New NP needing career advice

Specialties NP

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I'm a new NP, but I've been out of FNP school 3 1/2 years and have never worked a day as an NP. I always wanted to be a family nurse practitioner and that was the main reason I went to nursing school. However, I found the reality of diagnosing and prescribing to be a bit overwhelming. Not as easy as my confident RN self thought it would be. I had a job offer straight out of school from a doctor I used to work with in the hospital, but it would have required me to relocate to a city I didn't want to live in, so I turned it down. I've since had a baby and moved out of state. The state I'm in will grant me a temporary license, but I have to complete 500 hours with a preceptor since I never completed the monitored practice requirement in my home state. I've found a preceptor, but not a job, where I can start getting hours. It will be unpaid. I have a part-time job as an RN which allows me plenty of time at home with my children and husband. I like the work I do at the bedside but I don't feel particularly challenged there. I'm just not sure my heart is in pursing a career as an NP anymore. Am I wasting my time? I feel sick when I think of spending more time away from my family but also ill at the thought of giving up on my dreams and "wasting" my degree. I've thought about teaching since I have a med-surg background and I think I would enjoy that, but I know it doesn't pay well.

I'm not sure whether to continue to look for a paid position as an NP where I can work part-time, try to complete my preceptorship unpaid and then look for a job, or just try to be content with my job as a bedside nurse and possibly pick up an adjunct position as a clinical instructor for a nursing program. What would you recommend in my situation? I could really use a mentor of some sort right now.

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

Complete your preceptorship. Continue your part time RN job. You started the NP journey. I think you should give it at least two years. Find a job that seems doable. Try to find a job with someone who likes to teach. Or hire someone to mentor you around diagnosing and prescribing. It's good you know you are overwhelmed. That means you go slow and find support. Best wishes.

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Finish your preceptorship. Find an NP who will let you plod away 2-3 full days at a time until you get your hours. Finishing the preceptorship will give you the re-entry and the confidence you need at this point as well as help you establish contacts you might need to find a part-time position in your new town.

Trust me, the part-time jobs are out there. And your kids are resilient and honestly will need you at home more when they are school-aged.

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Yes, definitely finish the preceptorship. Learn as much as you can and maybe the preceptorship will give you confidence in your ability. It's hard to tell if your lack of motivation is due to fear or if it's because you really don't like the NP role. My guess is fear.

I am a firm believer that you shouldn't do anything you don't love doing. So if you're REALLY not interested in being an NP, I'd say to cut your losses now and drop out. If it's fear, then you should definitely keep pushing forward and see what opportunities are out there as an NP. The great thing about the role is that as an NP, you can literally do EVERYTHING! There are NP jobs out there where you can do a majority of education (something like weight loss/diet/fitness NP). Or you can transition by working in Occupational Health, which would be a lot of health screenings, physical exams, and education (not to say you wont see some acute problems and need to get your prescribing cap on).

There are lots of NP positions out there with a wide range of skills involved. Find one that best suits your strengths and interests.

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Thanks for your replies. After some soul-searching, I've decided to start on my 500 hours and do the preceptorship. I'm feeling excited and hopeful. My kids don't need me here 24/7. I need to give myself permission to do this for ME and not feel guilty about it. If I hate it, I can always go back to bedside nursing and pursue teaching later on. I did enjoy NP clinicals, I just always felt intimidated by what I did not know. It's hard to compete with MDs who have had years of experience and medical school under their belt. If I become an NP I want to be a good NP, not a terrible one. I've heard the way people talk about NPs who don't know their stuff, especially doctors! Even one of my MD preceptors in school said, "I've always said that NPs have just enough knowledge to be dangerous." And he married an NP!

The only thing I am worried about is I looked into purchasing insurance and it's over 2k! I won't even have prescriptive authority so I'm not sure why it's so high. Maybe because the clinic I'll be working in includes children?

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

Try not see yourself as competing with MD's. They have had years of education and supervision. There is an overlap of NP and MD roles. (It is often the same role.). As an NP you are fully qualified to evaluate and treat patients. It is probably best to focus on how to structure your role so you have enough support and know how to seek consultation. My first job I had an MD who let me knock on his door and he would see my patients in between his appointments. Recently, I had an MD tell me she thinks it takes an NP a good year to get their feet under them. Make sure you get lots of support the first couple of years. I think you learn the most from patients if you can take the time to reflect about your assessment and treatment. You become more confident with time and numbers of patients.

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