FNPs in Urgent Care

allnurses Guide · Sep 2, 2013

It is within your training and scope.

alfnp · Sep 3, 2013

The concern is the volume of patients seen in one day. 40 to 50 patients per day seems like a lot to me as a new FNP grad. Also, I would have to work holidays. The money is not a problem. It is clearly volume and having to work holidays. I thought that someone may have worked in this environment and have an opinion of their experience. My whole family went through a lot during my graduate training.

allnurses Guide · Sep 3, 2013

I would shadow there first. I can't believe you would be seeing 50 a day, especially in your first year.

alfnp · Sep 3, 2013

That is a good idea that you have, that is, if they will go along. Thank you.

allnurses Guide · Sep 3, 2013

I wouldn't take a job anywhere that refused to let you shadow.

allnurses Guide · Sep 3, 2013

Urgent Care was my first NP job. It really helped me hone my assessment and diagnostic skills, dealing with one acute problem at a time. I started out slowly, and eventually was seeing 4 patients an hour. From there I was able to go into Primary Care and specialty practice.

alfnp · Sep 3, 2013

Thank you. So, you are a family nurse practitioner, right? How long did you stay in urgent care?

TraceyMarino · Sep 3, 2013

I graduated in December, 2012, and I work 3 days in family practice, and 2 days in urgent care. I actually really enjoy urgent care, much more so than family practice.

I see between 25 and 35 patients in a 10 hour shift. Yes, it is ball busting work! However, every day is interesting I would not take a job in urgent care as a new grad unless you have good backup. Our ER docs are on site, just down the hall and are great about helping me with x-ray interpretation, which is a weak area for me.

It is difficult in urgent care as a new grad for an NP---my program did not have a surgical rotation, so I had to learn suturing, wart removal, use of the slit lamp, and other urgent care stuff on the job.

I had 3 months of orientation while I waited for all my licenses, creds, etc. This was essential to my being able to see lots of patients and do a good job. After 3 months, I was on my own, but I always have backup with the ER docs.

In our urgent care, dealing with narcotic seeking behavior can get to be a real drag. Gets on your nerves after a while. However, I find family practice to be a difficult area for an NP at times. I work with a terrific supportive doctor, and I have my own patients, but patients can see me if his schedule is too busy. Even though I do EVERYTHING for his patients that he does, they often go back to see him in a few days to make sure "they see a doctor". This attitude is pretty standard in our area. In addition, when I started working in family practice, I inherited several patients from other providers in the area who wanted to see me instead. These other providers think I am stealing their patients!

So, overall, I like urgent care better than family practice, which is a shock for me....I became an FNP because I really wanted to do family practice.

Hope this helps!

alfnp · Sep 3, 2013

Yes, you did help. The urgent care center is a stand alone center. The corporation is down 4 - 5 docs or so I was told. Do you work for one entity or are they two separate employers?

monaa · Sep 3, 2013

50 a day seems like a lot to me.

BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN · Sep 4, 2013

One of my closet friends is an urgent care doc. He loves to refer all the PITA patients to me by telling them "that is a chronic problem, go see a PCP. Here's a referral to a good one I know..... (gives them my card)." He did family med for 20 years but couldn't take the manure anymore and opted out. He loves it, wishes he'd left 18 years earlier. Treat em and street em, no narcs, no nonsense. Gets just enough real emergencies to keep it interesting. He sees 6-8 patients an hour, so 50 is totally possible, but they are EASY and only have one problem. That can usually be done in 5 minutes or less.

Good luck!