{"id":1634,"date":"2020-07-01T16:32:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T16:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/?p=1634"},"modified":"2025-01-21T17:05:15","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T01:05:15","slug":"from-nursing-student-to-nurse-practitioner-keeping-your-eyes-on-the-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/from-nursing-student-to-nurse-practitioner-keeping-your-eyes-on-the-prize","title":{"rendered":"From Nursing Student to Nurse Practitioner: Keeping your eyes on the prize"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In This Article<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/from-nursing-student-to-nurse-practitioner-keeping-your-eyes-on-the-prize\/#1_Allow_Flexibility_in_Your_Plan\" >1. Allow Flexibility in Your Plan&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/from-nursing-student-to-nurse-practitioner-keeping-your-eyes-on-the-prize\/#2_Stay_Healthy\" >2. Stay Healthy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/from-nursing-student-to-nurse-practitioner-keeping-your-eyes-on-the-prize\/#3_Find_a_Mentor\" >3. Find a Mentor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/from-nursing-student-to-nurse-practitioner-keeping-your-eyes-on-the-prize\/#4_Ignore_the_Noise\" >4. Ignore the Noise<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/from-nursing-student-to-nurse-practitioner-keeping-your-eyes-on-the-prize\/#5_Set_Milestone_Rewards\" >5. Set Milestone Rewards<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/from-nursing-student-to-nurse-practitioner-keeping-your-eyes-on-the-prize\/#About_the_Author\" >About the Author<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Nursing students typically focus on getting through their chosen ADN or BSN program as quickly as possible to launch into their careers as registered nurses.<\/em><\/strong> Most of us just want to be done from the first wide-eyed day at clinical rotations to the nausea-producing NCLEX-RN board exam. On the rare side, there are nursing students who set their primary objective to become a Nurse Practitioner right out of the gate. Here&#8217;s how they do it<strong><em> and why.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Denise, becoming a family nurse practitioner (FNP) like her mother was a dream she\u2019d held since childhood. She fondly recalls her mother telling stories around the dinner table about children that she had treated as a pediatric nurse practitioner. So, when Denise considered nursing programs across the country, she narrowed her search to schools that could offer an efficient RN-to-FNP program, like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gonzaga.edu\/online-graduate-programs\/online-programs\/nursing-programs\/master-of-science-in-nursing\/family-nurse-practitioner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gonzaga University<\/a>. &#8220;Not only was it close to my hometown in Washington (state), but Gonzaga offered high-quality bachelor\u2019s of nursing and master\u2019s of nursing (MSN) programs with strong reputations. Some people recommended that I change schools for my MSN to get a different experience. Still, I believe that knowing the school and having all of my financial information already connected made earning the MSN a bit easier. I knew what to expect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some students choose programs from various schools to fulfill their dream of becoming a nurse practitioner. For example, students can choose to complete an associate degree in nursing (ADN) and then move on to a bridge program like the one at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcphs.edu\/academics\/school-of-nursing\/nursing\/family-nurse-practioner-rn-to-msn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS)<\/a>&nbsp;where, in 20 months, nurses can skip the BSN and jump straight to becoming an MSN-FNP. Accounting for nursing prerequisite courses and a two-year associate degree, a student could realistically reach their FNP in 6\u20138 years of school.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/overlook-summit.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/overlook-summit.png 700w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/overlook-summit.png?resize=300,200 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the thought of committing this much of your life to school may seem overwhelming, it\u2019s not unheard of, considering the alternatives. The seven years of education required to earn an M.D. is the bare minimum; then, there is an additional two to three years of residency. Becoming a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/plans\/pa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">physician assistant<\/a>&nbsp;is also a long haul\u2014three years of schooling after completing a bachelor&#8217;s degree. No matter which pathway you choose, the educational commitment is significant in becoming a medical professional. However, the nurse practitioner route is the ideal choice for those who embrace the nursing process and a holistic approach to healthcare. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Getting through the seemingly endless years of education can be daunting. Here are some tips on how to keep your eye on the NP prize&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/osmosis.org\/create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/07\/Blog_Display_Ads_MD2_2023.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4633\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/07\/Blog_Display_Ads_MD2_2023.png 700w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/07\/Blog_Display_Ads_MD2_2023.png?resize=300,107 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Allow_Flexibility_in_Your_Plan\"><\/span>1. Allow Flexibility in Your Plan&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Set your goals, but allow yourself some grace if you encounter hiccups in your plan. If the school you\u2019re planning to attend for their&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.registerednursing.org\/nurse-practitioner\/pediatric\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PNP program<\/a>&nbsp;suddenly drops the degree, don&#8217;t be derailed. Look for similar programs and then be willing to change degrees, as needed, and learn the pediatric specialty experience on the job.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Stay_Healthy\"><\/span>2. Stay Healthy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eight years of school is a long time to be sitting and studying (I\u2019m speaking figuratively, of course). Sophia Pothen has some great tips on creating best practices around a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-ultimate-guide-to-wellness-in-your-health-professional-program\">healthy and balanced lifestyle<\/a>\u00a0while in school. Eating well, making sleep a priority, and scheduling &#8220;me&#8221; time are all essential tips to achieve your professional goal while still staying true to yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Find_a_Mentor\"><\/span>3. Find a Mentor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A &#8220;been there, done that&#8221; mentor who can help you&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/2020\/01\/21\/rolling-with-the-punches-and-finding-balance-in-medical-school\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stay focused<\/a>&nbsp;and genuinely understands when you want to cut your dream short of becoming an N.P. because the night shift pay as an ICU nurse is too tempting. Seek out a mentor who will help you get over yourself and challenge you to keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/find-a-mentor.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/find-a-mentor.png 700w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/find-a-mentor.png?resize=300,200 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Ignore_the_Noise\"><\/span>4. Ignore the Noise<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I&#8217;ll say it; some people are threatened by your goals and will encourage \u2013 even ridicule you \u2013 for wanting to pursue higher education. These people are not your tribe and don\u2019t get to dictate your life. Channel your inner&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.ted.com\/5-insights-from-brene-browns-new-book-daring-greatly-out-today\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brene Brown<\/a>&nbsp;and stay in the fighting arena.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Set_Milestone_Rewards\"><\/span>5. Set Milestone Rewards<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Numerous studies in human behavior tout the benefits of self-reward when accomplishing goals. Finish your ADN and take that three-day cruise to Mexico. Get that BSN under your belt, and a designer bag is yours. Complete your FNP, and you can schedule that luxury spa retreat. It doesn&#8217;t matter what the reward is, necessarily. When your subconscious knows there is a prize to be held, you are more likely to reach that goal. Choosing to go from zero to a nurse practitioner can be an overwhelming feat to consider, but it&#8217;s doable. In fact, hundreds of nurse practitioners have already accomplished your goal, so you know it can be done. Make a plan, commit,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/raisethelinepodcast\/dr-mark-rosenberg-president-emeritus-the-task-force-for-global-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">get a mentor<\/a>, ignore the ignorant, reward yourself, and keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/set-milestone-rewards.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/set-milestone-rewards.png 700w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/set-milestone-rewards.png?resize=300,200 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"About_the_Author\"><\/span>About the Author<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Catherine Burger, MSOL, RN, NEA-BC, is a board-certified nurse executive. She has worked as an RN for almost 30 years in numerous patient care and leadership specialties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/osmosis.org\/create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/learn-and-master-essential-concepts-for-your-career-in-nursing.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1636\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/learn-and-master-essential-concepts-for-your-career-in-nursing.png 700w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/learn-and-master-essential-concepts-for-your-career-in-nursing.png?resize=300,107 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Try Osmosis today! Access your&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/login?type=create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free trial<\/a>&nbsp;and discover why millions of clinicians and caregivers love learning with us.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nursing students typically focus on getting through their chosen ADN or BSN program as quickly as possible to launch into their careers as registered nurses. Most of us just want to be done from the first wide-eyed day at clinical rotations to the nausea-producing NCLEX-RN board exam. On the rare side, there are nursing students [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":1635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,30,32,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-advice","category-np","category-nursing","category-student-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>From Nursing Student to Nurse Practitioner: Keeping your eyes on the prize - Osmosis Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/from-nursing-student-to-nurse-practitioner-keeping-your-eyes-on-the-prize\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Nursing Student to Nurse Practitioner: Keeping your eyes on the prize - Osmosis Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Nursing students typically focus on getting through their chosen ADN or BSN program as quickly as possible to launch into their careers as registered nurses. 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