starting a new job before or after i take my board?

allnurses Guide · Dec 23, 2013

Are you getting paid for it? Sure go for it.

Remember the boards, licensing, prescriptive authority, and credentialing will take at last a month. That's why most employers won't start someone until after boards. If I were you I would get authorized to take both exams just in case.

liberated847 · Dec 23, 2013

Go for it, make sure you are protected legally though.

allnurses Guide · Dec 23, 2013

Has this office hired novice NPs before?

carachel2 · Dec 23, 2013

If you can't write orders, do assessments or write prescriptions...like, what's the point ? If you are just going to learn the ropes and learn the EMR then sure.

AtomicWoman · Dec 27, 2013

I started after I took my boards, but before all my licensing and credentialing was done. I think it would have been too stressful to start a new job while studying for the exam.

phillycpnp-pc, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 28, 2013

Congrats on your new job. I'm in the same situation. I just graduated and just took a job offer. My university will not send out transcripts until mid january so the soonest i will take my boards will be late January (hopefully) or early to mid feb. However the place where i am hired also wants me to start before i take the boards. I will be just shadowing/training for the 1st 2-3 months and learning the EMR system.

Annaiya, NP · Jan 8, 2014

I believe you do not have malpractice coverage until you're credentialed, which means you should not be touching any patients or doing anything other than shadowing until you're credentialed. I spent my first 6 weeks of work not credentialed and I thought that was way too long. 2-3 weeks of shadowing is plenty. After that you aren't learning anything new. There's so much that you just have to do to be able to learn it.

AtomicWoman · Jan 9, 2014

Just want to clarify that although I started after I took my boards but before licensing/credentialing was done, I was essentially functioning as an RN. I was *not* seeing patients by myself, although I was doing phone triage and shadowing the doc and other NPs. My RN malpractice insurance covered me for my RN-like duties, but would not have covered me for NP work. Once I was licensed, I was able to get NP malpractice insurance right away. I also think 1-2 months of shadowing is too much. You will be bored and there is nothing like actually having to do an H&P by yourself to help you figure out what questions you need to ask the other providers! :)

phillycpnp-pc, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 9, 2014

I agree that may be too long... but they said if i felt ready to be on my own i sooner i could. Also towards the end of orientation they exect me to see patients on my own to make sure i'm comfortable with the EMR, etc while another provider is in the office. (providing i pass my boards and get licensed) I think they make it that long because normally there is one provider per office. So when I'm done training i will be the only provider in that particular office location for that day. Its a large group and everyone rotates office locations. I just got my contract today :)

allnurses Guide · Jan 9, 2014

I agree that may be too long... but they said if i felt ready to be on my own i sooner i could. Also towards the end of orientation they exect me to see patients on my own to make sure i'm comfortable with the EMR etc while another provider is in the office. (providing i pass my boards and get licensed) I think they make it that long because normally there is one provider per office. So when I'm done training i will be the only provider in that particular office location for that day. Its a large group and everyone rotates office locations. I just got my contract today :)[/quote']
A few quick pieces of advice:
1. It can take several weeks or more to get prescriptive authority and be credentialed with insurance companies after you pass your boards and get licensed as an APN. Be prepared for that.
2. Make darn sure that you have at least one support provider available by phone. It really is not ideal to be alone your first weeks of practice without a very structured set of guidelines (ie retail clinics).
3. Be prepared to tell your employer you are not comfortable with what is being asked of you if what they are asking jeans your practice or your license.

phillycpnp-pc, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 10, 2014

BostonFNP:

Thank you for your advice and help. The practice gives us cell phones for work and i was told that they encourage the newer providers to call for support if needed. The head doctor said he would be worried if he didn't get any calls from newer staff when they are first starting out. I had a few offers to choose from and i chose this one because they seemed more supportive and willing to teach more than the others places i applied to.