Candid discussion about the Nurse Practitioner role by NP's only please.

roser13, ASN, RN · Nov 18, 2010

If you're intent on limiting your replies to Advanced Practice Nurses, why post in the general forum?

Why not post in the Advanced Practice Nurse forum?

retiredarmynp · Nov 18, 2010

Hello burnedoutRNinSC,

I am here to help you. I was a critical care nurse for 20 years. I knewI wouldn't do anything else. But, I am getting older and the offer came when I was in the army. I have been a APN(FNP) for 10 years. The reason I am a FNP, the army will only send you to school for a FNP. Easy, more bang for their buck. I went the school at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I am so happy I made the change in my nursing career. I wouldn't change my experience as a NP for anything. I did get excellent training, but you will have to getoriented to any place you get a job. You have made a good decision to change direction in your career. Try to go to a school in house and not a school that is all distance learning. I feel this way because of experience with both new grads when I precept. Now, I am retired and landed a great job with the VA in woman's health. Theway health care is going and is headed, you will truly be needed in primary care. What part of our great country do you live?

burnedoutRNinSC · Nov 18, 2010

Thanks for sharing. I happen to live in the southeast part of the country. I agree with you about attending a school that is in house. I know how I learn and I learn best face to face. Things are slightly different here for nursing. Not just for NP's but for bedside nurses as well. By that I mean, we have no unions in the state that I live in. Some states in this part of the country are very restrictive to the autonomy NP's have. For example, an FNP shared with me that NP's in Georgia are not even allowed to prescribe antibiotics. I have heard from other ANP's that Arizona and California happen to be a lot more liberal in regards to prescriptive authority and NP autonomy.

allnurses Guide · Nov 19, 2010

I came to nursing as a mid life career changer, and went right into the NP role. I love the work I do. I worked in another area of health care that required the same type of hours as bedside nursing, and I am now basically working 4 10 hours days with no nights, no call, no major holidays. I work every 6th Saturday for 6 hours. This type of schedule is much better for me and my family. I work in primary care. I went to a brick and mortar school and really enjoyed the expereince of being back in the classroom and meeting others with similar interests and goals. I felt I was well prepared to be a novice NP when I graduated. I have definitely learned more on the job than I did in school. I'm in MA where NPs have to have a collaborative agrrement with an MD, but I have no restrictions on prescribing and I'm pretty autonomous. I'm very glad I made the career switch.

Good luck.

danceluver · Nov 20, 2010

I'm pretty sure she can prescribe antibiotics and perhaps just not controlled substances in GA?

core0 · Nov 20, 2010

I'm pretty sure she can prescribe antibiotics and perhaps just not controlled substances in GA?

NPs in Georgia can prescribe everything but schedule II's. The process for getting prescriptive privileges is somewhat painful though.

David Carpenter, PA-C

VivaRN · Nov 20, 2010

Do you experience more job satisfaction now that you did when you were a bedside nurse? Do you feel that your education provided you with the skills and confidence to transition into your new role? Do you wish you had chosen another career other than being a nurse practitioner? Has being an NP had a significant impact on your personal/marital relationships? Thank you in advance for your responses.

Let me try to answer your questions!

Job satisfaction - definitely more than when I was at the bedside. Granted I didn't stay there a huge amount of time, but I enjoy the increased autonomy, respect and getting to have a lunch.

Education - eh, the education was ok but it was more that I was judicious in choosing clinicals. I found that my clinical experiences better prepared me for practice vs long-winded powerpoints. Do as much clinical as possible.

Do I wish I had chosen another career - I don't feel this way as often as when I was an RN, though for that it was more escapist. We'd be completely understaffed and going insane, and I would dream about working at a bookstore (or a coffee shop, or selling flowers by the side of the road!). I still have those days but they are fewer. I would probably get bored anyway.

Relationships - The quality of my relationships has improved as I have the same schedule as my non-nursing friends and family.

So, pretty positive all around! Good luck in whatever you decide.

ARNPCD · Nov 21, 2010

I would say the decision to become an NP is not the same for everyone. It depends greatly on your personal life, motivation, personality, etc... I consider myself a halfway intelligent and motivated person, however my MSN tried my patience, time, and finances in ways I could not even anticipate. I think my BSN program did a great disservice by promoting their MSN program so heavily to young naive graduates, such as myself :yawn:

However, in retrospect, now that school is all said and done, I am happy with my decision to become an NP. Would I be as happy as an RN, some days yes. There is a ton of responsibility as an NP. If you feel overwhelmed as an RN, imagine that the buck stops with you as an NP, YOU are the one being called to make the decisions. Some days this is stressful, some days extremely overwhelming for a new grad.

My schooling was pretty good, like others have said, too much time is spent on theory and nursey garbage :no: and not enough on patho and pharm. I feel somewhat well prepared, but it definitely could of been better.

As for job satisfaction and personal life, these two go hand in hand for me. If the job allows me to life comfortably, and have time for a real life with those I love, I am satisfied. This was the main push for me to be an NP. I got tired of working nights, weekends, and holidays. Being with my family on the holidays is well worth all the other headaches being an NP can bring.

Do I wish I chose a new career? A resounding yes! I am already over demanding patients, whose expectations are so unreasonable. But, I guess this is in every line of work.

burnedoutRNinSC · Nov 29, 2010

I would say the decision to become an NP is not the same for everyone. It depends greatly on your personal life, motivation, personality, etc... I consider myself a halfway intelligent and motivated person, however my MSN tried my patience, time, and finances in ways I could not even anticipate. I think my BSN program did a great disservice by promoting their MSN program so heavily to young naive graduates, such as myself
However, in retrospect, now that school is all said and done, I am happy with my decision to become an NP. Would I be as happy as an RN, some days yes. There is a ton of responsibility as an NP. If you feel overwhelmed as an RN, imagine that the buck stops with you as an NP, YOU are the one being called to make the decisions. Some days this is stressful, some days extremely overwhelming for a new grad.
My schooling was pretty good, like others have said, too much time is spent on theory and nursey garbage and not enough on patho and pharm. I feel somewhat well prepared, but it definitely could of been better.
As for job satisfaction and personal life, these two go hand in hand for me. If the job allows me to life comfortably, and have time for a real life with those I love, I am satisfied. This was the main push for me to be an NP. I got tired of working nights, weekends, and holidays. Being with my family on the holidays is well worth all the other headaches being an NP can bring.
Do I wish I chose a new career? A resounding yes! I am already over demanding patients, whose expectations are so unreasonable. But, I guess this is in every line of work.

Thanks for your input. I agree with you about demanding patients and unrealistic expectations. Sometimes I find it comical about what they expect. Other days, its down right insulting. Hospital administration seem to contribute greatly to this problem via their marketing campaigns.

kcasey4 · Nov 26, 2013

[COLOR=#003366]retiredarmynp could you give me more information concerning the family NP program at University of Texas San Anotnio, I am currently an BSN for the Army at BAMC in San Antonio and am looking for a NP program and would love to hear about your experience! Thank you!

Aniva · Dec 1, 2013

I think that for any job, where you work can make a huge difference in terms of job satisfaction. Some love being and RN instead of an NP and some, vise versa. I love being and NP and work in a great organization. I did, however, feel the education I received was not enough to make me feel like a "bad ass NP". This takes time and more experience. Would I have taken a different road to a different career path? No, but I was fortunate in my experiences so far. School was rough, but if I had a choice to do it all over again, I would in a heart beat. Has being an NP had a significant impact on your personal/marital relationships?-Everyone has been extremely supportive of my decisions in life. As a nurse, I think there are opportunities to work 3 days (longer shifts) and have more days at home compared to positions I've seen for NP's, but I love what I do and don't mind the 4-5 days/week.