For APRNs: What's your lifestyle like?

Trauma Columnist · May 21, 2017

Yes to all those questions.

For me, I've been an aprn 11 years and I make six figures, have 8 weeks vacation per year and take vacations too

travelNP · May 21, 2017

Being an ARNP is great! I enjoy working outpatient because I can leave work at work. I am paid 6 figures so money isn't an issue. I work as a traveler so vacation time is unlimited but I usually take 2-3 months off per year.

WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN · May 21, 2017

Yes to all those questions.
For me, I've been an apron 11 years and I make six figures, have 8 weeks vacation per year and take vacations too

As a frequent typo culprit I had a chuckle from this.

allnurses Guide · May 21, 2017

I've been a NP for 8 years, make six figures, work 4 days a week, and have 4 weeks vacation a year. I'm not wealthy, but I can pay all my bills, own a home (not a big McMansion), and travel some. I'd have more money if I didn't have a child in college. However, money isn't everything, at least to me.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · May 22, 2017

I would say I was able to do all those when I was a bedside RN but it's also good that I can do the same now as an NP. I currently live in a high cost of living area where 50% or so of metro area residents are renting the homes they live in (even professionals such as physicians) and the average price of a home is about $800,000. Members of our NP group, however, have higher than 50% home ownership though we certainly do not own mansions.

Jules A, MSN · May 22, 2017

My lifestyle is almost exactly the same as when I was a RN with the biggest exceptions being nicer hotels and more expensive restaurants. We have always lived simply, have an aversion to debt and don't generally value the latest or greatest flashy things so that hasn't changed. What I do enjoy is the mental freedom not have to agonize over little splurges.

I'm terrified of my wages tanking based on supply and demand or an unforeseen health issue so I will continue to live below my means in an effort to ensure that I won't ever be forced to remain in a bad job or have to work into my dotage.

allnurses Guide · May 22, 2017

Hi APRNs. I'm in NJ and about to be in nursing school and my long term goal is to be a nurse practitioner. Are you all able to afford nice houses, according to your salary, and travel on vacations? Also, do you have decent vacation time? Thank you.

Cash money millionaire.

WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN · May 22, 2017

My lifestyle is almost exactly the same as when I was a RN with the biggest exceptions being nicer hotels and more expensive restaurants. We have always lived simply, have an aversion to debt and don't generally value the latest or greatest flashy things so that hasn't changed. What I do enjoy is the mental freedom not have to agonize over little splurges.
I'm terrified of my wages tanking based on supply and demand or an unforeseen health issue so I will continue to live below my means in an effort to ensure that I won't ever be forced to remain in a bad job or have to work into my dotage.

Yes. I am moving what I make over what I made as an RN to a savings account with the goal to pay off my house and student loans.

cjones89 · May 23, 2017

Yes to all those questions.
For me, I've been an aprn 11 years and I make six figures, have 8 weeks vacation per year and take vacations too

Hello, May I ask what area of NP you work in? Also what region on the U.S.?

prelift · May 23, 2017

first I wake up in the morning, drink my red bull then look into the mirror while I wear my glistening un earned white coat and say to myself "I AM BETTER THAN DOCTORS I AM BETTER THAN DOCTORS." Next I drive my 15 series BMW to work, where I work at the best hospital in the world where NPs lead everything and the doctors mop the floor. Next I greet the door man and he parks my car for me and even waxes the entire thing. Afterward he pays me 50 bucks for the privilege of touching my vehicle. I walk onto the floor and the Staff doctors and nurses all bow down and roll out a read carpet for me and bring me my MoonDollar coffee, which I take shaken, not stirred. I then go so my patients who are all highly educated and tip me for the excellent quality work I do. It is the best work ever because Florence Nightingale tells me it is. Next the CEO of the hospital invites me to play a game of golf with him for the rest of the afternoon since my work day is only 5 hours long and twice weekly. He personally hands me my paycheck of 50000 per week since I am just that good. When I get home I go on SDN and allnurses and tell people how the world would be better since nurses are >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> everything else in the world and how the moon would lose orbit and crash into earth if we did not exist.

I speak at conferences for pharm companies and also sit on the board at medical schools so I can teach them how to mop the floors better with their laughable education compared to nursing. I am also politically active on wall street and like to take erotic flights to other countries and moose hunt in the desert while eating vegamite sandwiches.

I have the best like ever cuz I went to some online for profit school and posted discussion posts with my classmates for 3 years and followed around some NP at CVS and now the whole world bows down to me.

It was the best deal ever

I also play chess on weekends and beat gary Kasparov on a daily basis since he does not have my nurse knowledge and is inferior to me.

WestCoastSunRN, MSN, CNS · May 23, 2017

first I wake up in the morning, drink my red bull then look into the mirror while I wear my glistening un earned white coat and say to myself "I AM BETTER THAN DOCTORS I AM BETTER THAN DOCTORS." Next I drive my 15 series BMW to work, where I work at the best hospital in the world where NPs lead everything and the doctors mop the floor. Next I greet the door man and he parks my car for me and even waxes the entire thing. Afterward he pays me 50 bucks for the privilege of touching my vehicle. I walk onto the floor and the Staff doctors and nurses all bow down and roll out a read carpet for me and bring me my MoonDollar coffee, which I take shaken, not stirred. I then go so my patients who are all highly educated and tip me for the excellent quality work I do. It is the best work ever because Florence Nightingale tells me it is. Next the CEO of the hospital invites me to play a game of golf with him for the rest of the afternoon since my work day is only 5 hours long and twice weekly. He personally hands me my paycheck of 50000 per week since I am just that good. When I get home I go on SDN and allnurses and tell people how the world would be better since nurses are >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> everything else in the world and how the moon would lose orbit and crash into earth if we did not exist.
I speak at conferences for pharm companies and also sit on the board at medical schools so I can teach them how to mop the floors better with their laughable education compared to nursing. I am also politically active on wall street and like to take erotic flights to other countries and moose hunt in the desert while eating vegamite sandwiches.
I have the best like ever cuz I went to some online for profit school and posted discussion posts with my classmates for 3 years and followed around some NP at CVS and now the whole world bows down to me.
It was the best deal ever
I also play chess on weekends and beat gary Kasparov on a daily basis since he does not have my nurse knowledge and is inferior to me.

LOL. So you're in med school, right? I've seen some of your trolling threads before, I think, but I could be confusing you with someone else.... if so, my apologies. IF you are in med school -- or really in school for any health-care related field, let me just say you will not do well with this attitude of nurses-are-bat-crap-crazy-stupid-nincompoops. I've worked with LOTS of doc/nurses/pts/ots/rds/sws/techs ... learning to play nice with others keeps you employable, not to mention is safer for patients and better for business. Nobody likes dealing with a donkey's behind... least of all physicians, because they did work hard to be where they are and a good many of them are good at what they do -- and the ones that will teach you? (if you're in med school) .... they will break your spirit. They may even allow a humble pee-on nurse to break your spirit -- I, know, CRAZY, right? But no worries, it's really for your own good. I promise.

Now as for your serious assertions: you raise questions about the rigor of NP education and the place of NPs in health care. These are good questions which nurses should be and are asking themselves. Wouldn't it be swell if the discussions could be multi-disciplinary and still constructive? I sure do think so.

And I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that NPs think they are 'better' than physicians. I mean I suppose some might be better than some physicians depending on individual aptitudes and skill sets, but generally speaking NO ONE thinks they are 'better' or even equal in most cases. There is a place for well-prepared APNs in various health-care settings whether you like that fact or not. The tradition of APN has been that the nurse would have worked in a big girl/big boy job for several years before moving into the role of NP. So the question of 'how is my lifestyle going to change' is a very real one for these people. Your satire is unnecessary and unhelpful (even if it is a bit entertaining). And I have to wonder, if you are in med school.... how do you find the time to hang out on AN?