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.
So much further from the truth. There is a need for primary care since there are shortages in doctors specializing in family medicine. Most docs I know want to go and specialize in a specific field because pay is way better! I am a nurse with 12 years of experience and plan to go back and get my MSN-FNP. I recently just graduated from my BSN and decided to continue on to MSN-FNP because there is a critical need of it. I have been offered jobs when I mentioned I was going back after I graduate. Especially from my MDs I work with in a renal clinic, and even my own doctor's office! I took the long route of becoming a nurse, LVN-ADN-BSN and now finally will have started on my MSN. Best wishes to all!
why hire an acute care NP when one can hire a PA who you KNOW is prepared d/t education standards?
You realize most ACNP's are experienced ICU/ER nurses? How can a PA be any more prepared than those RN's who spent years at the bedside? (in regard to acute care).
He has a point. Just like there is a glut of RNs, there will be a glut of NPs which will depress wages and ruin the credibility of NPs. I think you should get a degree in something else, and then go for PA. If being an independent provider is what you want without sacrificing time and money for medical school, you can easily do that without going through nursing, working a crappy nursing job for a year or two after graduation and then getting crappy education and crappy clinical experience to become a NP.
Your professor has spent too much time behind the walls of research, and very little time in the clinical world, my dear. He doesn't know what an NP is or does. Why would there be a job market for PAs and not NPs? Either he is ignorant or this ridiculous statement was just planted in this discussion board to stir everyone up. I certainly hope it's just his ignorance and not the latter. Ignorance can be dealt with. Use your critical thinking skills, and evaluate; he may very well be an excellent scientist, but he knows less about nursing than you do. His field is scientific research, not clinical medicine or nursing. Would you believe him if he said there's no future for (let's say) physical therapists? Exactly.
Jules- I agree with you completely. I am looking at the total picture, and am considering the loan repayment amount to be part of my actual hiring package. I am happy to accept something that is well less than the urban areas are paying, because first off, my loans will be almost completely forgiven, AND because serving the area where I am from is important to me. I know the people, the towns, the culture, etc. That is all super important to me, AND it gives my husband and I the opportunity to finally move back HOME-where we were both raised. That said...the difference in pay may seem like a huge amount, but one also has to consider that the cost of living is significantly lower in the small town too. A rural FNP in the small town where I'm from will be offered around 76-83k to start, plus loan forgiveness with 2 years of service. In the urban areas, the starting pay is generally around 90-105k. But, for most classmates of mine, the difference is 'huge' and they are all staying in the large hospitals where they now work as RNs.
Specializes in Crit Care; EOL; Pain/Symptom; Gero.
Don't consume all the BS that professor is serving you on the collegiate educated platter. Liberalism is a sickness and its rampant in the colleges.
I fail to see what this has to do with "liberalism", but your instructor is un-informed and opinionated. Hand him a few peer-reviewed research articles by Aiken or Mundinger that demonstrate the quality of care, cost-savings, and patient satisfaction associated with care delivered by NPs.
Specializes in Crit Care; EOL; Pain/Symptom; Gero.
He has a point. Just like there is a glut of RNs there will be a glut of NPs which will depress wages and ruin the credibility of NPs. I think you should get a degree in something else, and then go for PA. If being an independent provider is what you want without sacrificing time and money for medical school, you can easily do that without going through nursing, working a crappy nursing job for a year or two after graduation and then getting crappy education and crappy clinical experience to become a NP.[/quote']
On what criteria or outcomes are you basing your comments on "crappy education" and "crappy clinicals"?
NP programs must be accredited by CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) and are regulated by NONPF (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties) and AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) guidelines, in addition to individual states' offices of licensing and professions. Following graduation, NPs sit for a national credentialing exam in order to demonstrate their level of knowledge as a novice practitioner and to be able to bill CMS and insurers for services.
NP students may be precepted by physicians and practicing NPs. NP students may not be precepted by PAs, because our scope of practice (independent or collaborative with a physician, depending on the setting) is different than PAs (supervised by a physician).
I agree with others, your prof. Does not know what he is talking about. Do not take a&p 2 with him next semester please. There is so much you can do as a nurse it is a broad field. Let the politicians handle politics and you focus on your schooling so you can handle your patients. There is a lot of great advice on here from people that to me actually has positive things to say about the nursing field. Listen. :))))
TPP and TISA are dead. Healthcare will make a strong comeback after Obamacare. There will be plenty of opportunities for NPs. If you are in a large metro area where there is a glut of NPs then you may have trouble finding a job or getting one that doesn't pay a low salary---especially if you are a new grad. If you're willing to go further out or to start your own business you can do ok as an NP.
Jules- I agree with you completely. I am looking at the total picture, and am considering the loan repayment amount to be part of my actual hiring package. I am happy to accept something that is well less than the urban areas are paying, because first off, my loans will be almost completely forgiven, AND because serving the area where I am from is important to me. I know the people, the towns, the culture, etc. That is all super important to me, AND it gives my husband and I the opportunity to finally move back HOME-where we were both raised. That said...the difference in pay may seem like a huge amount, but one also has to consider that the cost of living is significantly lower in the small town too. A rural FNP in the small town where I'm from will be offered around 76-83k to start, plus loan forgiveness with 2 years of service. In the urban areas, the starting pay is generally around 90-105k. But, for most classmates of mine, the difference is 'huge' and they are all staying in the large hospitals where they now work as RNs.
It sounds like this will be an excellent fit for you however I would still urge anyone considering this I would NOT to consider the federal loan repayment monies as part of your package. As I mentioned previous it is not part of what the employer is paying you so I personally feel they should pay an acceptable rate in addition to the loan repayment perk which is in place because for most people relocating to a rural area is considered a hardship and requires an attractive package.
claudecapRN
4 Posts
So much further from the truth. There is a need for primary care since there are shortages in doctors specializing in family medicine. Most docs I know want to go and specialize in a specific field because pay is way better! I am a nurse with 12 years of experience and plan to go back and get my MSN-FNP. I recently just graduated from my BSN and decided to continue on to MSN-FNP because there is a critical need of it. I have been offered jobs when I mentioned I was going back after I graduate. Especially from my MDs I work with in a renal clinic, and even my own doctor's office! I took the long route of becoming a nurse, LVN-ADN-BSN and now finally will have started on my MSN. Best wishes to all!