Any post acute/LTC NPs here?

Published

Specializes in APRN, FNP-C.

For those of you who work for a acute rehabilitation hospital, post acute rehab facility, or long term care as a NP, will you please state how you obtained your position and your suggestions for others who want to work in those types of facilities? I've been in nursing for over 10 years, working in hospitals in telemetry, ICU, med/surg, & case management. I recently passed my FNP boards and now am licensed in one state and pending licensing in another. I would like to work in the post acute or LTC setting as a new NP and would love to know if there are better ways to look for jobs, other than job boards. The NP jobs are not listed on the facility sites, only nursing and other positions. Job boards like Indeed and others have hundreds of applicants when something is posted. I would love insight into going around that. Thank you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Health, Primary Care.

I currently work in LTC, after a year and a half of volunteering for an IM doc (one of my former preceptors) to gain experience post-graduation. I graduated as an adult-gero primary care NP. I found my current position via Indeed and applied directly on their website. I believe most of the positions I saw out there were through either the company that hires the APPs and physicians to work in these facilities or directly with physicians who needed APPs to work for them going into these facilities.  Not sure if many hire new grads but I would just keep applying until something gives. Try companies like Optum and United Healthcare (which I think is the same company actually). I was told they hire new grads, though I didn't have much luck and was actually told by a recruiter they'd rather experience. 

Research/Google those companies that hire APPs and search their websites for open positions (I got an email from one today). Are you ready to relocate if need be?

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in APRN, FNP-C.
19 hours ago, LadyT618 said:

I currently work in LTC, after a year and a half of volunteering for an IM doc (one of my former preceptors) to gain experience post-graduation. I graduated as an adult-gero primary care NP. I found my current position via Indeed and applied directly on their website. I believe most of the positions I saw out there were through either the company that hires the APPs and physicians to work in these facilities or directly with physicians who needed APPs to work for them going into these facilities.  Not sure if many hire new grads but I would just keep applying until something gives. Try companies like Optum and United Healthcare (which I think is the same company actually). I was told they hire new grads, though I didn't have much luck and was actually told by a recruiter they'd rather experience. 

Research/Google those companies that hire APPs and search their websites for open positions (I got an email from one today). Are you ready to relocate if need be?

Thank you for your response. I have applied to many positions on Indeed, so hopefully something comes of that. I know others are using the site as well and the market where I live is pretty saturated. I am not able to relocate due to husband and kids. I am looking into volunteer opportunities as well and I have applied to the companies you named. Can you tell me what you like and don't like about working in LTC? 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Health, Primary Care.

Where I moved from (in TX) was pretty saturated as well, but fortunately, it's just me, myself, and my dog, so moving was definitely an option! Check with your former preceptors and see if they could use some free labor....this is an unpopular opinion but experience is experience whether or not it's paid! Right at that 1-year mark, the emails started coming through and I actually started to get responses when I applied. 

I rotated with a GNP in the final semester of my program (it was required to rotate in LTC settings in my program). I fell in love with it during clinicals, so I knew I definitely wanted to do it. So far, the only thing I would say I dislike about LTC is the documentation (which is similar to home health...gotta get the documentation in timely after seeing x amount of patients). But that comes with the territory and I knew that going in. What I love it the patient population (I love the elderly), I love the flexibility it affords me in terms of time required for what you need to do in a day. As long as patients are seen and taken care of, that is of the utmost concern. You develop relationships with the patients (which sometimes could be a bad thing, especially when they finally pass on). I'm new in my position but I feel a camaraderie amongst the staff and we're all here to help our patients. 

I get to dig down deeper into the chart and explore how I can make my patient's life better, not only from a clinical standpoint but also from a quality of life standpoint. 

I hope I made some type of sense. LOL. It took me a little over a year after graduating for me to land my position, and that was with COVID. Hopefully, things will look up for you now that the COVID thing seems to be dying down. Check out TeamHealth, Daiya, and Genesis as well. These are companies I've come across who hire folks for LTC. 

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in APRN, FNP-C.
1 hour ago, LadyT618 said:

Where I moved from (in TX) was pretty saturated as well, but fortunately, it's just me, myself, and my dog, so moving was definitely an option! Check with your former preceptors and see if they could use some free labor....this is an unpopular opinion but experience is experience whether or not it's paid! Right at that 1-year mark, the emails started coming through and I actually started to get responses when I applied. 

I rotated with a GNP in the final semester of my program (it was required to rotate in LTC settings in my program). I fell in love with it during clinicals, so I knew I definitely wanted to do it. So far, the only thing I would say I dislike about LTC is the documentation (which is similar to home health...gotta get the documentation in timely after seeing x amount of patients). But that comes with the territory and I knew that going in. What I love it the patient population (I love the elderly), I love the flexibility it affords me in terms of time required for what you need to do in a day. As long as patients are seen and taken care of, that is of the utmost concern. You develop relationships with the patients (which sometimes could be a bad thing, especially when they finally pass on). I'm new in my position but I feel a camaraderie amongst the staff and we're all here to help our patients. 

I get to dig down deeper into the chart and explore how I can make my patient's life better, not only from a clinical standpoint but also from a quality of life standpoint. 

I hope I made some type of sense. LOL. It took me a little over a year after graduating for me to land my position, and that was with COVID. Hopefully, things will look up for you now that the COVID thing seems to be dying down. Check out TeamHealth, Daiya, and Genesis as well. These are companies I've come across who hire folks for LTC. 

Thank you so much for your response! I really appreciate it. I have checked out TeamHealth, but not the other two. I had never heard of them but will look into it. Thank you so much!

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Health, Primary Care.
9 minutes ago, TeleRN2010 said:

Thank you so much for your response! I really appreciate it. I have checked out TeamHealth, but not the other two. I had never heard of them but will look into it. Thank you so much!

My pleasure! Best of luck to ya!!

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion