Is Becoming A NP Worth It?

Do I or don't I go for a Nurse Practioner degree? My thought process may help make you in your nursing journey. Specialties NP Nursing Q/A

My reasons why I question going for a Nurse Practitioner license.

  1. Working with some seasoned nurses in the ER over the last couple of years, they make more than starting NP's do.
  2. Two doctors and a nurse who did recruit and hiring for a couple of years all stated that it was not worth it.
  3. If I don't jump on the bandwagon right away...the rumors of the dreaded 2015 DNP may come true

The Drawbacks:

  • Increased liability without enough pay
  • Overworked and underpaid for their work. In our ER, the PA's do most of the work while the physicians kick back
  • PA's are preferred in hospital settings (which is my major interest...though I'm sure an office setting will be great later in life)
  • Again...financial. They did not agree that 2.5 years of schooling was worth a mediocre increase in salary (even long term). They collectively felt that working a 4th 12hr shift each week was better than spending another 2.5 years an lots of money for an NP degree.

The Positives:

  • Increased autonomy
  • I can do a full time NP program and still work
  • There are 2 great NP programs near me (TWU and UTA)
  • I believe I can get in without to much hassle
  • In state tuition is affordable
  • Self satisfaction

I understand that financial compensation is not all there is to a job though it is a necessity. Increased autonomy is very important to me and the main reason I would like an advanced practice degree. Med school would be great, but being hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and taking 4 years off is not appealing to me.

So to the current NP's...

Would you NOT get your degree if you had to do it again?

Was it worth it more than just personal satisfaction?

Do you enjoy your setting?

Specializes in Family Medicine & psychiatry.

I work an average of 31 hours per week and make $90K per year. Additionally, I don't have a charge nurse, nurse educator, clinical nurse specialist, nurse management, or physicians telling me what to do or constantly watching over my shoulder. As an RN you put up with a lot of petty BS and it just gets old, no matter how much you're earning as a pool nurse working nights (they make the most as far as floor nursing is concerned). That is for example, management making sure you scan all your medications for interoperability; or fill the right forms out for heparin protocols; or making sure your in your patient's room giving report, not in the hall. The list goes on and that's the kind of BS I started to get sick of. Don't get me wrong, I did my time as an RN and enjoyed most of it. And if you are a new nurse, you should probably stick it out for a few years and rock out floor nursing before becoming an APN. For me, after 8 years collectively of being a nursing assistant (3 years) and floor RN (5 years), there comes a time you get sick of it and will seek some kind of career promotion. For me, that was becoming a family nurse practitioner. So to answer the original question. Hell yea, being an NP is worth it.

Specializes in ICU, ER, OR, FNP.

is it worth it to change the oil in your car? i don't know; it's your car and it might have 9 miles left in it or it might be a new 'vette - you decide if it's worth the price of oil and a filter. is it worth it to dry clean a shirt? it's your shirt - you decide. high quality shirts like to be professionally laundered with a touch of starch. a t-shirt might tolerate the washing machine - again, you have to make the call.

the objective and universal data point is that you couldn’t have picked a worse time on earth to pick np. or – you picked the perfect time to become a np. it’s all about perspective. if obama care sticks, i’ll be making minimum wage as a np and i’ll go do something else. i have no problem locking my door and walking away to look for money. financial security is high on the list for me and my family. so, getting the most education in nursing and the most liability for the least pay – maybe a bad time to be a np.

if you don’t mind making minimum wage and you still want the autonomy, advanced practice, and brain challenge of being an np – then it’s a perfect time to become one. if obama care sticks, primary care physicians won’t exist. they are already closing private practice in lieu of a “steady” hospital job. it’s real – it’s happening now. and if you don’t have a family member already affected, it’s atypical. so with few docs, the nps are going to be in huge demand. we still won’t get reimbursed for all of the education, hard work, increased exposure, but we will get to make the biggest possible impact on the well-being of the patient that one can do while still being a nurse. no other nursing job exists that makes the impact that a np does (i’m sure that will offend many – but a rn job just can’t impact patients the same way – no way).

if you look forward to going home at the end of the day knowing you personally caught disease x and saved a life or just reassured an overly concerned 1st time parents that their baby was perfect – you can’t get that anywhere else. for now, my job is certainly worth it. now, dnp is another story…

Specializes in ICU.
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Don't believe what everybody tells you about low wages for NPs. It isn't true. I will graduate from my FNP program in two weeks and have accepted an independent contractor NP job where my first year gross earnings will be between $200k and $275k. No sicktime, no paid vacation, nothing in the way of benefits but with that type of cash I can buy my own benefits.

If you look hard you can find a job that will pay you well. I'm not going to divulge the name of the company I'm with because I feel very lucky to have this job. What I'm doing is taking physicals for Medicare patients in their homes. I take a blood/urine sample, give a pneumonia shot and take a spirometry reading.

I also have another part time job working for a dermatologist paying a little over 100k per year.

Was my NP degree worth it. You bet it was financially.

 

OMG!! I pray those wages are still happening in 18 months. Im glad to hear its worth it b/c around here I hear there is no more money in FNP compared to what Im making after being a nurse for 20 years. although, those saying that are the beside nurses who have no desire to move their education on. It seems the NP are keeping this a well kept secret as they laugh their way to the bank.

Specializes in ICU.
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As a PMHNP I sit on my butt in a nice office and talk to people. I go to lunch for an hour and I leave at 5 pm. I make well into 6 figures and have free housing (right now a 3 BR house way to big for me) and car allowance. There are a total of 2 RN's and 3 other staff that make sure my day is running smoothly. Right now I'm considering whether to wash my new pickup truck today and what new pistol to buy. I'd love to be back running around on the floor....right

Zenman, My heart goes out to you having to work SO hard, and worrying about making that house payment. What a rough life... I cant wait to join those of you in the NP rankings and get to tell you how bad my day is not going. And to the Op, thanks for startig this thread. I will have to bookmark it when school starts getting tough.

I really really appreciate the replies... It is very inspiring to hear good news.

Specializes in FNP.

We don't have any PAs here to speak of, all NPs, in hospital and out-pt, primary care and specialty settings. No they aren't making mad bank, lol. NP pay here is about $30 an hour to start. RN pay is about $18-19, to start. After 20 years in Critical Care, I topped out the pay scale at $27 and change. I paid a great deal more than 20K for my education b/c I wanted to go to a certain school. I could have gone much closer to home for 1/5th of what I spent, but mediocrity has never been my style. I am continuing for the DNP because I want to. So, before it's over I'll have spent well over 100K to make $2.50 an hour more than I was when I quit bedside nursing.

And yes, it will absolutely have been worth it! :) I have loved my NP education. It has been a joy and a privilege. I'd do it all again at twice the price. "Worth it," is relative.

I am not yet working as a NP, but I know quite a few, and I really do think that those who are making well over $100k are an exception. I think the survey that Advance puts out regarding salaries is probably closer to the norm. I too have struggled with the idea of whether or not it's worth it (I've had to take out lots of loans, both fed and private), but I've commited myself to completing school and I'm looking forward to working as a NP regardless of salary.

Well if anyone wants to work 4 12 hour shifts on their feet to make the same as a NP, god bless them. While they are doing that I will be at home and doing the things I love!

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Hey, where in the heck are these 200k jobs??

Lol - not in the midwest I'll bet.

Specializes in IMC/Tele/PACU.

yeah Im kinda curious where CRF250xpert lives and is making $250-275K as an IC with a PT gig making 100K in derm too! Damn man, for real?? Please DO tell us the general area at least where you are and what are you doing as an IC make a quarter MILLION as an FNP?? I dont doubt you, Im just jealous!!

CCRNDiva said:
I will start an ACNP program in the fall and I most certainly feel that it will be worth it. While it will cost $40,000+, I will be able to greatly increase my salary and autonomy after graduation. Nursing wages have been relatively flat for the past 3yrs in my area. RNs here with 30+ yrs of experience are maxed out on the payscale at around $35/hr. The payscale, however, was changed about 10yrs ago (clinical ladders were eliminated) so a RN with less than 20yrs experience (ie, me) will never get to that level of pay here. I'm no where close to making that amount now.

Second, (and I may be tarred and feathered for saying this :nono:,) but the ability to continue caring for patients without damaging my back turning 250+lb patients q2hrs, working mandatory extra shifts while being shortstaffed, working with inadequate supplies, etc (the list goes on, lol) will be priceless for me.

I certainly won't tar and feather you. I got to be kind of bitter working on the floor and in the ER. Here you have a 350 lb patient who has abused their body their whole life and then suddenly I'm supposed to sacrifice MY fit, trim, healthy self in order to help them stand and pee at the bedside ? NO.WAY. I had numerous reasons for going back to school, but the desire to avoid becoming a chronic pain patient myself who couldn't play with my OWN child and future grandchildren was way up there at the top of the list.

FNP x 1.5 years and haven't lifted more than my finger and stethoscope since I walked across that stage. :yeah::lol2::lol2:

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I've been an APN for over 5 years now and don't do much manual lifting (unless in a code situation) but realized that as much as I loved being a staff nurse in the ER, I didn't think I could do till I was 70.

Hey - still want to know what part of the country the big bucks are in???

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