Do you believe it’s necessary to have floor experience before applying to NP school? I have only worked in PreOp/PACU for 4 years. I went to school and worked in a rural location… during clinicals I did not enjoy M/S or tele. So i specialized…

Yes. Absolutely. Go for it because as an NP, your view of the patient is totally different. You will not be viewing the patient as the nurse, you are now looking at the patient (still applying the whole patient construct) as the provider. That is one of the first things I was taught in NP school. There is a paradigm shift. Additionally, all nursing courses shift to advanced, including pathophysiology. Despite being in the hospital, you are RE - learning. Best of luck going forward.

My question to you is: Do you want to be the best NP possible? If the answer is yes, then just knowing one aspect of nursing is not going to make you a well-rounded NP. Also, if you didn't enjoy M/S, you may not enjoy taking care of the whole patient. My view of an NP is knowing how to put it all together. Can you do that without knowing how to take care of a person from start to finish? Just food for thought.

Absolutely. The progression of disease or illness needs to be seen from the beginning (if it can) to an outcome, positive or not. The nurse needs to see those, interact with the patient and their families.