Equal pay for equal work?

I agree with the above posters the choice you make depends on your circumstances. I always dreamed of becoming a MD in my younger days, but a teenage pregnancy changed my whole life. My wants and needs are secondary to my child's well-being so therefore I became a nurse. The glory of being a nurse was so prominent in school, but by my 6 month mark I was soooo over it. I wanted more autonomy, I wanted more time spent with my patients, and most of all I wanted "normal" hours for my son's sake. So I applied to FNP school and started a month before my 1 year mark. I will be finishing school this year at the tender age of 24 with my MSN and hopefully pass boards to become a FNP. Looking back at my life, I realize I probably would have never became a MD anyway. My motivation has always been my son and without him, I think I would have been like so many other MD hopefuls and changed my major after organic chem (LOL). I know I won't start off my FNP career making six figures but I'm actually quite comfortable with my nurse's pay at the moment. I tell people all the time, "its not how much you make but how you spend your money." I don't need the huge paycheck to feel fulfilled with my career choice. Of course once I obtain experience, I will probably negoiate for more money after I've put the time in. Residents make less than staff nurses working 50-60 hour weeks for 4-6 years and they are licensed doctors. Although I agree that pay should be increased across the board for NPs, there must be some humility when first entering practice. I plan to soak up all I can in my first few years after practice but I wouldn't even pay myself the same amount as an MD as a new graduate.

I'm betting you need a PMHNP over there, lol!

We most certainly do. Psych pts are my most difficult and least rewarding. A little venlafaxine here, or some escitaloram there and they either get better or they don't. It's a crap shoot.

I struggled hard with this choice too, and like many, decided to be an APRN (CNM, in my case) as opposed to an OB because I didn't want to miss my kids' childhood. The path to an MD is long, hard and time consuming. APN is much more compatible with having a family.

My other reason is because I don't WANT the scope or the responsibility of being the MD. I like knowing I have someone to pass my complicated patients to! I do plan on getting a terminal degree (PhD) after I finish my CNM education, but I am more than content with the scope of practice for CNMs, and have no desire to take on the training or the responsibility of an MD.