My professor told us NPs have no future...

[anilechim]

Hi everyone,

I'm just starting out in nursing school. I'm in my first semester, and currently at the tail-end of A&P I. On Tuesday night, one of my classmates asked our professor, who spent the bulk of his career prior to teaching as a scientist for Schering-Plough Research Institute, what a Trump presidency could possibly mean for the future of healthcare professionals. My classmate went on further to ask our professor what he thought a job market in the future would look like for NP's. Before answering the question, our professor went on and on about how MDs and PAs will always be needed, but that he doesn't see a job market for NP's other than as nursing instructors. He was even pretty much shrugging his shoulders and rolling his eyes! This immediately raised a huge red flag for me. I was pretty horrified by how dismissive he was of this career path. He actually said, "yeah, that's an avenue a lot of nurses are taking these days, mainly because it's the only way to advance their careers."

Can he possibly be serious?! And furthermore, is there any truth to his assumption? I personally know two women who were nurses for 20+ years who recently went back to school to pursue DNPs and are currently working in their specialized fields alongside a group of doctors, and they're very happy and successful. I follow multiple nurses on Instagram who have large social media followings who are recent grads/current NP students and none of them have been relegated to teaching because there is "no job market for NPs."

My lab instructor is a highly respected doctor and I plan on discussing this with him tonight, since I'm sure he knows a lot more about this sort of thing than my lecture instructor seems to think he does.

I would love to "hear" your thoughts on this. Personally, I was horrified and quite offended.

[PG2018]

No he's just an Ignorant ass hole

[Jules A, MSN]

Meh, don't fall into the trap and give him the satisfaction of considering you yet another histrionic nurse. He's entitled to his opinion and while I have to say I'm also dismayed by the large number of student nurses with aspirations to become a NP before they have even tested the waters as a floor nurse I don't see our need being less in the future, just our pay perhaps.

[babyNP., APRN]

Wait- so he's not even working in healthcare? He has no clue whatsoever. Particularly neonatology. Everywhere I've worked or had clinical placement at has been short of NNPs. The hospital I work at now refuses to hire PAs, as do many others. I will tell you that there is no way the neos can do all the work or that there is enough of them with the number of patients. Couple that with the fact that the average age of a NNP is something like 47 (what a NNP recruiter told me- I have no way to verify it, but seems accurate considering my colleague ages), neonatology is already in trouble with lack of NNPs. Closure of schools around the nation doesn't help either...

[casias12]

I agree with the others. While I am bothered by the rapid increase in online diploma-mill NP's, and the number or "RN's" who work about a month before going back for NP because they don't want to wipe butts, I don't see a decrease in need.

What I do see is employers/physicians/hospitals getting more savvy when they interview. First question they should be asking: How much experience did you have as an RN prior to going back to school. Second question: Did you go to an online program; can you verify your clinical hours by providing me with the contact info for your preceptor.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Consider the source! And then ignore it....geez!

[RockMay]

Your professor is correct.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

@RockMay - please cite your source...I've been an APRN for 10+ years and still get job offers where the employers come searching for me - I'm not actively looking.

[caliotter3]

Once read about a PA who was let go and after two years still had not secured another position. Seriously doubt that one story does not speak for the entire career path. Everyone has to make an effort to deal with their own set of circumstances. The jobs don't usually come to you, you have to go to the jobs. And that goes for everybody.

[Bluebolt]

This teacher sounds very ill-informed and also ignorant to make such an inflammatory statement without citing reputable research, statistics and sources for his statement.

Healthcare can be provided by an NP in many situations for much less cost as an MD, this alone makes them an attractive future of healthcare. Healthcare is all about money and whoever the insurance companies can get to provide care for less cost, that's what they'll support.

The future for NP's is opening up and historically they are only getting more and more autonomous and useful as time passes. Now you're seeing NP's getting their doctorate, successfully running their own practice in rural area's, branching into subspecialties, etc.

The point that some commenters make about too many 23-year-old brand new nurses with 6 months experience on a med/surg floor running to NP school is absolutely true. Not to mention the education process for NP's is not what it should be, it needs to be beefed up, online programs should not exist, clinical rotations and preceptors should be tightly enforced and regulated, etc. With all these people rushing through these online programs the market is getting saturated and bringing down the pay scale for NP's.

[frozenmedic]

Just because your professor is a jerk, doesn't mean he's wrong.

I work with plenty of great NPs and there is plenty of work to go around, but I don't think the current NP model can last. As others have pointed out there is quite a bit a variation in the caliber of both NP students and NP programs. Unfortunately, the best students and the best programs have the most to lose from the current "race to the bottom" NP program boom. How often do you see internet sidebar ads for NP programs for nurses with minimal experience and that specifically advertise the lack of work/clinicals/classroom time required?

Obviously not every program runs this way, but you can't expect the NP field as a whole to maintain credibility in a world where these programs are plastered everywhere and where the student pool continues to pull from less and less qualified applicants. The trend is completely unsustainable.

Is it a problem now? Obviously not. In 5 years? Probably still not an issue. But in 20...or 30...? I think by then we'll see real issues. You said you're just starting out in nursing school, so this is a timeline that could very well impact your career.

As a young, unhappy nurse myself considering career options, I can tell you I will NEVER go to NP school (for this and a few other reasons.) If I decide to go the mid-level/APP/whatever you want to call it route, I will go to PA school. Maybe it's just my geographic area, but I see far more opportunities for PAs. I see an educational model based in medical reality and not "nursing theory" and reflective journals, and I see a career path that is on the up-slope, not the down slope.

I work with several PAs who were former nurses, and they are all happy with the choice they made to jump off the NP bandwagon.

[Baggins1215]

I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner and I think there will always be a place for advanced practice nursing. I read through the comments and do agree that there is a wide range of quality when it comes to NP programs, which is problematic, however overall there is a provider shortage and I don't see NPs being phased out anytime soon, especially in psych. Here in Idaho, many employers prefer NPs as we don't need physician supervision like PA's do. I literally have never had to look for a job, jobs find me and they are all high paying/good jobs. I share this only to encourage you to keep going! If being an NP is your dream, then go for it and don't let the negative comments distract you.