lunaPNP

Okay, I've been out of NP school for over 6 months now. I'm having a very difficult time finding a job. (I actually have a job I'm at now as an NP...but I'm very unhappy with the setting/situation.) My specialty is pediatrics. I live in a somewhat rural area. One large metro area is at least an hour, one way, from where I live. Moving is not an option right now. I'm beginning to regret going back to school. I'm starting to explore other options, even just returning to the hospital setting. Any suggestions...maybe some unusual career path I could take that I'm not thinking about!??? I've looked at teaching (not ready to do that full time), management (some experience in past)...any other suggestions??? Will it look bad if I go back to the hospital? I'm afraid that will hurt my chances of landing another NP job.

Atl John...I will just say from being a nurse in Alabama for over 10 years, I would go ahead and pack my bags if you are not planning on staying in AL for less than $26/hr for a new grad! I don't know of any hospital that will pay a NEW grad that kind of money. Yes, nursing is a big responsibility. I know it is "sticker shock" to new grads for what starting pay is. I have recently completed my MSN and passed boards for CRNP. I will tell you the starting pay for a CRNP in AL is not much higher than what you are expecting to make! I hope you will find what you are looking for, but as someone else said it's not all about the money.

Well, I did the review course through Barkley about a week and a half ago. It was a very good review course...very good at addressing target areas. I took boards today and passed! There were several questions on my boards that the instructor for Barkley said "were almost always" on boards. (Not word for word...but general theory).

How about strep throat, OM, pinworms, or ADHD? (Can you tell I'm peds?!!) Some that might work for adults would be appendicitis, scabies, or maybe even folliculitis? Hope that helps a little!

I am taking a review course this weekend with Barkley (it's for peds, though). Barkley supposedly has a "99% pass rate." I plan on taking boards a week after the review. We'll see if that 99% is true or if I'm the other 1% ! :monkeydance: I will let you know what I think.