FNP and Primary care

[IcanHealYou]

Hey everyone,

I have a couple of questions about the life of an FNP. I'm an RN now and wanting to go back to school. Originally when I started to become a nurse I was and still am very interested in primary care. A big concern for me is actually leaving the hospital setting to become an NP in a doctors office. I would like to know the lifestyle that NPs have working outside of the hospital. I'm worried about healthcare and retirement benefits because I wouldn't be associated with a big organization anymore. Ideally I would love to work for a hospital and do primary care with one of their outpatient facilities. Can anyone give me any insight on this? THanks much.

Ken

[IcanHealYou]

Bumping this thread

[BCgradnurse, MSN, RN, NP]

I worked in Primary Care for 2 1/2 years in a community health center. It was a fairly large organization, and although the salary was on the lower end, we got medical benefits, paid time off, all the usual things associated with a "corporation". I now work in a physician owned specialty practice. We get medical insurance, matching 401K contributions, CE stipends, paid time off. I make more money than I did at the health center. I work 2 evenings a week until 7, no weekends, no holidays.

I know several NPs who work in hospital affiliated practices and for large HMO health centers. They all get full benefits, 401K plans, paid time off, CE time. I think you'll find that the benefits you need are out there.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I work in a specialty practice, make very good money, have loads of PTO, retirement plan is FULLY EMPLOYER FUNDED, 5 days CME, $1500/year, plus mutual respect from the physicians and a true collaborative environment.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

Since you're asking about primary care, I would echo what BCgradnurse stated. I work for an organization that employs over 250 NP's spread out across the continuum of services the medical center offers from primary care practices (peds, women's health, adult, and family) to high acuity, high tech medicine in the ICU's. I am an ACNP and work in critical care but we have many NP's working in the primary care clinics. Indeed if you make an appointment with a primary care provider, you are either seen by an NP or a resident. As part of the University of California system, employees of the medical center are practically employees of the state with all the benfits that come with that: pension plan, 403b, 457b, health/dental/vision, CTO, paid holidays, CE's, etc. Having said that, I would not vouche for the abundance of jobs in our system. Many of our NP's are long-time employees and you rarely see a lot of openings posted.