NP forced to work as an RN

[Victoria19]

I was hired to work as an NP after 3 years of hard work, studying and clinicals. I have resined from my RN job to work 9-5 schedule. Finally. I have passed a $100 per hour opportunity to work on COVID assignment to take $58.00 job as NP since I committed to it months before. After 2 weeks when office was slowing down I was indirectly asked to go work in the hospital. Nobody explain in what kind of role. I was send to classroom to be trained to work as a floor RN with Covid Patients at no different pay rate? Is that legal to do?

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

Yes, it is completely legal. You are still an RN, you keep your RN license and title, therefore you can work as such as long as they pay you same money you were hired for.

If you do not want to do this, just say so. You have right to refuse. You can lose your job as a result.

This is why especially novice NPs need to carefully read their contracts and, among other things, request description of "all duties that could be assigned" and specify which "assigned duties" they do not want to do. No explanations are required. Otherwise, they might find themselves doing everything from rooming patients to calling pharmacies and mopping floors under premice that "you're a nurse, aren't you". Even worse, an NP working as an RN has to do so under RN scope of practice while carrying base of knowledge and skills of an APP. During near and at- sentinel events, this combo can produce fishy-smelling legal situations.

[Victoria19]

Thank you for your straightforward reply. It was very, very helpful. Next time I will make sure my contract is more clear and read by the attorney.