Hoping to get an opinion about a potential job offer for a new grad...
This is a primary care clinic and they expect me to see a patient every 15 minutes, which is about 30 patients per day (8am-5pm, with 1 hour for lunch and no patients after 4:30). They have scribes to help with charting, so I'd just have to review the charts, adjust what I needed to, then sign them. They will train me and allow 6 months to build up the this patient load. They job is M-F 8a-5p with no call, no weekends.
They are offering $90K with a sign on bonus, relocation money, and full benefits (insurance and malpractice, CEU money, 2 weeks paid vacation, 6 paid holidays) with a 2 year contract.
I know from clinicals the a patient every 15 minutes is a crazy load. It makes me nervous to agree to that for 2 years. However, I also know scribes will help save time charting, and I will also be getting valuable experience.
I have a preceptor who is mega fast and she can see the patients in 15 minutes - most patients but what slows her down are the billion calls from pharmacies, labs, patients and calls she has to make to insurance companies. there is way more than just seeing the patient and writing scripts.. Plus when she gets in there are piles of charts with labs etc.. she has to review and sign off or follow up on.
My first job was similar to the one you are describing, OP. I burned out fast...but had to stay for 2 years as I was in the National Health Service loan repayment program. 30 patients a day, at least 5 of which were physicals. Add patients arriving late, lab reviews, pharmacy calls, and I was never out of there on time. I also rarely got a lunch. I was so stressed and didn't feel like I could provide good care in that environment. I got out of there as soon as my contract was up. My former co-workers and I joke that we have PTSD from working in that environment. We're only half kidding.......
Thank you for sharing this, BCgradnurse. I just want to add for the benefit of others that if you are in a contract with the feds for loan repayment/forgiveness and you are working in a bad place you are not necessarily stuck there, as long as you did not sign a long-term contract with the facility itself. The feds will allow you to keep the loan forgiveness deal as long as you go to another area that their program covers. You can take loan forgiveness with you anywhere in the USA that they cover.
It saddens me that some people out there are setting up opportunities to screw the new grads in our profession. You won't find them playing these games with the new grad MDs and DOs though. I said this before but will say it again, as a new grad NP, be careful about accepting any job thats requiring you to see too many patients per day or that won't provide you with a proper orientation. Don't be in a hurry to accept just anything. People who do that only degrade our profession. Continue working as an RN until you find the right opportunity for your first job.
Thank you so much for all of your input! I was thinking the contract was kind of shady and have had a bad feeling about it. I just didn't really know who to ask about it being as I've never signed any sort of contract. Several of my classmates are in a similar position too.
WIBound
40 Posts
I have a preceptor who is mega fast and she can see the patients in 15 minutes - most patients but what slows her down are the billion calls from pharmacies, labs, patients and calls she has to make to insurance companies. there is way more than just seeing the patient and writing scripts.. Plus when she gets in there are piles of charts with labs etc.. she has to review and sign off or follow up on.
15 min a patient - good luck..