All the degrees, no job

Specialties Doctoral

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I graduated with my FNP and DNP in 2015 and am still looking for a job. I am in a city where there are many nursing schools and therefore I am thinking that the market is just completely saturated. I have been a nurse for 14 years and have worked ICU for 12 and ER for the last 2.5 years. Thank goodness this is steady work. Ive gotten my certification and my COA and CTP-E from the Board of Nursing. I have applied to at least 5-10 jobs a week and cannot even get a call back from places. I wanted to apply for NP jobs where I can eventually lead me into utilization of my DNP.At this point I will take just about anything. I am considering applying for a retail clinic job just to get some experience under my belt? I cannot believe how well these clinics pay and it seems like way less stress than any other job for a new grad............Any thoughts???

Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
I have done two semesters of a DNP program, just long enough to learn it will not teach me advanced clinical skills and it is focused on research and policy, as the other posters above stated. So I am dropping the program.

What was the focus of your DNP program? Where you in the Psych Family NP track? Why were you expecting to be taught advance clinical skills?

Did you get a degree plan with the curriculum listed? There are a great variety of DNP programs. I know someone who has a DNP but the focus was Nursing Informatics.

While the DNP originally was to be the terminal degree for Nurse Practitioners it has metamophed into any kind of program that any school can create and nurses apply. Many people including nurses believe or assume that a DNP is a Nurse Practitioner program, not necessarily.

The DNP is largely not respected in clinical practice and will do nothing to reduce the discrepancies in compensation between nurse practitioners and our physician colleagues.

Not sure that DNP is not respected in clinical practice, jury is still out. What is the basis for your statement?

As for compensation, since many nurse practitioners hold MSNs (myself included) it stands to reason that getting a DNP will not increase the pay/salaries. No employer is going to pay for a DNP when an MSN/NP will accept current salary. Did you think getting a DNP would increase your RN salary?

Can you please specify which DNP track you were following? As there are different DNP programs at this school such as For Nurse Executives and for those that are already APRN, those adding another specialty etc.

College of Nursing - DNP

I also see this: Support Courses

Students applying for a new certification must complete Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Physical Assessment Across the Life Span if the student has not yet taken them.

The degree plan for Psych/Family NP also states that the 3 P's have to be taken if you have not had them before end of year one. This is where some clinical skills/prescribing are taught.

http://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/con/dnp/resources/familypsycdnp/MSN-DNP_NFPP_Fall_6_Semesters.pdf

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Specializes in psychiatric nursing.

The focus was psychiatric nursing, and I am adding on the psych NP certification since I already have a MSN. I already completed the 3 P's classes in a AGNP program and those classes were not that rigorous, in my opinion.

I never assumed the DNP would increase a RNs salary.

I read the curriculum descriptions before I enrolled, but the descriptions were vague and I was hoping the classes would have more clinical relevance.

My opinion that DNPs are not respected in clinical practice is apparent in that they usually don't receive any compensation or very little for having a DNP. Additionally, it is my observation from talking to colleagues (but that is anecdotal evidence, I realize that).

If I was younger (I'm 45) and had more money, I'd finish the degree. The DNP classes I took so far were interesting, from an academic standpoint.

Gosh, if anyone wants to get the DNP, have at it, but I'm not going to do it until it is more clinically based, similar to the training that PA's receive in diagnostics, differentials, advanced pharmacology and pathophysiology. It just doesn't make financial sense for me at this time.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
The focus was psychiatric nursing, and I am adding on the psych NP certification since I already have a MSN. I already completed the 3 P's classes in a AGNP program and those classes were not that rigorous, in my opinion.

Oh so you work/are an Adult Gero NP? And you were adding the Family Psych cert in the DNP program, ok got it

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uhhhh, why are people even arguing and trying to dispute the awesomeness of the DNP. I mean you get to be an expert clinician, researcher, teacher, and administrative doctor nurse that can do everything from playing doctor, accountant, high end researcher publishing top-notch and useful articles in scientific American, and still wear that white coat.

All of that wrapped in one degree? I mean omg we should be making like 800,000 per year with all those skillz.

Especially if you get it from like Walden, or Kaplan, or Herzing, I mean those schools make Harvard look like some community college packed into ghettothugsauceville.

lolz

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

Those of you who disparage the DNP should really try to get your input into the "powers" that make the decisions about curriculum. In between the negativity and sarcasm you have some good ideas about updating the np or DNP curriculum. Why not try to influence the direction of your profession. And if you don't like nursing, change your profession!

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Travel agencies are now recruiting NPs. That could be a start but choose carefully.

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.
Those of you who disparage the DNP should really try to get your input into the "powers" that make the decisions about curriculum. In between the negativity and sarcasm you have some good ideas about updating the np or DNP curriculum. Why not try to influence the direction of your profession. And if you don't like nursing, change your profession!

I've sent emails.

If I could attend the state university 30 minutes from my house, that offers a DNP, and design my own curriculum I'd enroll for fall.

Based on these national standards and position papers, their DNP is cost prohibitive fluff.

I'd just assume apply for experimental psychology program (PhD) and study neuroscience. They sadly don't take part-time students because they provide funded doctoral work.

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

Psych guy Have you considered going

full time for the phD in experimental psychology and cutting your psych np hours. It seems your heart is in neuroscience and it would be good to head that way...at least apply..

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.
Psych guy Have you considered going

full time for the phD in experimental psychology and cutting your psych np hours. It seems your heart is in neuroscience and it would be good to head that way...at least apply..

No, not hardly. I like my job and like getting paid.

I like treating patients to clear things up. I also like the business element. I'm just not down with the nursing mantra.

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basically what psychCNS said is if you like real science nursing isn't for you.

Thanks for admitting nursing isn't real science.

its pseudopsycholophilosophiEnglish 101

its not even worth the ology.

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basically what psychCNS said is if you like real science nursing isn't for you.

Thanks for admitting nursing isn't real science.

its pseudopsycholophilosophiEnglish 101

its not even worth the ology.

That's not how I interpreted what psychcns said. Psychguy has repeatedly expressed an interest in studying neuroscience, specifically, and his personal dissatisfaction with nursing. I don't see how encouraging him to pursue what really interests him is any kind of criticism or characterization of nursing. Doing so would certainly make more sense than continuing to stay in nursing and continuously kvetch about how much you dislike it, as many people here do.

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.
That's not how I interpreted what psychcns said. Psychguy has repeatedly expressed an interest in studying neuroscience, specifically, and his personal dissatisfaction with nursing. I don't see how encouraging him to pursue what really interests him is any kind of criticism or characterization of nursing. Doing so would certainly make more sense than continuing to stay in nursing and continuously kvetch about how much you dislike it, as many people here do.

I do not in any way dislike what I do at work on a daily basis. In fact, I love it. It's acty the best thing I've ever done.

I dislike nursing philosophies and training models. I also was not a good personality fit for RN work. (I need an autonomous, solo work environment or I become dysphoric).

Truth be told, there's not a thing nurse-like about what I do now besides writing "APRN" on prescriptions. I adhere to a medical model, symptom-based treatment method. It works for me, it works for the 902 patient appointments I've had so far this year, and I provide a great deal of efficacy. All of my patients, based on our practice model, are required to see a psychotherapist regularly, and thus the therapists who see them far more than I do treat the psychosocial elements of our patients or what nurses would be doing under a doctor in a hospital.

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