How Stressed out are you as a Nurse Practioner?

[injured1]

Hi,

I got accepted into nursing school. My questions directly are below. However, I was debating between OT( Occupational Therapy ) and Nursing to become a Nurse Practitioner. It was very hard to be able to get a chance to shadow an N.P( literally impossible ). However, I got to shadow an OT. I already have taken numerous sciences., I have 100 semester credit hours..Pathophysiology, Physics, Ap1 and Ap2, Chemistry, Medical Term, Micro Biology...getting all A's besides a B in chemistry. I also got an A in Advanced Physiology. Even though I got a 98% in both AP2 and Patho....I also sat in on the courses with other professors( so basically twice despite the A's ) if I felt I didn't learn enough or get the most out of the class. I record my lectures in AP and Patho, and well a lot of students and even a nurse tell me I do not think like a nurse. I have gotten that quite a bit. I realize healthcare has a business component to it, on top of that, I like the science behind it. Ex. If someone breaks their clavicle, I would be more concerned where the break is than pain level, how it will likely heal, and instruct a person on why not to do certain things. Reasoning, if it doesn't heal right and orders and not followed, there is a chance it can not heal right, and we are rebreaking it. Also, say with low testosterone....many just look at TT levels. However, why is someone's Test low? Instead of just injecting testosterone with low levels, which can be dx as a code of hypogonadism, and getting reimbursed....why don't we check out why it is low. How about the pit. gland functioning first? Thyroid? Then once the problem, not the symptom has been established, then treat.

So, in a nutshell....that is how I think...a small sample size. However my questions are this because working conditions are important, stress level, salary, mobility to move up,etc.

My questions are:

How many hours a week do you work usually?

Also can you fluctuate your hours? OT can change up their schedule. Instance, as long as some just put in the 8 hours in a time slot within the hours of 6 a.m to say around 7 p.m.

Thanks for reading and replying.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Hmmm....there are several routes to NP and many different job situations. Some flexible, some not so much.