Darth Practicus

The same could be said of obtaining a BSN over an ADN. A lot of people will not go that extra distance because of the cost ratio. I think the vast number of people seeking a BSN do so because of it being required for entry into advanced nursing practice. That's my experience in talking with a number of people at least. It's a profession-wide problem. And it's not about compensation, although we all consider it at one point or another. It's about just being able to get into the academic setting for me, which is the point of the opening question. Darth Practicus, NP

Jen - I appreciate the response. You have hit the nail on the head. It's kind of ridiculous. I will check out WGU. Definitely looking to get started with teaching this fall. I agree that if you're a full time educator, it might not seem like the investment is worth it. Will you even see much of a return on that investment? This is a barrier to a lot of people, I think. Darth Practicus, NP

I've given it thought as I have a strong ED background... I just kind of hate shiftwork, but perhaps worth looking around. Trouble is, Urgent Care in my area is limited to one that is owed by a competing practice and this might cause issues for my primary job. Hmm...

That's pretty solid. How many hours would you say you attribute to this? I might see about doing this as its something I hadn't considered before.

I did hospice for a year and I had a patient I lost that really had become close. I shed quite a few tears when she passed. Sweetest lady ever. I think its great that you opened up in that way. Darth Practicus, NP

I think you made a strong choice there. Creepy.

Well, thankie! Darth Practicus, NP

This is legit. Dealt with a double pediatric murder situation in the ER this past fall. 4 and 6 year old brothers shot in head by father and we received them via ambulance and they were pretty much already gone. Literally bothered me for a couple weeks with sleep difficulties, trouble concentrating, etc. We deal with things that are sometimes otherworldly. Thanks for sharing! Darth Practicus, NP

That's too funny because I remember in my first week of being a nurse that the same thing happened to me in a round about way. Accepted a new patient from the ED and as per the usual we would change the patient into a telemetry-compatible gown. This 80-ish year old patient just stripped before my eyes and she said "no need to look away, these puppies are what you're wife will have some day" (alluding to her sagging bosom). My jaw dropped, lol.

Ollie, I work in a collaborative practice state as well and I share in the experience you describe. I am certainly not made to feel inferior. If anything, my MD is a great resource to have because he may provide some perspective I did not get and vice versa. An example that comes to mind is a patient I saw in the office a couple weeks ago as a new patient. The patient reported that he was experiencing rectal spasms that seemed to only occur when he was not focused on a specific task or concentrating on something. When his mind went idle, he felt some feelings of anxiety and the rectal spasms. In the interview, he denied any back problems, injury, etc. I did learn that he was a victim of sexual abuse as an adolescent. My experience led me to think outside of the box to include both a medical disorder AND a psychological disorder of PTSD. My collaborator had only thought of the medical issue and thought I should refer to GI. So, it goes both ways in my collaboration. And honestly, I'm blessed and thankful. I know that my personal experience does not constitute the entirety of what my colleagues may experience in their own practices. I have heard of some pretty terrible stories out there of some vicious collaborative agreements and relationships. I will say that a doctoral degree for nurses does not improve clinical proficiency at all. The Core Essentials of the DNP is well off the reservation when it comes to that. Darth Practicus, NP

Congratulations on your first gig!! UpToDate is a must! I'm fortunate that my practice has a practice account with it. What kind of EHR do you use? I found I probably over-charted on my initial visits, but that is something that you will learn to balance as time passes. Darth Practicus, NP

Having read some of the threads on here over the past year or so, I have seen where some NPs can earn quite a bit of additional income beyond their FT job with a secondary job, etc. I'm wanting to learn about some of these opportunities that boost income potential but do not become a time suck. I have considered teaching online part-time (running into road blocks there due to saturation). Just wanting to make an extra $20-30k a year (is this too hopeful?) without turning into a workaholic. Note: I do work in a state that requires a collaborative practice arrangement in order to practice... so there's that. Would love to hear ideas! Darth Practicus, NP

I can't say this is a bad thing for our profession, right? Darth Practicus, NP

I'm presently in a DNP program and have done quite well without spending an inordinate amount of time in the class. My program has 8-week accelerated classes and usually just a couple of the weeks require an intensive amount of time to complete the project. I, admittedly, am one of the world's most prolific procrastinators when it comes to classwork and I always manage. So, anyone with a semblance of ability to balance work over a span of weeks would breeze through from a time-investment perspective. The cost and wanting a break from school are legit things, though, and something to consider before going back. :) Darth Practicus, NP

You sure can! Go comment a few more times and we can connect easier. I was shy on posts as well. DP