regarding pt care and hopefully in the future be part of a specialized team and act as one of the providers.

P.s. I wanted to be a Dr when I was a kid but screwed up my high school grades when I fell into depression. So didn't get accepted to med school.

shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 28, 2017

You don't need the approval of anyone on this discussion board. If you want to be an NP, then start applying to schools! Good luck.

lwsoccjs · Jul 28, 2017

Well good luck then.

myoglobin, ASN, BSN, MSN · Jul 29, 2017

While I agree that the first standard that you enumerate is ideal for some, it is not realistic for others. Personally, I lack confidence, and dislike challenges for the most part. Yet I'm returning to school for my NP in Psych in the hopes that it may ultimately be less stressful and at least as rewarding as the current job where I work (neurotrauma ICU). Had I applied your metric for advancement (with myself) I would still be living with my parents (long deceased) and working as a life guard at Lake in the Pines (where I wasn't very confident either). My advice to the protagonist is to "do your best", have faith, work hard, remain humble and God and the Universe will do the rest.