NP Jobs still looking pretty good.

Specialties NP

Published

fox news lol

All great comments about Psych, but I really wanted to give a little encouragement to counter some of the negative rhetoric that seems to be common on the NP threads. NP is a great field that will only continue to thrive. I have yet to see any NP who has regretted their decision to enter this profession. I LOVE BEING AN NP!

I just wanted to say that I truly appreciate your positivity. It'd be nice to see more people like you here. I see Allnurses as a "Professional Message Board"; so, it disappoints me when I see so much negativity. The truth is it is nursing in general that seems so negative. Actually, just about every message board you go onto is loaded with negativity and bickering. Funny thing is...I go on fishing forums...and NEVER do I see this. Just a bunch of people trying to help each other out and spread the sport. You have guys that are "Abu only" or "Shimano only, etc" but it is never an issue. It doesn't matter if you are new to fishing or experienced, fish from the bank or a boat, fish artificial or live bait, pan fish or bass...nothing really seems to cause a fight or negativity. Anyway...thanks for the positive break!!! I am glad to see a happy NP!!

I just wanted to say that I truly appreciate your positivity. It'd be nice to see more people like you here. I see Allnurses as a "Professional Message Board"; so, it disappoints me when I see so much negativity. The truth is it is nursing in general that seems so negative. Actually, just about every message board you go onto is loaded with negativity and bickering. Funny thing is...I go on fishing forums...and NEVER do I see this. Just a bunch of people trying to help each other out and spread the sport. You have guys that are "Abu only" or "Shimano only, etc" but it is never an issue. It doesn't matter if you are new to fishing or experienced, fish from the bank or a boat, fish artificial or live bait, pan fish or bass...nothing really seems to cause a fight or negativity. Anyway...thanks for the positive break!!! I am glad to see a happy NP!!

Not to reinforce your negativity trope, but peoples careers aren't endangered if a few thousand inexperienced fishermen pay for a license. While I get where you're coming from, comparing the negativity of a career based site to the universal utopia of a site that is mostly hobby focused is quite ridiculous.

Not to reinforce your negativity trope, but peoples careers aren't endangered if a few thousand inexperienced fishermen pay for a license. While I get where you're coming from, comparing the negativity of a career based site to the universal utopia of a site that is mostly hobby focused is quite ridiculous.

I understand the concerns that affect people's career. I guess my post wasn't real clear. I am not talking specifically about the negativity on the NP threads. It is the whole site. Certainly, you can find threads on here where people are arguing about "petty things" that do not have serious implications to people's career, right? Furthermore, I stated that it is really all forums on the internet that I see bickering and negativity with the exception of fishing forums. You see...trucks are not endangering careers, but I see people arguing over petty things all the time when I go on those forums. But, like I said, fishing forums are different for some reason other than "the subject matter is a hobby."

Also, there are three ways you can treat a post that you feel is "threatening the life of your profession." One can.....

1) Respond professionally....(for example). I believe the NP profession should demand higher standards. There was a time when doctors were looked down upon and their "profession" was looked at as a trade. Today, because they organized and created high standards, their profession is well respected, highly skilled, and adequately paid. They have prestige. NP's will not have the same prestige if they continue upon the path of allowing programs with little if any standards. If you want to be an NP, you, too, should want and demand high standards by not trying to buy a degree, but instead, seek out a challenging program with a rigorous curriculum.

or 2) Respond unprofessionally...(for example). "Yea..just go out and buy a degree. Man, some people think being an NP is "so easy." I worry about our profession if so many stupid people can become an NP."

or 3) .....(nothing)....just keep scrolling. You do not have to respond to everyone.

I understand the passion for the profession. I am not an NP, but I am an RN that loves nursing. That being said, it would be nice to see more posts about the positive aspects of being an NP. It would also be nice to see nurses...especially NP's respond to posters with persuasive arguments instead of unhelpful condescending remarks. Hopefully, you now see my comment as less "ridiculous."

Only a few generations ago, doctors had highly variable training, with a very low bar to entry. Usually just a few months of on the job training. There were few state laws. They were poorly respected as a result, and only called when people were desperate. Before the Civil War, most of them had a side job of some type because earning a living as a physician was unreliable.

Over a period of several decades, they organized, and their education gradually became standardized. More difficult. Getting into medical school became much more difficult. Medical science advanced with the understanding gained from battle injuries, and doctors eventually had more to offer. Over decades, the prestige and the income rose quickly together.

Now in the NP profession, we are doing the exact opposite. That worries me a lot, but I only have a few years to go.

It does concern me that in all the years I worked at a State psychiatric facility, I knew dozens of RNs. The only RN from that group who became a Psych NP was a very strange and interpersonally off-putting individual that only worked there a year or two on the night shift.

I scratch my head, trying to imagine him functioning in a psych NP role, because he barely functioned as an RN.

I was basically told "he is only renewing scripts for people who have been evaluated by psychiatrists".

I can assure you that is not what he is doing.

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
1) Respond professionally....(for example). I believe the NP profession should demand higher standards. There was a time when doctors were looked down upon and their "profession" was looked at as a trade. Today, because they organized and created high standards, their profession is well respected, highly skilled, and adequately paid. They have prestige. NP's will not have the same prestige if they continue upon the path of allowing programs with little if any standards. If you want to be an NP, you, too, should want and demand high standards by not trying to buy a degree, but instead, seek out a challenging program with a rigorous curriculum.

I thought this was well written and it got my vote, until:

" I worry about our profession if so many stupid people can become an NP."

Which is a more succinct and accurate way to describe my concerns. :D

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I work for a hospital system who has a monopoly in my area. There are only 3 job openings currently in the entire system. I know 1 RN who has almost been a licensed NP 2 yrs but is still working as a floor nurse. She can't find a job. Our market is saturated with more NPs graduating every day.

Specializes in Internal Medicine.
I feel that the NP field is still very viable as a career option and there are definitely job openings. However, experience seems to be the key. There are many practices that would hire experienced NP's and I could easily find one if I wanted even just to moonlight somewhere. I think the hard part is for a new grad to break in the job market.

Absolutely agree with this. At least where I am in West Texas/Southern NM, where physicians are fairly hard to lure, NP's do very well for themselves. My hospitalist group has been trying to fill a final NP opening for a year, but have turned away several applicants because the quality of experience we are looking for just isn't there. This is a job with 200 days a year off and nearly a $200k salary with that we are struggling to fill, simply because the NP population with the skillset we desire isn't there.

Local market is going to top everything. Nationally I'm sure we are very sought after as a whole, but if you want to be in a larger market that lots of people are moving to and also pumping out lots of grads, you're going to make less. One of my classmates relocated from Miami to Albuquerque just because the Florida market and practice environment was garbage compared to NM.

Job market is tight in some areas. Just dont go to some for profit online degree mill without any RN experience then expect to be taken serious. hospitals have caught on

I thought this was well written and it got my vote, until:

Which is a more succinct and accurate way to describe my concerns. :D

Haha...it's ok to think that way. Believe me, what I think when I read some posts would get me banned from Allnurses. I just would like to see more positive posts. Nursing is a wonderful profession and has given me a lot over the years.

Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

The job market is good in my area if you are an experienced NP. New grads are having some trouble finding that first job, but I have heard anecdotally that most are employed as a NP within 6 months of certification. I'm not sure what salary trends are. I've seen some very low paying NP jobs advertised and also some very high paying jobs. I think the NP has to be smart and aware of his or her worth, and negotiate accordingly.

Specializes in Adult Gerontology Acute Care.

I think this is all on how one views it personally. During my last months of school and hospital rotations, I had an optimistic view. However, once I graduated, the early weeks after school, that optimisim turned right into the gutter. Now, after the average length of time it takes to get boards passed, NPI number etc., etc., I think I am one of the lucky ones that got a job relatively quickly and I'm very glad I'm in this field of healthcare.

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