BrandyNP

Of COURSE you can work as a RN! I kept working as an RN (weekends) for over 8 months after becoming a NP. I was an NP during the week and a RN on weekends. You will have your pick of RN jobs if you're an NP.

NP's are nurses with advanced training, so we're included in the #1 slot!

The Gallop Poll shows that year after year, the general public recognizes nurses as being the most trusted/respected of all professionals. The only year we weren't #1 was in 2001 (9/11), when firefighters beat us out. I don't recall seeing Physicians' Assistant in the rankings. It all comes down to "whom do you trust?" The answer is NURSES! Another thing, I read one of your posts in which you stated that NP's were often confused with nurses, but that doesn't happen to PA's. Very often, the general public believes that PA's are medical assistants. Hmmm, an "assistant" or a "practitioner." Who do you think the public will choose?

I work with a PA who is a good friend of mine and he disagrees with this. He said that he didn't feel that he received adequate training in his PA program (Master's level). He thinks that the PA programs should specialize just like the NP programs. At Vanderbilt, the Adult NP students spend close to 800 clinical hours in internal medicine. Same for the pediatric NP's, psych NP's, etc. On top of that, a lot of these people already have prior experience in their chosen fields. One day, I commented that I wished that I had spent some time in surgery during training, because I wasn't exposed to suturing in my clinicals, although we had a weekend class. My friend laughed and said that he spent a total of 30 hours in surgery and he didn't feel like he had learned that much at all! We had a long discussion about this very topic. The fact is, if a NP actually practices in their specialty, then they're the ones for the job. Unfortunately, there just aren't that many specialty NP's out there, so FNP's end up working in the various specialties, just like the PA's!

I also graduated from their Adult/Geriatric program. It has opened up many doors for me. I was already a nurse when I started the program, so I was allowed to do my clinicals in my city of residence (non-nurses have to stay in Nashville). I completed all of my clinicals at a huge internal medicine clinic in town, where the doctors also train residents from TX A&M and UTMB. I was the only NP they had ever trained and I would never have been given that opportunity if it weren't for the Vanderbilt connection!

I was wondering if you are going through the Vanderbilt program. I graduated from that program in 2005 (Adult/Geriatric). I sent you a private message. Good luck in your endeavors!

omg! i was furious when i read your post! this reminded me of getting my bsn at a public university in texas. there were 38 students who started the program and only 16 of us actually graduated! it was pure hell! i saw all types of student abuse, in fact, one of the professors actually grabbed a student and left bruises on her forearms! there were 3 lawsuits filed against the school (this was the early 90's) and all three were settled out of court. two weeks before graduation, an attorney came and talked to our class. he asked us if people had been discriminated against, i told him that we were all treated equally and horribly! i graduated at the top of my class, but i didn't go to graduation nor to their stupid pinning ceremony. i attended a private university to get my master's degree and i was treated extremely well (you get what you pay for)! i waited for years before going back to get my np degree and that was only because i was terrified of having to experience the same type of treatment i received in my undergraduate training.

I would definitely work in primary care for at least a year before specializing. Also, as an Adult NP, you will only be able to see ages 13 and up. I'm not sure how many children see the derm, so you might want to find out before specializing as an Adult NP.

i'm working in urgent care and there are several people who work there who have regular jobs. one of our pa's working 2 weekends per month (12 hr shifts) to keep his skills up, because he works strictly ortho during the week.

Thanks for the information. As far as seeing 48 patients, I started at 7am and worked until 6:30 pm (no lunch or breaks). I usually only saw 20-25 pts per day, due to the fact that I was being paid per patient. On the other hand, the fulltime midlevel had to see 30-35 pts per day, because she was salary.

From what I understand, as of January 2005, all NNP's who sit for the boards MUST have a minimum of 2 years of neonatal nursing experience. This is a national requirement for certification. I believe it is the only certification that requires prior nursing experience.

Working as a RN in a hospital setting is very different from working as a NP in primary care. If you are planning on working in primary care, then you would want to work in a doctor's office to gain that experience. If you are planning on going into an Acute Care NP program, then the hospital job would be great. One thing I would like to comment on though, I'm certified in both Adult and Geriatrics and when I graduated I went straight into pain management. That was the WRONG thing to do. I ended up leaving because I was losing clinical skills and medical knowledge by specializing so soon after graduation. A NP I used to work with did the same thing, although she stayed in pain management. Her boss is closing his practice and there aren't any other PM docs in town who utilize midlevels. She is an Adult NP and she is going to have a very tough time finding a job in primary care because she has been out of it for so long.

NP's in South Texas are earning more than R.N.'s. Neonatal NP's are making over 100K with full benefits and they are working three 12 hour shifts per week. The ER NP's are pulling in about $45 per hour with full benefits. The RN's average about $30/hr (more in ICU) with full benefits in this area. I work as an independent contractor, so I average more (but no benefits or job security).

I worked in Brooklyn, NY (Lutheran Medical Center) a few years ago as an RN for a travel agency. I was paid $30 per hour for the night shift (that was with shift differentials). My apartment (1 bedroom furnished) was $2,000 per month and the agency would only cover $1,500 of it, so I was having to pay $500. One day I ran into a LVN from another travel company. Lo and behold, she made $26 per hour and she wasn't having to pay a dime towards her apartment! SHOP AROUND, I'm still kicking myself because I didn't. Although, I wouldn't trade my NYC experience for anything!

I currently work PRN at 3 urgent care clinics and they pay midlevels $50 per hour. When I worked PRN in primary care, I was paid $20 per patient. None of these jobs pay benefits and there wasn't/isn't a guarantee on how many hours you get per week. If I take vacation or sick leave, then I don't get a dime. I've been working as an independent NP for almost 2 years now and so far it has paid off. The majority of NP's who work fulltime with full benefits probably average around 75K per year. In the end, we probably make around the same amount of money. I prefer contract work, because I don't feel like I have to get involved in office politics plus I love diversity.