If you had to do it again... would you become!?

Published

An NP?

I am considering Advance practice but I'm not sure what area to pursue

CNS?

NP

Informatics?

I want to still have patient contact, but I know for a fact I will not be able to handle floor nursing forever.

Why did you become an NP?

Any insight will be helpful

Thanks

Visuals

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, oncology, orthopedics, med/surge.

I wanted to be an NP b/c I found out I really like medicine & too old to handle 10 more yrs of school. If I was younger, I'd be in medical school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm a CNS but should have chosen NP.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I ditto what MiddleAgeNP said. But at 42--soooo not going back to med school..... :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac, Pulmonary, Anesthesia.

EM physician... or invest in google if we are talking hypotheticals.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

I came to nursing relatively late in my career, and I'm only sorry I didn't do it earlier. I'm not sure I would have done med school, even if I was younger....just not my cup of tea. Veterinary school maybe, but med school, not so much...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, Critical Care, Paramedicine.

Honestly I just got sick of fighting with residents and interns all the time. If I had to do it again, I would have become an intensivist.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

IF i was in it for the money and didn't care about job satisfaction : CRNA ...but I love being a CRNP I love the one on one with patients....although it peeves me we dont get paid as much as PA's or CRNA's but oh well...my job satisfaction trumps that..

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac, Pulmonary, Anesthesia.
IF i was in it for the money and didn't care about job satisfaction : CRNA ...but I love being a CRNP I love the one on one with patients....although it peeves me we dont get paid as much as PA's or CRNA's but oh well...my job satisfaction trumps that..

According to national surveys, you are paid as much or more than PAs.

Average Physician Assistant Salary. Physician Assistant Job, Career Education & Unemployment Help

http://nurse-practitioners-and-physician-assistants.advanceweb.com/SharedResources/Downloads/2010/010410/NP010110_SalarySurvey.pdf

CRNAs get their pay for 2 reasons 1) low overhead 2) high liability. I do not argue that an NP job is equally as hard as CRNA, but you are not holding the life a patient in your hands with every patient, basically becoming their autonomic nervous system for them while a butcher gets his cut on.

Also, CRNAs get plenty of patient interaction when they preop the patient, optimize their medical condition for surgery, and finally meeting with them postop to deal with pain issues.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

this was a personal opinion

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac, Pulmonary, Anesthesia.
this was a personal opinion

You stating that PAs make more isn't an opinion, it's fiction. As far as my point on CRNAs, I was just offering my opinion on why you should not be "peeved" about the compensation of others.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, EMS.
You stating that PAs make more isn't an opinion, it's fiction. As far as my point on CRNAs, I was just offering my opinion on why you should not be "peeved" about the compensation of others.

Maybe in his area PAs get more than NPs. That is the case in my area. And what I got out of Johnson's post is that although he wouldn't mind the CRNA pay, the job wouldn't ultimately fulfill him, while he is satisfied with his career as an NP.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion