Did you feel ready to practice upon graduation?

Specialties NP

Published

I've applied for an FNP program and hope to work in a clinic setting helping underserved populations. I've had five years of bedside nursing, mostly med-surg and cardiothoracic ICU. The prospect of prescribing meds and diagnosing patients is exciting but daunting.

So, this question is for practicing NPs. Did you feel prepared to practice after two years of school? Given the NP's scope of practice, is two years enough time to learn how to operate effectively and safely with a low-acuity but very diverse population?

Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

Sorry, my point is that we give the same level of care. We are not mid level providers. :)

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I refer to those of us in our group as mid-levels because we are a group of PAs, NPs and a CNS.

We all do the same job.

Specializes in Cardiac rehab, med-tele, psych, research.
I have only 6 yrs of RN experience (non-traditional student in 2nd career). Graduated with honors & passed Boards for FNP in Dec, was really excited & felt ready to start learning & being a provider in the specialty practice I was hired by this spring.

Alas I have been forced (literally) to resign just recently as my "progress" was less than "they" thought it should be. Apparently I was expected to see the same complex problems as the docs and be able to deal with them without questioning despite my newby status. Was told "by now" (3 months after hire) I should demonstrate complete understanding of each of the disease processes in question down to changes that occur at the cellular level, and should be able to describe those processes verbally when questioned by the MD on the spot at any time. Same with each med down to dose & each side effect, plus the tx options and their dosages and side effects - yes this is a specialty practice not primary care. (Repeatedly told - in front of staff- that "questions indicate weakness and insecurity, why are you asking this?"). Never mind that the patients I saw stated they liked seeing an NP, and told me-and check-out staff- they felt I actually understood them better and they wanted to see me for their next visit.

Now, a couple of weeks after getting out of there, still feel shell-shocked, waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat with heart pounding. Right now I feel like I'm only qualified to work at a fast-food restaurant. Will take a little time to recover (hopefully only a little time). Now to find a new job, which is hard in my area even if one has tons of NP experience & confidence.

Can't imagine I'm the only one out there like this, but maybe so?

Would love to hear an update on your professional life. How did you come back from this set back? I am a new nurse practitioner and am concerned about practicing solo. Is there any advice you can give to prevent having a similar experience?

On 8/24/2017 at 1:33 PM, ladygodiva112 said:

Would love to hear an update on your professional life. How did you come back from this set back? I am a new nurse practitioner and am concerned about practicing solo. Is there any advice you can give to prevent having a similar experience?

I would love to hear an update on your experience. ?

Specializes in L&D.
On 10/10/2011 at 10:04 PM, Birdwatcher1 said:

Thanks TraumaRUs and bsnanat2 for your thoughts and support! Much appreciated! ?

I was in a sizeable practice, but I was their first NP and had no opportunity to work with, or shadow PAs in the other areas of the practice, which were different specialty than my own. Despite other MDs feeling like I was doing well, the ones in question did not want to spend more time training me, or so I was told (and I never was given my own desk or phone--was that a sign?).

Thinking if I had a photographic memory and nerves of pure steel it might have worked, but oh well, at this point no sense looking back!

For now working as RN at agency for about the same $. Hope to find my niche eventually, whatever that will be!

I would also love an update and any advice you can share with new NPs

Specializes in Internal Medicine.

I didn't feel uncomfortable (but also not really "ready"), but I also was very aware of my weaknesses and not afraid to look things up or ask questions.    My first job was in a large IM practice that I did a huge chunk of my school clinical work in, so I already knew the charting and system well, so the tedious new job stuff was out of the way.   Looking back now I can think of dumb things I did, or how I used to manage some things, and think to myself that I was really ignorant, but I wasn't dangerous.

Nearly 7 years into my NP career, working in an inpatient environment, I always am still looking things up, asking questions, using my resources.  There's not a day that goes by where I don't learn something.  I think it's important to lay the groundwork of curiosity and know your limits.  It is so crucial to get that first job in an environment where questions are encouraged.

The worst providers to me are the ones that act like they know just about everything, and can never admit with they are wrong or don't know.  

1 Votes
Specializes in Nurse Practitioner.

I am a FNP. I was afraid.  My first job was at a men's homeless clinic, pretty basic stuff, then, terrified me, decided that I would specialize so there was less to focus on so I did Infertility.  I had had 11 years of hospital experience med/surg/telemetry/stepdown. Then I decided to bite the bullet and did Int Med, which I probably should have done to start, just like Med/Surg is pretty basic. Ugh, I hated it, but by then I had confidence and over the years did Women's Health, Palliative Care, Urgent Care, Pharmaceutical Research, RN instructor, Occupational Health and Student Health. (I get bored, but it is so far a 27 or so year NP career) 1) I've found that the best recommendation I've ever had was an MD who stated that I had a gift for always knowing when to ask questions.  You wouldn't want your staff guessing and keeping things from you. It is expected. 2) I have never been ill-treated or looked down upon by well-respected MDs, only Borderline ones, who are not as well prepared.  3) The only things you have to focus on are, "Do I know this?" and if not, "Where do I go to get the answer? " If you did a good job as an RN and are thorough, do your best and are interested, you'll do fine.  Old Lady NP 46 years RN, last 27 NP I think, who's counting ? and still going, but now an Independent Contractor 

 

Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

I love this answer.

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