Au. D to Nurse Practitioner?

[SophiaF1842]

I love learning about Audiology and I’m currently a graduate student in the field. However, I know I want to do more upon graduating.
I am highly interested in doing a Nurse Practitioner program after graduating. There are several reasons for this, but mostly, I love the medical field and the knowledge that comes with it, but I know that medical school is not for me. I feel pairing the two would merge a lot of my interests and allow me to work in settings where I am happier.
I have heard that with a clinical doctorate, you do not have to backtrack as much as someone who just has a Bachelors and returns for Nurse Practitioner.
Does anyone have information on this? Has anyone done this or inquired about this at any schools?
So far, I’ve only been told that “exceptions are made for certain degrees,” but that is rather vague for me to start investing time in that direction.
Thanks, all.

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[DefEarRing]

This thread isn’t that busy, so I’ll entertain your thoughts. In a previous life (in my 20’s.. it feels like centuries ago) I worked as an LPN and thought I loved my career. But Audiology has so much to offer! What part of the medical field are mostly interested in?

Not all of audiologists fit hearing aids and perform hearing tests. We can scrub in and be apart of a surgery, or do the newborn screenings, etc.

You have every opportunity and the ability to expand our field

 

[SophiaF1842]

Thanks, DefEarRing! I love audiology, but I am definitely more drawn to the areas where we do get to be a part of surgery, and I’d like to expand what I get to do in that area.
Audiology can make me feel helpless at times, and I initially entered the field to help others. For example, seeing a child with an ear infection, but having to refer them back because we can’t prescribe to treat something we are so very familiar with. I also get discouraged when I see someone with Menieres, but their primary is medicating it incorrectly, causing it to worsen.
Of course, many of these issues are avoidable when working in an area like an ENT clinic, where the physician is present. However, private practice feels like referrals and hearing aids, and surgery feels like I’m not active enough.
I wish I could use the knowledge from the Au D, but apply it in an area more hands on.
Hopefully that all makes sense! (By the way, I’d love any resources about Au D roles in surgery. We are continually told it’s very unique and not to expect these opportunities)
Thanks again. I appreciate any insight

 

[TheEarDoc]

Thanks, DefEarRing! I love audiology, but I am definitely more drawn to the areas where we do get to be a part of surgery, and I’d like to expand what I get to do in that area.
Audiology can make me feel helpless at times, and I initially entered the field to help others. For example, seeing a child with an ear infection, but having to refer them back because we can’t prescribe to treat something we are so very familiar with. I also get discouraged when I see someone with Menieres, but their primary is medicating it incorrectly, causing it to worsen.
Of course, many of these issues are avoidable when working in an area like an ENT clinic, where the physician is present. However, private practice feels like referrals and hearing aids, and surgery feels like I’m not active enough.
I wish I could use the knowledge from the Au D, but apply it in an area more hands on.
Hopefully that all makes sense! (By the way, I’d love any resources about Au D roles in surgery. We are continually told it’s very unique and not to expect these opportunities)
Thanks again. I appreciate any insight

Ok as someone who has spent time in nursing and audiology I am going to say this.

Do not think you can mix the 2 and do both. Yes you could get your FNP (you would want certification as a family nurse practitioner to be able to see children) and work with an ENT department and possibly sometimes do some audiology stuff, but usually you would be doing NP stuff. Also if you're wanting to do more of the surgical side of things then you want to become a PA not an FNP. FNP's rarely do anything surgical. ENT's rarely hire NP's. It's like comparing apples to oranges.

How do you become an FNP after getting your Au.D.? Contact your local nursing school and explain to them you want to get your masters degree in nursing to become an FNP. Many of the programs will take your undergraduate degree and waive many of the requirements and have you just take first the RN courses and you would get your associate's degree as an RN and take the NCLEX to become a licensed RN. Then you would take some of the BSN (bachelor's of nursing courses) from that program before being accepted into the nursing program for your master's degree. This was the route I was going to go.

Now there are other options. There are several programs now where a person with a medical bachelor's degree can do a compressed full time program where it's usually 3 years full time (1 year to get your RN, then 2 years to get your FNP masters in nursing degree) and then you are released into the wild.

What was your undergraduate degree? If it was biology or some other pre-med program then you might be able to do the PA route to get your master's degree in 2 years without any pre-reqs and then be able to go into the OR and help with surgeries and follow-ups. PA's are specialized and often will choose a couple specialties in graduate school to pursue before they graduate. Most specialists prefer PA's over NP's. Like I said. Apples to oranges.

 

[SophiaF1842]

Thank you, TheEarDoc. I would love to do PA, as it does seem like a better fit. However, after briefly researching, it would definitely take more time than I am willing to put in because of the pre-req issues. My undergrad was a rigorous psychology program with a neuroscience focus. So while I missed things like chemistry, I can really nail down nerve issues, brain lesions, etc.

It was my understanding that many nurse practitioners choose specialties to be a first assist, which is where I’d ideally like to be.

I have no expectations of using both licenses, but rather, combining my knowledge to be a better NP (or even Au D) than I otherwise might be. My advisor only had limited information as this route isn’t very common, but apparently it’s been done in a prior cohort. She stated that essentially, this person skipped the RN stage and basically began at a Masters Level. I don’t know what state this was or any further details, though, so all of the input here is greatly appreciated.

 

[TheEarDoc]

Thank you, TheEarDoc. I would love to do PA, as it does seem like a better fit. However, after briefly researching, it would definitely take more time than I am willing to put in because of the pre-req issues. My undergrad was a rigorous psychology program with a neuroscience focus. So while I missed things like chemistry, I can really nail down nerve issues, brain lesions, etc.

It was my understanding that many nurse practitioners choose specialties to be a first assist, which is where I’d ideally like to be.

I have no expectations of using both licenses, but rather, combining my knowledge to be a better NP (or even Au D) than I otherwise might be. My advisor only had limited information as this route isn’t very common, but apparently it’s been done in a prior cohort. She stated that essentially, this person skipped the RN stage and basically began at a Masters Level. I don’t know what state this was or any further details, though, so all of the input here is greatly appreciated.

You cannot skip the RN level (trust me I wanted to try and petition to take the NCLEX RN exam without the degree and was told no by the state). All masters level programs require at least an associates degree in nursing and then RN status from passing the NCLEX exam for nursing. As I said there are accelerated programs where with a previous BS degree you can get your BSN in year 1 then MSN after 3 years total.

 

[Splenda88]

I was told there are a few direct entry NP programs throughout the country, but they are 3-yr programs (RN+NP combined). The hospital I am doing residency has NP working in the OR. The ones I know are working with general and colorectal surgeons. I don't think finding an ENT doc to work with will be difficult.

 

[DefEarRing]

Thanks, DefEarRing! I love audiology, but I am definitely more drawn to the areas where we do get to be a part of surgery, and I’d like to expand what I get to do in that area.
Audiology can make me feel helpless at times, and I initially entered the field to help others. For example, seeing a child with an ear infection, but having to refer them back because we can’t prescribe to treat something we are so very familiar with. I also get discouraged when I see someone with Menieres, but their primary is medicating it incorrectly, causing it to worsen.
Of course, many of these issues are avoidable when working in an area like an ENT clinic, where the physician is present. However, private practice feels like referrals and hearing aids, and surgery feels like I’m not active enough.
I wish I could use the knowledge from the Au D, but apply it in an area more hands on.
Hopefully that all makes sense! (By the way, I’d love any resources about Au D roles in surgery. We are continually told it’s very unique and not to expect these opportunities)
Thanks again. I appreciate any insight

I can totally understand that, it’s maddening that we can’t prescribe antibiotics for otitis media. MD’s so willy-nilly dish them out anyhow.

So, IOM (intraoperative monitoring) requires a certification and to me it seems much easier and faster than going through another three year program. You could google it and get more information. I found an article from the doctors themselves that were trailblazers in this area. Surgical Neurophysiology: IONM, NIOM, IOM. An audiologist Subspecialty. By Dennis, Hicks, Schwartz.

Seems right up your alley with your background in neuroscience.

Lots of programs are having at least one rotation in IOM. I’m personally interested in this route.

 

[TheEarDoc]

I was told there are a few direct entry NP programs throughout the country, but they are 3-yr programs (RN+NP combined). The hospital I am doing residency has NP working in the OR. The ones I know are working with general and colorectal surgeons. I don't think finding an ENT doc to work with will be difficult.

Quite a few direct entry NP programs (they are 3 year programs and geared towards someone who already has a bachelors usually in a pre-med field).

If you have an NP working in the OR they are the golden unicorn as this is usually a PA slot. Even many of the ENT's I knew when I was in nursing wanted me to get my PA degree instead because I would be more useful to them that way, but you could work in an ENT office as an NP and AuD. What you could do would depend on your state's licensure laws and what your ENT felt comfortable with you doing.

 

[SophiaF1842]

Thanks, all. DefEarRing, do you have a link for any of that info? I’d love to learn more. Splenda88, if you have any info on the direct entry programs, that would be amazing. I think working with an ent would be exactly where I want to be.
All of this is super helpful, and I welcome any new info also.

 

[Splenda88]

Are there NP Programs for Non-Nurses? (Direct Entry)

 

[nancyparker]

For passing NCLEX Exam one should have high knowledge of exam preparations and the main part to it, is to practice a reliable question bank series. Because much you practice your percentage for passing the exam will go higher.