breaking into hospitalist position.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Mar 28, 2012

location...,there are metro areas that have more in-patient openings than primary care openings. Also, national hospitalist groups hire NP's sometimes. One group I could think of is Cogent Cogent HMG: Hospitalist Management Group | Hospitalist Jobs, Recruitment, Inpatient Management Services.

nursetim, NP · Mar 28, 2012

Thanks Juan, my difficulty seems to be getting in the hospital to get inpatient experience. It appears that I have skills in outpatient clinics that disolve completely when I walk throught the doors of a hospital.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Mar 28, 2012

If you did an ACNP program, you can still follow the the problem-solving thought process involved when you admit a patient. The basics of admission H&P's, writing admission orders including work-ups, and consults if needed are taught as basic skills in NP school. In-patient procedures can be learned on the job. Radiology interpretation is honed on the job as well but you should have a basic understanding of what you're looking at when a film is presented in front of you. I must say, we just hired a new grad ACNP who needed no training in the stuff I just mentioned...just some help and supervision with invasive procedures.

nursetim, NP · Mar 28, 2012

That's what I'm saying.

CCRNDiva, BSN, RN · Mar 29, 2012

Juan, do know what or what type of program she attended or what her level of experience was? As you know, I'm currently enrolled in an ACNP program and I'm trying to be as well rounded as possible once I graduate. I just started a job in a coronary ICU within a academic tertiary center to strengthen my cardiac skills (Cardiac has always been my weak spot).

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Mar 29, 2012

The new hire is a graduate of our ACNP program with years of nursing experience in different ICU settings initially as a traveler and more recently as a nurse in one of our ICU's. We had other applicants who are nurses from our ICU's. We also had others from as far as Southern California who had good ICU experience as well.

I think you're off to a good start. It's helpful to have the ACNP program housed within a medical center that gives priority to its graduates when hiring. I think that's the kind of setting you are in if I'm not mistaken. Our group does mix our demographics up, I didn't graduate from the ACNP program here. We have 3 other NP's among the 12 who also graduated from out of state programs. We're all ACNP trained.

CCRNDiva, BSN, RN · Apr 1, 2012

Thanks, Juan. Yes, my ACNP program is housed within a medical center that utilizes ACNPs. Another plus is that my current position is within an organization that has many ACNP positions. I just met one who works with the cardiothoracic group earlier this week. I don't think she does all the bedside interventions that you get to do though

coast2coast · Apr 1, 2012

Like Juan said, it's all about location. Some places use NPs as hospitalists and will consider hiring just about anybody to train for that role. You may be in a place where that isn't the norm.

What about a job rounding at SNFs for a managed care or geri-care company ? Not exactly glamorous but I bet they would count that as relevant experience for a hospitalist position.

nursetim, NP · Jun 1, 2012

So there are services that will hire an adult NP as a hospitalist? Anybody know of a service or hospital willing to do so?

sailornurse · Jun 2, 2012

Hey Tim,

Both hospitals here in Las Cruces have hospitalists. Apogee physicians is using NP's. One NP had icu background as RN but was brand new FNP when he started as hospitalist. I talked with APogee 2 years ago at NP conference. They were working 7 days on/7 off, which I cant do.