how to gain confidence

If this is your first job and you have only been a NP for 5 months it is pretty scary to think that you are basically "on your own" with your MD in another office. Having an OB/GYN and a DO (probably family practice??) does not represent a safe or supportive situation for you or your patients.

Perhaps spending half a day on your own doing well child visits and routine followups and half a day with your MD seeing acute and more complex patients would help you build your confidence just knowing you have someone to "take a look" at something with you. I have practiced for 20 years but still welcome the opportunity for one of the docs or other NPs in our practice to help me out when I get stumped. I do practice sometimes alone in our office but I would not have felt comfortable doing this 5 months after I graduated.

Good luck to you!!

Wow, that's horrible! I have all kinds of people to ask questions and they all happily answer my questions all day long! Doesn't sound like a very friendly environment.

Let your "collaborating" doc know. I'm one for using the word collaborating, even if they physicians won't. I also never use the term midlevel provider.. anyway...

It's up to you to grab your own autonomy. Get into the literature, research everything on your patients, signs/symptoms, treatments. Excuse yourself if your with a patient and not sure what to do. Get into uptodate.com (this was a lifesaver for me when I was new). Really, just own up to the fact that you are the provider, not your collaborating physician, and make the decisions.

My first job as an APRN was in an inner city emergency department where I saw my own patients. It was a nightmare, and at first I was slow, unable to make decisions, and insecure. It goes away with time.

Let your "collaborating" doc know. I'm one for using the word collaborating, even if they physicians won't. I also never use the term midlevel provider.. anyway...

It's up to you to grab your own autonomy. Get into the literature, research everything on your patients, signs/symptoms, treatments. Excuse yourself if your with a patient and not sure what to do. Get into uptodate.com (this was a lifesaver for me when I was new). Really, just own up to the fact that you are the provider, not your collaborating physician, and make the decisions.

My first job as an APRN was in an inner city emergency department where I saw my own patients. It was a nightmare, and at first I was slow, unable to make decisions, and insecure. It goes away with time.

i make my own decisons and if not sure run it past the md in the other office, i thought i was pretty confident, rarely have i had to call to get input, i am not sure where this confidence thing came up or who it came from, no one but my staff has seen how i practice so i dont know what is going on, all i know is at the end of july i am going to start spending 2 days a week in her office supposedly to market me since the only marketing they did was one ad in the paper when i started. I guess they are not concerned about my diagnostic etc skills since I practice on my own across town,

I come home every night and read up on things, I did ask them for up to date said they cant afford it not in the budget, so i am buying it on my own

i make my own decisons and if not sure run it past the md in the other office, i thought i was pretty confident, rarely have i had to call to get input, i am not sure where this confidence thing came up or who it came from, no one but my staff has seen how i practice so i dont know what is going on, all i know is at the end of july i am going to start spending 2 days a week in her office supposedly to market me since the only marketing they did was one ad in the paper when i started. I guess they are not concerned about my diagnostic etc skills since I practice on my own across town,

I come home every night and read up on things, I did ask them for up to date said they cant afford it not in the budget, so i am buying it on my own

hmm do you spend time in the hospital at all? Maybe you can get it from there. The other thing you can do is email yourself a 30 day trial of uptodate...

I've had the same problem with marketing... Everyone wants to say they have an APRN in their practice. I refuse to take it as an insult,and instead use it as a chance to educate people on why we are so important and great!!! Good luck and I hope it works out for you. Getting my APRN was the best decision I ever made, and I am sure it was for you too!!!

Hmm - I work a specialty practice (nephrology) and had 5 months orientation!

If you are having to buy your own UpToDate, I'm sorry but that doesn't seem good. Each midlevel (NP, PA, CNS) have a copy of it and use it frequently.

i am going to see if i can use the money i get for CME's to pay for it, since this is my initial licensure i dont really need to do any cme's this year

hmm do you spend time in the hospital at all? Maybe you can get it from there. The other thing you can do is email yourself a 30 day trial of uptodate...

I've had the same problem with marketing... Everyone wants to say they have an APRN in their practice. I refuse to take it as an insult,and instead use it as a chance to educate people on why we are so important and great!!! Good luck and I hope it works out for you. Getting my APRN was the best decision I ever made, and I am sure it was for you too!!!

i went to the website and am not finding the 30 day trial, am i missing something or just tired, I am thinking about having them take it out of my cmes allowance since it provides free cmes

ah ah i found it as i always say just google it thanks so much,

i went to the website and am not finding the 30 day trial, am i missing something or just tired, I am thinking about having them take it out of my cmes allowance since it provides free cmes

click the email tab, then email it to yourself. it asks if you want to send a 30 day trial...