NPs, Please share the reasons you left your old job/specialty?

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NPs, Please share the reasons you left your old job/specialty?

I am on the fence about leaving my current specialty all together due to poor management and lack of physician collaboration. To stay in my current specialty I am going to have to move which is not feasible. I do love my current speciality and had learned so much in the past 3.5 years. I am looking for a new job but keeps on wondering if I should stick longer to see if things are getting better with more experiences. Could you please share the reasons that prompted you to get into a new specialty? I guess I have nostalgia and needs some encouragement : ) thanks in advance!

15 Answers

Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

After taking some time off from bedside nursing, I obtained a Hospice/Palliative NP position as my first NP job. After nearly finishing training and shadowing over a course of a month, I was asked to resign from my position due to conflict of job duties/interests. My employer was short staffed on case manager RN's and I was expected to pick up their work and patients in which I declined. I mentioned that this role was not discussed with me during my interview and hiring process nor was it listed on my "job responsibilities" form I signed. I told them my expectation was to do the NP position, not the RN position. I was not going to be paid any extra for picking up the work of the case manager either; thus, I was asked to resign. I do not regret resigning even though it can be a questionable work experience history especially for a new grad, but I felt that I was lied to nor do I deserve such treatment for the work I put into getting my NP. Not only that, but I went to NP school to get out of "nursing" per say. I am now in primary care and I am loving it and have not once looked back.

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I have not changed specialties but when I graduated, I went from ED to nephrology. It was a huge change and learning curve. However, I looked at the practice and the longevity of the APRNs. I've been there 17 years and most have been here >5 years. It's a very collegial environment, good pay, great benefits and thats what keeps me here. 

Specializes in Post Acute, Home, Inpatient, Hospice/Pall Care.

I loved the specialty I was in (palliative care) and had hoped to have a nice long career there. Unfortunately, the company decided to change things, got rid of the most amazing manager I have ever had-and not in a nice way, demotion, forced out though she needed insurance. Then wanted us to basically stop the way we practice take only patients who were hospice eligible but didn't want hospice, then transition them over to hospice after building a rapport with the patient and family.  That is not pall care nor is it something I wanted to be part of. There was also some lateral violence that was allowed to go on despite reports.  It wasn't worth it to me. So I looked around, interviewed and found something else to try.  Good luck with whatever you choose, remember you should enjoy your work, so many forget that.

I have been in public health for the better part of the last decade. When I went back to school to get a DNP, I thought I would continue working in public health. I graduated in May of this year, I passed the ANCC the year before. In April there were talks of expanding my role, but it stalled. I also applied for and interviewed for many internal promotions, and thought for sure I got the last one I applied to. I found out last month from an administrator who left that both she and I were blacklisted by someone who isn't even there anymore. The person was anti-nurse even though they were an ADN in administration themselves. I have to rethink what it is I want to do with my career now, and it is hard. I put so much time and energy into my career path here, but someone who was only there for 2.5 years derailed it because she didn't like me. 

Specializes in Psychiatry.

Psychiatry - did the math and realized my old job was not paying me a fair percentage of what I was bringing in, negotiated and got this to a fair level but they refused to budge on PTO. They wanted to give me 2 weeks paid, total, and 1 week unpaid for a total of 3 weeks max per year. I laughed and said I would burnout so fast I would quit within several years. Left within 3 months of this conversation making 50% more and with 6 weeks PTO, with no limit to unpaid time off. Work-life balance is worth everything.

Specializes in Cardiology, Research, Family Practice.

I am actively looking to leave primary care because I am sick of obesity, obesity-related illnesses, obesity meds, fighting with patients about why their insurance won't cover, or why the pharmacy doesn't have it in stock, or why I won't prescribe compounded pyridoxine/semaglutide (wth?); fighting with patients about not needing abx for viral URIs; and apparently nobody is capable of getting through school or work without amphetamines, benzos, or other sleep aids.

When I got into nursing to help people, this is not what I had in mind. 

Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

I've had a long career as an NP beginning in 2004 when I took a job in Physical Medicine and Rehab which was a great specialty with great people but it wasn't a great fit for my personality who thrived in high acuity specialties with active acute care issues. I went from there to Critical Care which I did from 2005 to 2021. Only times I changed was location, moving from the Midwest to the West Coast. I'm older now and the pace of Critical Care and the night shift commitment is weighing on me physically so I switched to In-Patient Cardiology working 3 12-hr day shifts a week. There is no Critical Care but I still enjoy Acute Care and this is more Hospitalist which still satisfies my interests and skills. I've stayed in the same institution for 15 years now and hope to retire with state pension and benefits.

Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
GoodNP said:

I am actively looking to leave primary care because I am sick of obesity, obesity-related illnesses, obesity meds, fighting with patients about why their insurance won't cover, or why the pharmacy doesn't have it in stock, or why I won't prescribe compounded pyridoxine/semaglutide (wth?); fighting with patients about not needing abx for viral URIs; and apparently nobody is capable of getting through school or work without amphetamines, benzos, or other sleep aids.

When I got into nursing to help people, this is not what I had in mind. 

Same reason why I'm not attracted to the out-pt side of Cardiology...you basically have to play therapist to patients who are still having chest pain despite multiple negative stress tests and coronary angio's. There is a physiologic reason for it but it's something that is very difficult to treat.

Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
Corey Narry said:

I've had a long career as an NP beginning in 2004 when I took a job in Physical Medicine and Rehab which was a great specialty with great people but it wasn't a great fit for my personality who thrived in high acuity specialties with active acute care issues.

I'm on my 2nd week into PM&R and loving it and the training program that they have laid out for me the next couple weeks (since I have 0 experience, and just barely a year as an NP). The providers and preceptors I have are all amazing and great teachers. I on the other hand do like a more slow paced, calm environment haha.

Specializes in APRN.
GoodNP said:

I am actively looking to leave primary care because I am sick of obesity, obesity-related illnesses, obesity meds, fighting with patients about why their insurance won't cover, or why the pharmacy doesn't have it in stock, or why I won't prescribe compounded pyridoxine/semaglutide (wth?); fighting with patients about not needing abx for viral URIs; and apparently nobody is capable of getting through school or work without amphetamines, benzos, or other sleep aids.

When I got into nursing to help people, this is not what I had in mind. 

Check out American College of Lifestyle Medicine.  If you can segue a specialty change after this then cool.  There is a faction of us, like you, who are gravely disenchanted with the traditional model of sick care and treating "stable" patients who are actually no better off. 

Ironically, I've been thinking about going to the local U. (not expensive) and getting a post master's FNP cert, more as a model of information than to change practices.  I'm a PMHNP.  

In parallel, treating people who want to be healthy or healthier is very fun.  

Specializes in Occupational Health.

What is your specialty?

sleepwalker said:

What is your specialty?

Neurology. I took the only job available to me after graduating and grew to like this specialty a lot. Neurology is about longitudinal management. A lot of neurological problems do not have a clinic pictures but the problems mostly can be managed and you form long term relationships with your patients.

I am just frustrated at the lack of structure and appreciation at my workplace. I think I could grow to like another specialty as well. If there are well defined structures, there may be a chance I could find my niche and a life-long career... Sometimes I wonder if there are personality traits requirement for certain specialties such as urology vs neurology. 

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