Any Interventional Radiology NPs?

Dodongo, APRN, NP · Jan 1, 2018

Did you ever work in a surgical specialty as a NP? You're an FNP so I'm guessing you didn't have any surgical training or rotations in your program...

The notes will all be pre-op, post-op and operative note style. Having been an IR RN will help. You know the basics that will be addressed in each note - which anticoags to hold and for how long, pre-op diagnosis, indication, labs and coags (pt/inr/ptt/plts), cxr, ekgs, NPO after MN, antibiotics on call, operative/anesthesia consents, moderate sedation medications, findings, specimens sent to lab/pathology, drains left in place, complications, disposition, EBL, etc.

Do you know what types of procedures they'll have you doing? In pain management I'm assuming you were at least doing joint/spinal injections. You'll need to become extremely comfortable using and interpreting flouro, US, CT and MRI. Knowing anatomy is essential and in general NPs are severely behind in that area. I'd get an anatomy book and absorb it. Read any and all literature you can on para/thoracentesis, all types of biopsies, LPs/myelograms, joint injections/aspirations - the basic and common procedures done by APPs in IR.

Good luck. IR is a tough specialty for NPs to break into.

LKell · Jan 2, 2018

Thank You for the information. This will help.

aprnKate · Jan 3, 2018

Just be aware that you will be functioning as a NP not a Nurse. If you are the first NP they have make sure they don't expect you to function as both especially if you are short staff of nurses. Stick to your NP role. If they somehow expect you to see patients as a NP, work as a RN or RN manager to manage staff and do office manager work that's not cool. If they expect that of you then you need to stand for yourself in which role you want to function. Otherwise, I would ask them for more $$. A lot of new grads run into this situation where they function multiple roles in the clinic (which should not happen by the way) especially if the MDs don't exactly know you function as a NP.

I used to work PACU as a RN and also rotated IR recovering patients. I would see a the NP there and that was all she did was pre-op and post op educatioin and educate patient on how to deal with their drains. Also she was doing case management and that is the job she has done since she graduated froom NP school. She graduated like 10-12 years ago. Her job did not seem very appealing to me since she didn't really manage chronic diseases. She did tell me it would be hard for her to go to back to primary care since she's been doing IR for many years. Not trying to discourage you to do IR but it is something to think about. I was offered a NP position with Surgery to do pre-op and post op follow up but turned it down just because I know it was easy peasy and it wouldn't really provide me with a challenging environment. So I went to rural health family practice. But if IR is your thing then go for it.

allnurses Guide · Jan 16, 2018

I am surprised that you could do that job as an FNP and not acute care-trained. How will you be trained and privileged for procedures?

I guess it depends on your state as to how strict they are about hiring FNPs into acute care jobs.

The IR advanced practice providers (NOT "midlevels"!!) I have worked with are mostly PA-C's. They do procedures almost all of the time - review scans and labs to ensure patients are suitable for interventional procedures, then do lines, tubes and taps under US/CT guidance. Agree that you'd need to brush up on anatomy, as well as have strong simulation/training for both imaging and procedures. When I started as a critical care NP, there was a fairly long learning curve for procedures, and I had a physician available 24/7 - make sure you'd have adequate support.