Nurse Practitioner JOB shortage?

[mir4777]

After I graduate w/ my BSN, I had planned to get my masters as a Nurse Practitioner (after waiting 2 years to get some experience, hopefully working w/ Peds). I want to go overseas, probably to a South American country, and had the understanding that having more experience as a NP would be a big benefit. However, one of my nursing professors was telling me that NP jobs are very difficult to get. So if I returned to the US getting a job as a NP would be hard. Any thoughts?

Thanks!:)

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

I am in rural America, and our docs are so territorial that they will not hire another NP. We have one who is kept on a very short leash with clinic privilages only. No admitting patients, no writing orders, no ER privilages. The docs still c/o horrendous hours, being overworked, etc, but can't see how NP's could lighten their load substantially if allowed to work in their full scope! (Can't give up the ER coverage call pay is what it boils down to).

You must promote yourself! Don't interview....make a presentation! The rural areas really do need you!

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

In our unit, we rely on our practitioners to be our "constant" since we have new residents every month. They take our chronic kids and there is a nice consistency to their care. Many ICU's rely on Neonatal practioners to run their units, especially the hospitals that don't have residents :)

Personally, if I had a baby in my unit I would want the practitioners taking care of it

[llg, PhD, RN]

I have found the posts in this thread to be very refreshing. The issues raised have been major themes in my career for many years. It makes me feel good to see that other people have seen (and appreciate) the same trends that I have seen.

I am part of the generation for whom NP education was the "hot new thing." Many of my friends and colleagues went that route -- and most are in low paying NP jobs because of the glut of practitioners produced. Others, graduating more recently have waited years to find NP jobs -- at least decent ones they were willing to take.

In addition, I have seen other types of advanced education for nurses fall by the wayside. Programs to prepare administrators, educators, and clinical specialists were slashed as schools got government funding for NP programs to "fix" the fact that physicians didn't want to work in underserved areas or do routine patient care.

Other advanced nursing programs had their funding cut. People like me, who are not NP's (but have PhD's) could not get jobs as faculty members because we could not teach in NP programs. There was even a panel discussion at a major nursing faculty/research conference in 1996 that focused on the fact that new graduate PhD's could not get teaching jobs unless they also were an NP. NOW, schools are whining that they don't have enough faculty -- and being critical of those of us with PhD's who work in hospital settings. DUH! We tried to be faculty members, but had the doors slammed in our faces because we weren't NP's.

Hospitals are now having major problems recruiting staff development specialists, clinical specialists, managers, etc. -- other realms of advanced nursing practice. Schools are struggling to find faculty to teach undergraduate courses. There are all these NP's around looking for jobs, but they have no education in these areas. They were prepared as physician extenders -- not as nursing care specialists, teachers, and managers.

While I value the role of the NP, the OVER-emphasis on the role in many nursing schools -- to the detriment of other advanced practice roles -- has been just 1 more way the nursing profession has shot itself in the foot. It drives me crazy.

Thanks for giving me an opportunity to vent. :-)

llg

[karenG]

not sure what you would think a living wage is- here in london the cost of living is very very high and I can only live here cos my husband earns more than me!! but there are jobs all over the place- paying about 28-30k, in nicer parts of the country where housing is cheaper. with the shortage of docs, the gov are looking at ways to fill the gap and guess who fills it nicely??

Karen