ElizNP

I went to Goldfarb at Barnes Jewish in St. Louis and it was great. For the theory classes it was online but the other classes (pertaining to being an actual practicing NP) we’re in class once a week. Both Duke and Vanderbilt’s programs look great and seem to be like the one I went to. When it comes to ACNP, I disagree and I think that the school is just as important as the CV. My instructors worked in the ICUs at Barnes Jewish hospital (and was required to do all of my clinicals there) so they wanted us to be “badasses in the ICU.” It was intense and hard but definitely worth it, I came out of school feeling like I was definitely prepared for any ICU position. I would say between now and graduation just continue to work and maintain your critical thinking skills. If you have the opportunity to float to other ICUs, I would, just to get critical care experience with another patient population. Sometimes Cardiac surgery patients have general surgery or medical issues as well so it would be nice to be able to recognize those. I think studying for your CSC is great. I really not think your CMC will help a whole lot but it wouldn’t hurt you if you had it. I think the main thing I really want to emphasize is that schools are a BIG FACTOR with ACNP. If you find a school where there’s a lot of hands on and minimal online, that’s going to be worth considering and spending money on. My job requires a lot of hands on skill set and critical thinking that I feel you just can’t get appropriately online.

Hello! I am currently a practicing AGACNP that works in cardiac surgery so I can fill you in a bit. Because of the type of NP I wanted to be in ended up going through a great program that was really more in class than online. We had advanced science classes with the CRNAs, great classes each week, great simulation, and great clinicals. It was challenging but definitely worth it and I feel it prepared me for the job I have now. As I said above i currently work in cardiac surgery and my responsibilities include ICU management of patients, first assisting in the OR (learned EVH), seeing consults, and seeing patients in clinic. If this sounds like something you want to do then ACNP is definitely the way to go, just really look at the program that you would be going to. One student I precepted went through a strictly online program, when we started talking certain things, I could tell she had no clue and she had about a semester and half left before she graduated so I threw a bunch of stuff at her to study before boards. I know this is very basic, so please let me know if you have anymore detailed questions.

Thanks so much for your comments and perspectives. I actually did negotiate and make significantly more than the typical new grad in my area (even more than some seasoned NPs), but I still make less than the average new grad PA (there's as much as a $12,000 starting difference between new grad NPs and new grad PAs). Salary doesn't upset me as much as feeling unequal to my colleagues. I'm mainly getting these feelings from the PAs themselves, my collaborating physicians don't seem to really care and treat us all the same, but I spend more time with my PA colleagues...

Hi I recently started my first job and I'm a bit frustrated so I wanted some advice. There are 2 PAs and me (NP) that all work together (we all get along great btw), we do the same job and have the same responsibilities but there's this underlying "tone" that the PAs are more important and more "valuable" than I am; That I'm slightly under them. Also, doesn't help that they were started at a higher salary than I was. Some days I just let it go but other days I'm just baffled and angry so I curious as to what others think I should do, or can do (besides working 10 times harder than they are), to show that I am just as equal and in some cases, legally more independent. Thanks in advance (sorry if this doesn't quite make sense).