Sailrmar9

It is very complicated. I get paid a "base salary" so that I earn a set paycheck every other week. Every month I get a report with my earnings. If I earn in excess of my base salary, based on productivity, then I get "paid out" every quarter (they hold 2 weeks pay though in case I am out for 2 weeks due to illness before STD kicks in..I get that back at the end of the year). My practice was previously a physician owned practice and I was considered a mirror stock holder so the bonuses were a portion of how well the practice did financially. We are now part of a larger health organization. Our new bonus compensation will be based on how many "quality dollars" we earn. So for example, payors will give us financial incentives for managing our hypertensives well, and that money will be divided as a bonus.

Haha, I was going to make a joke not to get me going about when one of the pyschiatrists I work with checks a TSH and it is 5.25 and they say "follow up with primary care" and don't bother to check free T3/T4

Looks like I have sparked a lively debate! Thank you for all of your feedback. I certainly appreciate all of the feedback. Trust me, I am not trying to discount the additional education and training of NPs specializing in mental health. Like many of you, I do recognize that this is a shortage area. Yes, in primary care we do manage depression and anxiety. No, I am not treating the patient who is bipolar, schizophrenic, etc. I am no prescribing mood stabilizers, anti psychotics, etc. To compare, I'll use the example of managing hypertension. In primary care I would try first line measures to manage hypertension including lifestyle changes and step wise therapy. If a person has malignant hypertension or resistant hypertension (3+ anti hypertensives are not cutting it) then I would certainly refer the patient to a specialist. It is true that there are NPs and PAs that work in specialty areas. They may or may not not see the patient for an "initial" consultation and may only see them for follow up visits after they have been evaluated by an MD. These providers may have additional training but there is no specific certification exam (ANCC, AANP, etc) that they have to complete to practice in their specialty. On another note, any advice re doing a DNP program in mental health versus a post master's certificate?

City/State: Mass (not Boston) Years in current position:5 Salary: Productivity based. I was on maternity leave last year for 12 weeks. Full time is 9 sessions or 4.5 days per week but I have just reduced schedule to 4 days per week. I'm guessing base "salary" will be $105-110k for this year. Also, I am going to be in a new leadership position for an additional $5k per year. Benefits: health insurance, 403b, flex spending, 6 weeks vacation (unpaid as we are productivity based, but I always take 5-6 weeks), CME Bonus: yes, 3-5k. But our practice was just purchased so not sure this will be guaranteed in the future

Thank you for your help. I obviously don't want to put my license in jeopardy. I understand the comment @elkpark has made. It is just interesting that adult NP's treat mental health disorders in primary care but cannot "specialize" without out the additional certification. However, if I wanted to go work in the urology department this would not be an issue and it would not "require" me to have any additional certification.

Good evening! I have been practicing as an adult NP for the past 5 years. I did adult-gero program but never sat for the geri boards when I graduated because at the time they were in the process of combining the boards. I am currently practicing in an internal medicine setting. The practice I work in is multi disciplinary. I have expressed to my management that I am interested in behavioral health and one of the psychiatrists in our BH department will be retiring soon. They are interested in transitioning me part time to this setting. I am nervous though about scope of practice restrictions. Any advice or precautions? I currently work in MA and am having trouble researching "real" information. Thanks for your advice.

My husband and I are interested in moving from the US to the UK after I graduate with my Masters in Nursing. I am just starting to look into this... Is there an equivalent to a nurse practitioner/ advance practice nurse in the UK and what are the requirements for licensure and employment? Any advice you could offer is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I work in LTC/rehab and one of my coworkers was recently hired at a local hospital to work in a Neuro ICU.

Definitely consider LTC, rehab, or even home care. I finished my program in August. I've been working in LTC since November and personally really enjoy it. One of my coworkers just got a job working in a neuro ICU after working in LTC/rehab for a year. Just get the experience you need under your belt so you are not considered a "new grad" to the HR people. Most places say 6 months of experience. You could work in LTC for 6 mos and apply for a per diem or part time position at a hospital to get your foot in the door. You could even try a LTC that is affiliated with a hospital so you are considered and internal candidate. Best of luck.

I am in the 2nd year of the GEP program. Feel free to ask me any questions!

The nursing program at AIC is very good. It is a tough program but very good instructors. They are in the process of hiring a new director for the undergraduate program. The pass rates for all MA schools can be found here: http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2subtopic&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Researcher&L2=Physical+Health+and+Treatment&L3=Nursing+Statistics&L4=National+Council+Licensure+Examinations+(NCLEX)+by+School&sid=Eeohhs2

Well, there are a few ways to approach this situation. First, do you have other work experience and other employers that can give you a better recommendation? If so, maybe you could omit the employer that you had trouble with from your application and just not mention the job. If you worked there for a long time though- it would show a long unemployment gap and that might not be good. Your other option is to just list the previous employer and hope that they do not contact them. I don't know how many employers actually follow up and contact previous employers for recommendations. You may find that no one ever calls to follow up. Your last option is to be truthful and proactive when you apply for CNA jobs. Let the employer know about your experience at your last job and that it was a misunderstanding. There is nothing wrong with letting an employer know that you learned from your mistakes (failure to follow through with "policy" blah blah blah) and now understand how important it is to follow rules precisely.

It was definitely a busy first year. I'll send you a private message so we can chat.

If anyone has questions about graduate entry- please let me know. I'm in my second year at UMass Worcester and would be happy to answer any questions.

So my 48 hours of hell are not over yet...but my state board of nursing says that I have a current RN license...so that must mean that I passed!?!?! I can't even get quick results until tomorrow morning- but the state website must be accurate, right?