Learning curve for new grad?

[IcanHealYou]

Hey everyone,

I am going to be venturing into the NP field soon and of course there are many things that worry me. We have great autonomy here in NY and so I am deathly afraid of practicing on my own.

How exactly do NPs become proficient in what they do with such a steep learning curve? Medical students have 4 years of book learning and hours with patients. This to me can be easily remedied just by how proactive you are by reading and learning yourself. However residents get another 4 years of nothing but patient care. I've been a nurse for 7 years now and have learned a great deal. But the outpatient world is new to me. NP education is not standardized so its kind of a free for all depending on what school you attend.

How exactly do new NPs learn to see what they don't know or have no experience toward? Unlike the inpatient world we can always refer to educators, colleagues or the medical staff you're working with. But in the outpatient world I don't believe you can just keep exciting the room every time you're unsure about something especially since other providers are swamped with their own work.

Do seasoned NPs here have any advice or understand my concerns? I mean I'm just learning what a geographic tongue is on my own. There's so many benign things out how can an inexperienced NP know or not miss something important?

[WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN]

If you are fortunate enough to have access to it, find a NP fellowship or residency.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

When I graduated 11 years ago, the job market was tight where I live.

I had several interviews and ended up going with a large nephrology practice - we have 8 NPs and 1 PA as well as 21 MDs, our own surgi-center and our docs do transplants also.

I had 4-5 months of orientation which was split between MDs, APRNs and others. It required that much time due to credentialing and nephrology is very specialized but also very broad. And...my background was ED and ICU so no neph experience at all.