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?

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also want to be a mom and have a family someday. My partner works M-F 9-5 and I want to be home with our future family with him. I don't want to be the mom that is working nights, weekends, and spending Christmas morning at the hospital.

And the older the kids get, the more the weekends and holidays thing really stinks. My mom did it and as a kid it didn't bother me really because it was just the way things were. However, as an adult, *I* want to be at home more on weekends and holidays.

Specializes in ED, Cardiac Medicine, Retail Health.

Very good thread!

carachel2 said:
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:

Other than my ink pen the biggest thing I pick up in my office is my Bubba jug of iced tea.:D

Specializes in ICU, ER, OR, FNP.

Zen,

I feel your pain. The Springfield 3 inch XD9 was like a Siren song. So far, I love it. Oh, the job that made it possible - so far so good. Always looking for a vertical financial move though. Next stop - Kimber 45 country.

Specializes in IMC/Tele/PACU.

CRF250xpert....ok, as a fellow XD9 owner, I hear ya 110%...although Im a 4" barrell owner....Lookin for a .40 or .45 myself soon too...:-)

Seriously tho man, where in the lower 48 are you located making 250K as an IC and 100K part time with a derm office? Im dying to know geographically!

Peace.....

".45....cuz they dont make a .46" :-D

CRF250Xpert said:
Zen,

I feel your pain. The Springfield 3 inch XD9 was like a Siren song. So far, I love it. Oh, the job that made it possible - so far so good. Always looking for a vertical financial move though. Next stop - Kimber 45 country.

Nurse just walked in while I'm staring at a pic of a Les Baer 1911 Boss .45. "You're a gun nut aren't you?" Me: "Yep, meet my next kid."

Harmonizer, I'm curious, do you mind sharing what region you're practicing in (or PMing me) that is so oversaturated?

Specializes in PICU.

I got a significant raise when I went from being a staff RN to a PNP. Now mind you, this is hospital based so 24/7 shifts. If I'd gone to an office, I'd have had much better shifts but not as much of a raise.

drmorton2b said:
$125 an hour for a contract Psych NP here in New England.

I will be an NP someday, as long as I have a steady nursing job to plan $ wise. I think nursing wages will go down slowly for the average floor nurse. We won't notice the pay cuts because they will come in the form of no raises and heavier workloads.

Also I am tired of people confusing me the LPN as a NP, just like people think that because I am male I must be the doctor.

Are you sure? That's pretty up there.

drmorton2b said:
$125 an hour for a contract NP here in New England.

It's probably just the word-of-mouth or heresay. That's not the norm at all esp. the contract agency will take some percentage from your paycheck. Please do not mislead people to get into NP financially ... that's 99.9999 percentile. If that's real, it may not be there by the time you graduated ?

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

Around here students in their last semester are being actively recruited for NP jobs. I had my job offer months before I graduated. The market is actually easier for NPs than RNs.

I would not expect to make $125/hr as a new grad. In our area here, new grads are in the 80-100k/year range. Some specialities at union hospitals might top that, but I have never heard of a new grad making 125/hr.

Is it worth it? For me, a wholehearted yes.

BostonFNP said:
Is it worth it? For me, a wholehearted yes.

Not worth it financially in the Boston when you have a very high cost of living. I heard RN can make that much there

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