NP working as an RN

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Specializes in Not specified.

As I approach the begining of my direct entry coursework to become a PMHNP, I have become concerned about the real employment opportunities I might actually have. All the talk about NP saturation in the marketplace makes me very nervous about finding work as an NP when I graduate. I am concerned that after all the time and education, I won't find work as an NP and may have to work as an RN.

Does anyone have experience working as an RN with NP credentials? Did you face discrimination in your job hunt, were you passed over employment because you were "overqualified"? Were you percieved by your coworkers or superiors as a "loser" or wash-out for failing to acquire a NP position?

I just want to make sure that I can use my RN as back-up after getting my MSN and credentials as PMHNP.

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Sure, you can use the RN when you finish, and many do. Please do a search here for many other threads on the same topic.

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I personally don't have any experience with this since I am just starting out looking to enter the nursing profession but this is a concern of mine. I am concerned about going to school for my NP and then not being able to find a job as one. Currently I work with a woman who is a Psych RN and went back to school to get her NP but can't find a job locally as an NP even at our major teaching hospital. I don't know if it is because they aren't hiring an NP in her speciality or if they don't want to lose her as a nurse. She is keeping her NP skills up by working at our local free clinic but I think it has been hard for her since she doesn't do it daily or even weekly. Good luck.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I am a clinical nurse specialist in nephrology but my RN background is in emergency nursing. I can see down the road doing prn in the ER again.

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Specializes in Peds, PICU, Home health, Dialysis.

Unfortunately the NP job is not lucrative in certain areas of our country. However, there are MANY NP jobs around the country, and if you are willing to relocate, you will most definitely find a position somewhere.

On a side note, I do know of NP's who work as NP's and still work prn as an R.N.

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Thanks for bringing up this point... it's a concern of mine as well. I heard a rumor from a classmate that it's difficult to find a job as an NP following graduation and many new grads settle for jobs as RNs. I've also heard that many drop out of NP programs after getting their RN licenses because of the pay. (I've heard RNs make more than NPs- which according to sallary.com is untrue) As far as job markets are concerned, I've seen more jobs posted for NPs in Massachusetts than for PAs who I know have excellent placement rates following graduation and many jobs posted for "mid-level practitioners" including either NP or PA. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

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I think a lot of RN's with experience working as an RN get "spoiled" if you will with how easily and quickly one can get a job as an RN. I know that where I live, in Memphis, you can just about apply for an RN job in the morning and have a job by that evening. Now maybe that is a little bit of an exaggertion (sp? ), but it is not far off. In every other profession it takes weeks and even months from submitting a resume to getting a new job. I have never had a problem getting an NP job, nor has anyone that I went to NP school with. I went to school in Knoxville TN and it IS a very saturated area and I think that everyone who was in my NP class has a job that wanted one. Just remember it takes time to get a job (unless you are looking for an RN job). Just be patient-you will get an NP job and you will even get one that you like if you just relax and let the process run its course. ;)

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This topic is great. I am in my first year of an accelerated program and I have the feeling I will stop after the first year.

The clinical experiences we are exposed to are great. We spent 24 hours a week following an RN and learning about the profession. I can already see myself working as a RN. I love it! What do I like about the RN profession? Spending time with patients, the independence, the flexibility of the schedule...

I am not sure I want to be an NP.

It is true that my instructors are not very inspiring so maybe that's why I want to drop. The lectures in my program are awful for the most part (the topics are very interesting but it is the teaching that is ridiculously bad). It seems that most of the instructors are hired for their expertise rather than their ability to teach properly. I feel discouraged. The communication between the instructors is poor and I am not sure I want to go through that 2 more years of it.

Do you know MEPN students who stopped after their RN license? How do they feel about it? Did they regret? Any recommendations, ideas, thoughts?

Thanks.

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in my area an experienced RN can indeed easily make more than a newbie NP. Is that really comparing apples to oranges though?

Looking for an RN job is very easy, it's true you can just about walk out of an interview and be told you've got the job. NP jobs take a bit more work to find, interview, and negotiate because you're a provider and the hospital or clinic are looking at you a bit differently.

if you are in a MEPN program then I would think hard about staying or dropping out. You will of course find a RN job pretty easily. However by the time you want to get the NP again, if you do, you might be faced with needing to get a doctorate instead of a master's degree.

just my 2 cents

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I am not sure I want to be an NP. I don't really want to work long hours, 5 days a week, struggle to find an NP position, and negotiate my salary. Instead I want to learn music, travel, and paint again.

You might find that working 12-14 hours shifts as an RN isn't conducive to this either. I'm in Texas and we get weekly emails about jobs. These are offices that send my college emails with employment positions. They ALL seem to be in the 80-100K range. I just haven't seen this problem you guys are talking about at all. I supposed, like with nursing, it is what you make it.

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Carachel, I have a question that you might be able to help me out with. I have heard some nurses in different cities tell me that they make more than an NP? Do they make the same salary working the standard 40 hour work week? When they make a statement like this does this include working nights and extra shifts? I don't mind working nights or extra shifts, but I worked over 55 hours a week for many years. This included most of the holidays as well. I wouldn't mind working that for a few years, but after a certain time frame, it gets old. I have heard so many nurses tell me that they bring in more than an NP but I'm starting to wonder if they just work 40 regular hours a week. I know both RNs and NPs can work weekends and nights, but when things are equal as far as standard hours, do RNs really make more?

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looking at the average pay of NPs in the US...70-80,000?

that isn't a lot of money for the added responsibility and headaches that come with the job

I think nurses who work in high demand specialties and work shifts and weekends, OT probably do make more than the average NP

I talked to a RN who said she worked overtime and pulled in 100,000 last year..

Well that is more than what I made for my job last year.

In my part of the woods, NP get anywhere from 75,000-108,000 but we work in acute care.

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