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.
I believe that I'm in the minority here with a few exception posters. In the short term future (maybe even intermediate) the need for NPs will continue to exist. But in the longer range future, I'm not so sure!
The change may come about NOT through nursing channels as some issues with NP educational & experiencial quantity and quality are starting to have a trickle down effect even now. The cause for extinction will most likely come from external sources, specifically Big Pharm and Insurance industries, even Corporate Healthcare Facilities and governmental intervention (Trumpcare?). I think the determining driving factor will be cost/finances.
My RN sister has been in the first 2 arenas for the past some 20 plus years. She's had some verrrrry interesting opinions.
Nurses, I think we all need to be cautiously looking at ourselves without such high opinion and regard for ourselves. I mean, bring it down a notch! There might truly be much truth in what that professor bespoke as yet to come down the road.
I will say from my recent interview experiences employers are more savvy about NP programs. I was flat out asked if I had ever set foot on the actual campus. I explained yes as my program was a hybrid. I am licensed in that state and completed some of my hours there. My employer said good thing you can show us all of that because we are not hiring NPs from strictly online programs. This is a large hospital system with a corner on the market in my area. That will affect many NP new grads in my area.
Unfortunately in my area two decent size hospitals I know of are now backing off hiring NPs in an independent role due to an onslaught of new grads who are not prepared to practice after graduation. One is still hiring NPs in ancillary roles for low wages as basically the physician's handmaiden, imo. Where as PAs are going strong in the hospitalist role.
I don't blame them. The MSN-to-NP track schools are a little 'scammy' IMHO. But, it would be ideal if they actually could incentivize the experienced RNs to pursue their NPs. Seeing what NPs do on my unit, I'm not sure it's something I would want to do but I would consider it in the future, after I'm experienced.
Imagine every RN going for their NP...now that would be overly saturated lol
I see what your professor is trying to say though. Healthcare is all about business. Almost everything revolves around profit, it doesn't matter how much passion you have for something.
Don't believe everything your instructors tell you. Spend this time honing your own judgement skills. Or to put it another way, "jackass don't know what he's talking about".
We have a Neonatologist on call but the NNPs run the medical side of things 24/7. That's not going to change.
It depends on the specialty. In NICU, the NNPs run things. I NEVER talk to a doctor...always an NNP. They are the ones running to the deliveries, intubating, assessing and making care plans for the babies. The doctor is there as backup and is usually in the backroom sleeping (yup, I said it). Also, psych NPs are highly regarded as very few people (at least in my area) want to enter psych.
Now, FNPs and acute care NPs, I could see this becoming an issue (especially for the former). Everyone and their cousin is going to school to be a family NP, and why hire an acute care NP when one can hire a PA who you KNOW is prepared d/t education standards?
I think your professor's 'know it all' attitude is probably a bit much, especially for somebody who isn't even an actual nurse!
That said, I believe it really matters what part of the country you are in. In my area, there are dozens of postings for NPs, and every day there are more added. The university that I attend for my DNP has at least 12-25 unclaimed job postings every semester. And most of these are positions that qualify for federal or state loan forgiveness. Because most of the areas are considered rural or underserved, most of the students graduating from my program don't even want to consider these spots, they are more interested in heading to the large urban medical centers down the highway for insane amounts of money. However, I grew up rural and will return to rural to serve the people that I consider family and friends.
Because most of the areas are considered rural or underserved, most of the students graduating from my program don't even want to consider these spots, they are more interested in heading to the large urban medical centers down the highway for insane amounts of money. .
What do you consider "insane amounts of money"?
Something to keep in mind is the rural placements who qualify for federal tuition reimbursement etc. are not paying any of that money out of their budget so don't accept a ridiculously low amount based on a generous offering from another entity. Its all well and good to have altruistic ideals but no need to be a financial martyr about it, imo.
You will find that many people, nurses included, can be very toxic against NPs. Keep your head high and put your best foot forward. We are advancing on what was historically their territory, and I hate to say, giving a lot of power to women in a traditionally male dominated field. There's a number of reasons to be defensive about it, but essentially, that's the way healthcare is moving. Study after study proves we give as good care or better than doctors across the field. And your teacher is full of snot.
My employer said good thing you can show us all of that because we are not hiring NPs from strictly online programs.
That is very interesting and definitely worth consideration. I wonder if other employers will follow this trend. I hope they do, there needs to be a change in the direction NP education has taken.
The only worry I have for my friends going through NP school is that our particular area is already SO oversaturated with NPs. It seems to be the new RN's always have a job type bubble in my geographical area. In 2008 when I entered the nursing field, RNs were having trouble finding jobs, now that it's starting to slowly swing back the other way, and now that people are more confident about advancing degrees, it's swinging slowly in the opposite direction for NPs here. My area has a huge FB page for nurses and I literally everyday there is about 5-10 postings of NP students looking for clinical sites.
I have no desire to advance beyond an BSN but hell I feel like if I am paying all that money to get an NP, I sure as heck would expect to have clinical sites provided.
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amoLucia
7,736 Posts
I believe that I'm in the minority here with a few exception posters. In the short term future (maybe even intermediate) the need for NPs will continue to exist. But in the longer range future, I'm not so sure!
The change may come about NOT through nursing channels as some issues with NP educational & experiencial quantity and quality are starting to have a trickle down effect even now. The cause for extinction will most likely come from external sources, specifically Big Pharm and Insurance industries, even Corporate Healthcare Facilities and governmental intervention (Trumpcare?). I think the determining driving factor will be cost/finances.
My RN sister has been in the first 2 arenas for the past some 20 plus years. She's had some verrrrry interesting opinions.
Nurses, I think we all need to be cautiously looking at ourselves without such high opinion and regard for ourselves. I mean, bring it down a notch! There might truly be much truth in what that professor bespoke as yet to come down the road.