FNPs in Pain Management in Texas

djmatte, ADN, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 27, 2018

I can't speak to texas specifically. But pain management expectations can be vast depending on whether you're talking outpatient clinic settings, hospitals, or anywhere in between. You want to at least have a handle of what you want in a clinic before you start applying. I have worked in pain management in the past as an RN and should I ever go that route again, I would want to know that they have a comprehensive pain management philosophy at a minimum. This means utilizing multi-modal therapies and pain regimens that focuses on decreased use of opiates for chronic pain. Minimal referrals are key and having in-house physical rehab, pain psych, providers focused on the whole person, and procedures performed by pain-certified anesthesiologists are key. You don't want to get into a situation where you are a glorified script writer who is only there for refills. Some places will train NPs to perform more basic injections such as in joints and that could be a valuable skill to obtain in future endeavors. But remember that it's easy to get burnt out in that specialty as the sheer numbers of opiate users combined with tightening restrictions will make it less than tenable for the long haul.

If you are a new grad, I would look toward primary care first and evaluate the field from that perspective before jumping into pain management. You might be in a better spot to promote good pain assessment and improve pain outcomes there before they end up needing pain management.