For Reelz

[NutmegNP]

Ok. I've been an NP for 12 years, specialty and primary care under my belt. It's a moot point now because I'm a shorttimer, 2 months of my 3 month notice period done.

But anyway, check this out. I am basically an MA in my current job, reading and "planting" PPDs, putting away stock, rooming patients for the MD, drawing blood, hearing and vision tests, covering the front desk (!!).

Needless to say 1/4 of this small company has quit in the past couple of months.

When I object and say this is really not what I went to school to do, I get the "you need to be a team player response"...

While I get what they are saying on the one hand, lots of quitting without hiring and they need help. On the other hand, I'm being a lousy steward of my profession by working as an MA.

How should I be responding?

Thanks in advance!

[Dodongo, APRN, NP]

I would have been one of those people to refuse right up front. I work in an inpatient surgical specialty, so I can't comment on outpatient minutiae specifically, but if they asked me to do anything an RN or MA should be doing - something a physician would never dream of doing - I would immediately refuse. I'm an NP. I spent a lot of time (3 year program in which I did ~3000 hours) and money (>$50,000) to get this degree and be able to do advanced provider work. Plus, the profession as a whole hurts when NPs let themselves be used like anything less than a NP.