<p>Hey guys, so this is how I want to be a NP:
1) get my BSN
2) pass NCLEX-RN exam
3) take 1 year off to work at a hospital/clinic
4) apply to grad school and get MSN
5) Pass NCLEX-PN exam
am I right in my steps? Or is there a better, more preferred and fast way of becoming a NP? </p>
<p>All of your input is appreciated, thanks!</p>
<p>The steps you have outlined are essentially correct at the present time. There are a few MSN-NP Programs that do not require a year of work experience before applying (but you have to have a BSN and an active RN license).</p>
<p>However, there is a movement in Nursing (spearheaded by the AANC and some other major Nursing Organizations) to require a Doctoral Level Degree (DNP) in order to be eligible to take the National NP Certification exam (required to get licensed/registered as an NP). The initial target date for this was 2015. It is very doubtful this will occur at this date but it may eventually be implemented. As a result of this probable eventuality more and more University MSN-NP are being done away with and are being replaced solely by DNP Progams. So by the time you graduate with your BSN in 4 years (2017) there may be very few, if any, MSN-NP Programs available. As it is very difficult to know with certainty where all of this is going you should at least be aware that there is a possibility you may need to get a DNP to become a practicing NP by the time you graduate with your BSN in 2017. This remains a major battle in the Nursing Discipline. Only time will tell what actually will happen. Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, too, that faster may not always be better or that the fastest timeline may not be possible. Yes, your steps are right, but you should get that work experience in the area of nursing where you want to pursue the advanced degree. Right now, in some parts of the country, you may need to get a full time position (any nursing position) before you can get into your preferred area as a nurse. So, the time spent working may be more than a year.</p>
<p>The NPs on the faculty here where I work all say, too (these are all DNPs, by the way) that the program will be more manageable with more experience. Not that you should let that slow you down, but it is something to consider.</p>
<p>The OP is correct. There is a movement that is occurring in which MSN programs are essentially dissolving and DNP programs will be the majority. This is already beginning to occur at my school. Our CRNA program is no longer MSN and now requires DNP.</p>
<p>Yes, you most likely need some experience before you apply to a MSN program. There are some MSN programs that don’t require additional experience. You’ll have to have your RN license, but you can essentially start MSN school immediately after finishing your BSN. This is great if you’re absolutely certain that you want to be an NP, but not-so-good if you have any notion that you may want to specialize with your NP degree (neonatal NP or emergency room NP, for example). Depending on your clinical rotation during your BSN, you may already know what you’re interested in by the time you finish that degree.</p>
<p>If you don’t want to wait that long to become a NP, keep in mind that there are currently still some RN to MSN programs available. However, these might be phased out soon due to the change over to DNP. Check with whatever school(s) you’re interested in that have these programs to make sure they plan on sticking around for the time that you’ll be there.</p>
<p>Ok, so I am just on this site searching for college info for my daughter and came across this thread and feel like I just have to respond. I am a nurse practitioner and have been for the past 20 years, and can honestly say there is no way I would ever advise anyone to go to NP school never having worked as a nurse. Really, do you think undergraduate BSN school and then NP clinicals gives you enough experience to be able to diagnose and treat patients upon graduation? Think again, there is more to being a nurse practitioner than just learning facts from a book and following someone around in clinicals. Good patient assessment skills take years to develop, the ability to hear what the patient is actually telling you, reading xrays, intrepreting labs, procedures that are required for patient care, etc. I could go on and on. Do you realize how much is at stake for incorrect diagnosis. Besides, what physician, clinic or hospital wants a NP with no experience as a nurse, what patient wants to see an NP with so little experience? NP are not in such short supply that they will hire anyone, just like with new grad RN’s currently, getting a job is not assured these days. Also, how would you know what area you want to specialize in without ever having worked as a nurse?</p>
<p>Not intending to start an argument, but there are many MSN programs available that don’t require any experience (and plenty of students willing to fill those spots). It’s not at all uncommon these days, and there are definitely some benefits to getting your MSN immediately after BSN versus waiting. Some candidates may not want to put off school because they have other life plans, for example. Or maybe they are absolutely certain that they want to be an NP, regardless of their level of experience. Maybe they have known that they wanted to be an NP since their first day of BSN school.</p>
<p>I just found your post a tad bit demeaning, but maybe I’m interpreting it wrong. I am due to graduate with my BSN in one year, and I will be entering MSN school with little experience (around 6 months to one year). I have discussed my plans with several MSN-prepared instructors and NPs at my school, and they all agree that it is a good option for me. I would like to get most of my education out of the way prior to “starting” my life, so to speak.</p>
<p>There is not just one way to become an NP. What works for you, may not work for someone else. Just my 2 cents.</p>
<p>leennp’s comments ring true with what I’ve heard from other NPs and doctors. Sure you can go to school to get your MSN but it may be a lot tougher finding a job when you graduate. When my d was looking at BSN programs she considered Vanderbilt’s 5 year BSN/MSN program (no longer exists) and was told repeatedly that she would need work experience as a BSN to even get interviewed for a NP position.<br>
There may be other ways to get that experience though - maybe working part-time while in the MSN program?</p>
<p>Shanghai Mom, plenty of direct-entry grad programs (i.e., programs for those w/ a BA or BS in another subject that have taken certain prereqs) exist where you can do your BSN in 12 to 16 months and then move directly into a nurse practitioner specialty, typically taking about four semesters. Schools including Yale, UPenn, UCSF, OHSU, Vanderbilt, BC and more offer this type of program - some have been around for 20 years, and grads have high success rates in getting NP jobs right out of school. So, it’s certainly possible to get an NP job without RN experience.</p>
<p>My post was not meant to be demeaning, but was meant to bring a level of reality to the discussion. I am quite sure that you can find graduate direct entry programs for NP’s requiring no work experience, but my point was you will be a better nurse practitioner if you work as a nurse first. You will give better care to your patients and families, and you will have more respect from the nurses and doctors you work with. The nursing profession is older and more experienced these days, no one can make your life more challenging than a nurse who does not respect your knowledge base and experience. You are not a better practitioner than they are just because you went to graduate school. They have years more experience and assessment and diagnosis than you would have. You should also check the certifying/accrediting organization for your specialty, mine required two years of work as an RN in addition to my MSN program and clinicals before I was even eligible to sit for my board exams. I worked as an RN the entire time I was in graduate school and during my clinicals, I had too, there was no one else to support me or pay tuition etc. We all make life choices, career choices, etc. The NP school will prepare you only so much to be a NP, you must have the background to make it all relevant.</p>
<p>i was looking into becoming a Nurse Practitioner or CRNA. im not sure which is best to go into, which is a more promising job?</p>
<p>I just want to say I completely agree with leennp, I am an LPN working my way up the ladder. I would rather have a NP with experience who went to just any old university than one who went straight through at a big name university. The main objective is giving the best care to the patients.</p>
<p>I think the work experience requirement depends on the specialty area - my knowledge was from Penn and I know they require work experience for several of their programs:</p>
<p>[Frequently</a> Asked Questions](<a href=“http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/admissions/graduate/Pages/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx#q2]Frequently”>http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/admissions/graduate/Pages/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx#q2)</p>
<p>Is RN experience required for admission?</p>
<p>The following programs require RN experience:</p>
<p>Neonatal CNS- 1 year RN experience (post-orientation) on a neonatal unit.
Neonatal NP- 1 year RN experience (post-orientation) in a level III NICU.
Pediatric CNS- 1 year RN experience (post-orientation) on a pediatric unit.
Pediatric Acute/Chronic Care NP- 1 year RN experience (post-orientation) on an inpatient pediatric unit.
Pediatric Critical Care NP- 1 year RN experience taking care of critically ill children.
Pediatric Oncology NP- 1 year RN experience taking care of critically ill children.
Nurse Anesthesia- 1 year (post-orientation) in an ICU setting.
RN experience must be met prior to the start of the clinical sequence. In all programs except Nurse Anesthesia, non-clinical courses may be taken part-time while completing the required work experience). Program directors may suggest RN experience at their discretion.</p>