Ximena2008

I just passed the AANP exam. I am also in Florida. Once you get a certification num,ber from either certifying body and they have sent it to the Board of nursing you can then apply for the NP license. Once you get the license, you can go ahead and apply for the DEA number at https://deadiversion.usdoj.gov/online_forms_apps.html You also need the NPI number. https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/#/ Once you have obtain all the above mentioned you are pretty set. The next step would be to get a job as NP so your employer can apply for your Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance (credentials). Otherwise, you need to see at least one patient before you can apply to Medicare and Medicaid yourself. That is so far what I know. To maintain the NP license I suggest you look up the requirements on the Boards page. I assume you have a CEbroker account to track your CEU progress. Your certifying body (ANCC) has other requirements. I hope this helps. Good luck Copied and pasted from the Board page: Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses are required to complete 24 hours of appropriate CE during each renewal period, including two (2) hours relating to prevention of medical errors, two (2) hours in Laws and Rules in Nursing, (2) hours in Human Trafficking, and (2) hours in Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace every other biennium (every 4 years). In addition to these 24 hours of general CE, every third renewal two (2) hours of domestic violence CE must be completed for a total of 26 hours. APRN must also complete (3) hours in Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances. See Sections 456.013, 456.031, and 456.033, Florida Statutes, and Rule 64B9-5, Florida Administrative Code (FAC) for more information about continuing education requirements. A nurse who is certified by a health care specialty program accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification is exempt from continuing education requirements. This exemption includes general and mandatory nursing continuing education with the exception of Human Trafficking and Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances. Nurses who hold both a RN and APRN license may use the same credit hours toward both licenses but must make sure to report them under both licenses for CE compliance."

Hi: I am looking for recommendations. I am in my last semester of the Family Nurse practitioner program. I just started researching on taking the Board and found that there are 2 certification exams, one is through ANCC and the other is the AANPCB. For those of you that have taken or will be taking the FNP board which one did/will you take and why? TIA

Also, don't know if can do it, not everybody can but Hospice (admission nurse) pays really well too. Few friends of mine in Ohio are in the 75-90K as case managers in Hospice. Sorry I just want to give example of things I know and have experience with.

I forgot to mention, that in home care here once you meet your productivity of 30-32 points a week (a SOC is 2 points, a RV is 1 point, a DC/ROC/Rec is 1.5 points) anything above that is bonus. You work to meet your productivity or you work to over productivity, your choice. I have 2 RN colleges both are into making money so they pick up all the extra they can get (abaout 8-9 ptes a day) they do start at 7 am and finish at 7 pm (their choice) but they both made last year around 110K, so there you go. Weekend calls are paid extra.

Wow, sorry to hear. I don't know where you live or who you work for but here in Naples FL the basic salry in home health is 72K-75K with all the benefit of health insurance, paid PTO, vacation, miles, phone reimbursement. Patients are 6-7 every day yes but we never drive more than 20 miles. We get assigned our load of patient but we schedule the visits to patient-RN convenience. We start 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. I never had trouble fitting in all my ptes in that time frame because the driving is not at all long. Not to mention in the hospitals here if you work as a seasonal nurse (Sept-April) the pay is 56 an hour average.

Most NP programs are 24 months of which only a certain amount of hours is hands-on with a preceptor, the rest is a self paced online desing for most universities were written assignments, discussion threats and a few quizzes and maybe a final exam takes place. MDs have to stay on site, days and nights for 3 years for Internal med and family practice after the 6 years of medical school. And no, the work does not generate the same for a practice, NPs bill 85%, meaning insurance companies pay 15% less to the practice where we do the work. Trust me, once I graduate I will love to be paid the same as an MD, but I know that won't happen so I am happy with the autonomy I get to practice even if less money.

This is a site I bumped into after searching your question online: https://www.midlevelu.com/blog/when-should-new-np-grads-start-job-search

Oh! I forgot to mention. We, as NPs should not strive to be paid as an MD. We have to recognized that regardles of our capacity, intellectual or for doing the same as a physician does, MDs have a lot more years of school as well as years of residency training in a hospital setting. I do agree that higher education should be paid more, like a DNP should be paid more than a master's holder but not like an MD. It will be beautiful for us but not fair to MDs.

I am in my clinicals for my FNP here in Florida and the more I hear NP's the more discourage I get. I have many friends in Miami, FL that graduated a year ago and don't have a job. There is not only the RN becoming NPs but also the foreign MD becoming RN just to transition into NP. Nevertheless, I am on the boat now and can't stop because I have spent countless nights, days, weekends on it as well as close to 30K per year. I also feel that I rather work as NP than RN even if I get pay the same.

Congrats!!!!

Hi Please tell me about your program. Because I am about to pay over 60000 for my MSN

I am a true believer that higher education combined with experienced hands on patients is ideal. I have been a Nurse (ADN) since 95 until recently that I completed my BSN and just a week ago got admitted to a Family Nurse Practitioner Program. I am in it all the way. Why fight the flow? Either we like it or not, the future of Nurses is to be DNP. There are Universities that by certain time this year or next will not even offer MSN option. It will be RN to DNP. So, if that is the path then I will a well get it done before I am too old. And for the record, it is doable. I have 2 kids, 2 jobs and a student loan to paid. It's hard but it can be done. I figure the NP degree will give me more autonomy, independence to treat and yes, more knowledge to diagnose and treat patients. Plus the salary is great as it is the demand for NP's.

I can tell you this, is not as bad as it looks. I'll tell you my story. When I came to the US: minimal English, foreigner, came with the clothes I was wearing, no friends or family. Worked cleaning homes, doing errands, babysitting. In the mean time I was preparing myself for the NCLEX. By the time I passed the NCLEX I owed a lot of money (more than $40000 for sure). Passed the NCLEX and started applying everywhere. Only in Home Care was I able to get a job as a Nurse, most required 1 year of experience but most were desperate too because not too many Nurses like Home Care. I applied at a local college and they hired me as well teaching CNA's. In Florida and Ohio (the 2 states I hold a license) never have I been without a job in Nursing. On the contrary, too many opportunities with good pay and benefits. Nursing is not a mistake. It is one of the few careers that have more jobs out there than nurses. I have moved to where the opportunities are, don't limit yourself and the fiancé issue, others had said what I think as well. He is not supportive, you don't need to be with someone that makes you feel worse.

To discourage someone that has completed a nursing program and to assume that it won't be safe to practice as a Nurse after several times of trying and passing the exam it is just ridiculous for you to say. There are many nurses, those that pass the first time, as well as the one's that pass after several attempts that can do a good or bad job as a Nurse. Exams don't measure how good, skillful or compassionate of a Nurse you are or going to be. I know both, and I have seen very competent nurses that passed the first try and other very competent as well that passed after few times. I believe that the Board of Nursing would have set a limit of how many times you can sit for the exam if it thought that was unsafe for the patients. I encourage every nurse out there to keep trying until you pass.

Hi, I am also in the process of entering a NP program. I have a 2.6 GPA, so I was as worry as you about it because of it. Anyways, I did applied to 2 Universities and I already got a call for an interview. GPA is a very important aspect but it is not the only thing that Graduate programs look at. After I submitted my application, I called the graduate admissions department and they advised to take courses to bring up the GPA, it was something unreasonable for me to do because I would have to take so many classes to get to 3.0, so I called the program Director and she told me that was not something she recommends, actually she said that they will see it as something inflated or artificial. So, I applied, got myself a very good essay and obtained 3 very good letters of recommendation, one from a former prof., one from a co-worker and from a Supervisor at my job. Another thing is I called almost every week to follow up on my application, I visited the campus and met with the Program coordinator, I expressed how important it was for me, I let myself be known. After a couple of months I did receive an invitation for the interview. Now I am preparing myself for that day, I am making sure I know everything about the program, about the University, about the research they do. I will speak to current students before the interview and get an idea from them. Also, check in the requirements if the GPA is for the whole nursing school of for the las 60 credits you took, or for certain classes. As I was searching schools to apply, I noticed this things. Besides, be ready to let them know that you are not just a GPA, that you are more than that and when you tell them the reasons why you don't have a 3.0 or more be sure to mention what you learned from it, like if this family issues or whatever else happen again, because they could, that you learn how to deal with them and give them examples. In this way you are telling them that you are better prepare to be a Master's student. Let them know how much you want it and why. I will tell you how it goes for me after the interview. Good luck and do not get discourage.