Favorite part of being a Nurse Practitioner?

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In your opinion, what is the best part of being a Nurse Practitioner?

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I like interacting with the patients on a daily basis in a broader capacity and I like the authority that comes with being a mid-level. I also like coming across interesting cases. I have much respect for bedside nurses but personally, with my chronic back pain, I'm just over it.

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Specializes in FNP.

The best part for me comes from finding problems early and changing the lives of patients. Recently I had a patient who had 2 years of GI sx. She'd been to GI multiple times without success. I referred her to another GI to have a motility study, turns out she has gastroparesis. She's very thankful that now she can be treated.

Another guy had a new pansystolic murmur. I ordered an echo, he has severe aortic stenosis. Cardiology is now monitoring him. He has about 2 years before he'll need a valve.

Changing the lives of patients every day is amazing. I love being an NP!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm the bad one I guess - I like the money.

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Diagnosing a condition that had been missed by others. That is the rush!

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Specializes in FNP.
I'm the bad one I guess - I like the money.

Hahah, that's awesome also.

Mike

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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.

All of that! I really like putting the puzzle pieces together. And boy did I have ample opportunity today. Several really sick critical patients through the ED I admitted on our hospitalist service today. I leaned on and learned from my peers/colleagues/mentors.

Trauma, I could have used you for at least two of them.

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Having one patient at a time instead of 5-6

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Don't have to clean poop!

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Having time to interact with patients!!

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In an exam room with a patient and his overbearing wife. She demands that he needs antibiotics and I tell her. "it ain't happening!"

I get a rush every time....

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I don't know -- everyday I wonder if I should just hang it up ...I'm just four years into it, spent 3 in retail, and now during my first year in true primary care, I get easily overwhelmed and am often in a state of panic and/or sheer terror. However, it is pretty cool to write those orders and do that follow up, especially if your treatment helped that patient. Really nice when patients like you, want to come back to see YOU personally, and to see how much they believe in you.

Also nice to have nurses to help you, especially if they know what they're doing. Nice to not have to do the grunt work anymore .... nice to get a smidgeon more respect from patients than you did back in the days of nursing. Nice to work with a great doctor, which I do work for, and to collaborate and/or discuss cases with him. Nice to have weekends off finally. I'm still balking at having to wear street clothes, however -- just wish they'd let me wear scrubs and a lab coat ....which they won't.

And I guess the money is better ....but you sure work hard for it. I feel NP's should get paid far more, and I also think doctors, should also get paid far more than what THEY do. We're all so pitifully underpaid considering the work we do, and the responsibility we hold.

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