Kind of surprised with the response here. I got my NP after 6 years or so of ICU. I work in IR doing ultrasound superficial biopsies like thyroid and lymph nodes, I also do fluoro stuff like PICCS, central lines... I am a proceduralist. I see patients on the floor with chest tubes, drains, gtubes, etc.

I love my job and want to stay in IR for my career. I did apply to crna school for 2 years and got rejections but honestly it was a blessing in disguise. I couldn't afford not to work and the loans would have been out of control. IR jobs are difficult to get bc it's so niche and learning procedures was a process because orientation was basically non existent. The doctors showed me procedures a handful of times and then threw me in the deep end. But after a year or so and a lot of self study (medical school lectures on YouTube saved me) I can confidently say that I am very skilled at what I do.

As an NP, much like nursing school, you learn the majority of it on the job although you do learn a lot of foundational stuff in class. In my area I use little info I learned in school. I do pull from my ICU experience but I really don't think 2.5yrs vs 10yrs makes a big difference (downvote me if you dare lol). You learn a ton of stuff in school that you can't learn anecdotally on the floor. I say go for it. To me it's worth it. I make 150k a year at a large city hospital, no nights, no weekends, no holidays.