FNP as Hospitalist

[kiser56]

Hello everyone,

I am actually mulling over taking a job as a hospitalist with an internal medicine group within a 261 bed facility. Are there any other FNP's who have taken a role like this? I know that traditionally, this is set up for one educated to be an ACNP, but I have neuro-trauma experience as a nurse and feel that I could manage many of these patients as they came in. The salary is very competitive and I was just interested to hear input from anyone who had anything to add. If you are a hospitalist, what is your job like?

Thanks

[Hekate]

congratulations on the job offer, it sounds very interesting and challenging (in a good way!).

i guess your quest should mainly be to find out if there are limitations in your scope of practice as a fnp. as for the role itself, if it interests you, i believe that your knowledge and skills will be honed by the experience and the training and guidance provided by the md/do or other nps you will be working with.

one of my friends and ex-colleague is a fnp who now works for a group of neuro-surgeons in a level i trauma center. her job goes from assisting the neuro-surgeon in the or to rounding on all their patients and taking in-hospital calls for the group. as a result, she does the neuro-trauma consults in the ed, covers the neuro-trauma icu, reads ct scan, mri, mra, and even execute burr holes when needed. she seems to be doing great and truly enjoys her position. although she was doubtful about having the required skills for the job when she started, she was relieved to find mentors in her employers and gained the required knowledge by working alongside those surgeons. i "shadowed" her in the or and saw first hand how patient and great teachers these neuro-surgeons were. if you can find the same level of kindness and mentorship with the group offering you the job, it shall be an awsome opportunity!

very little information i'm afraid, but i hope it helps... a little....

if i were in your shoes, i would go for it (but it all depends on what you are looking for).

best of luck in your decision making process!

h~

[JDCitizen]

I worked with a hospitalist group for awhile. I have to admit I was not alone at anytime but the hospital was big and my backup doctor could be clear across the hospital.

Challenging; yes... Fun; yes.... Heart stopping; yes........

Your experience will vary with your practice and what they will let you do and teach you to do as well as those good old Hospital rules and state laws...

My experience was internal medicine / nephrology practice:

For the most part if the patient was being managed by the nephrology side of the practice we kept tight control of the patient, other patients we farmed out to subspecialties... I would also say we kept control of our pulmonary patients also since one of our doctors was a pulmonologist.

I did find covering with different doctors meant making adjustments..

[kiser56]

Hello again everyone,

Well, I decided to take the position. It is 45 minutes from the house, but the compensation package is the best that I have seen. They pay malpractice and tail insurance, CME is ad lib per the hospital, 12 hours vacation per month, health, dental, and vision (Anthem), plus I will have an orientation period directly with a physician for no less than 90 days. I am very happy with this position thus far. I just wish my AANP test package would get here so I could get the ball rolling. I will be signing my contract Monday, so please wish me luck. I am starting out doing 4 10 hour shifts per week and eventually moving into doing 7 on 7 off for 12 hour shifts. If anyone has done hospitalist work before, the experiences during the first few months would be very insightful.

Thanks