SandBetweenMyToes

Have you tried the Minute Clinic website? There appear to be many Florida NP positions there.

I am nurse practitioner working in palliative care. My specialization is primary health care (family) so I can treat all ages, though the majority of my patients are adults. Of those, the vast majority are end of life cancer patients, but there are also patients with MS, end stage COPD, ALS, dementia, etc. My primary role is making home visits as a consultant. I go in, collect an in-depth history, do a complete head to toe physical assessment, and a complete medication review. I specialize in pain and symptom management. In my jurisdiction, I cannot prescribe controlled substances, but I make detailed pain control recommendations to the the most responsible physician, be it, family doc, or or oncologist. I also work closely with various pain specialist and hospice physicians in the community, and facilitate referrals to them if it is necessary. I also provide leadership and training to the agency visiting nurses in my community for this palliative program. My training is extensive though not from a "palliative program" per se. There are numerous recognized certifications and workshops I attend regularly. As well, before I became an NP, I was a visiting nurse for a local home health care agency where I learned much of the fundamentals needed for palliative care. If anyone cares to PM me, I will be happy to provide more details.

Just a question for those of you practicing in Michigan: I am a Primary Health Care (Family) NP in Ontario. I have a Michigan RN license and am a US citizen. I would like to write the AANP exam to obtain US (Michigan) license. My question is not about how to do that. The question relates to recent practice. In Ontario you must attest to having worked so many hours as an NP in Ontario in the past 3 years or you are ineligible for renewal. Is it the same in Michigan or do you merely have to be working somewhere as an NP? I have had no difficulty with renewing my RN license in Michigan though I have not practiced there since 2007. Does anyone know? I have looked on the LARA (Board of Nursing) MI site but have been unable to find the answer to my question. Thx!

Is anyone aware of program(s) geared to a Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN) to doctorate level CRNA? I am not sold on the DNP for DNP's sake, but would be willing to pursue a doctorate degree if it afforded me new clinical training. I think it would be a great plan...anyone aware of such a program? Thanks!

In my opinion, you NEED to practice independently as an RN for at least a few years before pursuing your NP. In years past there was no option for direct entry because it doesn't really work. Without the experience you gain as an RN, the NP program is not designed to compensate for that lack. Get into a good teaching hospital and get those years in...ICU and emerg are excellent...med-surg ok too. Best of luck!

i got my NP in Ontario and live in Ontario. I got my RN in Michigan and am licensed in both MI and ON. I have a friend who did her NP at Wayne State University in Detroit, and works as an NP in Ontario. If you do not have residency in Canada, it will not work.

I work full-time, 37.5 hrs divided into 4 shifts ( I think it comes to 9.375 hrs per day...) as a palliative care NP consultant, and I absolutely love it. I love having an extra day off each week. I also used to love working 3 twelves when I worked as an RN in an ICU. I am very appreciative of personal autonomy and flexibility. It's out there if you can find it. Best of luck!

I was in NP school full-time, with a predominantly online component. I averaged 70 hrs a week with school work and clinicals. There was no way I could have worked on top of that and still had any semblance of a family life (which is very important for me). Just my 2 cents...

How ironic! I just read your post, and then I stumbled on this site (how to foil thieves from stealing your pen...quite humorous!!) Enjoy! http://prankked.com/index.php/pranks/pen-prank/

Just a slight clarification...in Ontario, one as yet does not need an MN or MSN to be a Nurse Practitioner. You need an NP certification and to write and pass the RN(EC) (Registered Nurse in the Extended Class). While many NPs choose to go on and complete their Masters degree after certification as an NP (myself included), there are still many post Bachelors certified NPs in Ontario. I would bet this will change to keep pace with the rest of North America in the near future. In Ontario, all the NP educational courses count as graduate level courses now, so one only needs to complete three more classes after the NP to complete the Masters of Nursing.

The ONLY way I would even consider the DNP, is if I were convinced it would improve my clinical ability as an NP and provide me with CLINICAL knowledge and education I do not already possess. There is not a single program out there yet (and I have looked) that meets that criterion. Until then, no thank you very much to the DNP.

I am a community palliative NP, and I find that a thorough assessment takes way more than 15 minutes (usually 1-2 hours for an initial assessment visit in the home, not including drive time), to get a thorough history and physical. But, maybe as a "reaassessment", you can shave this down. Is it possible to trial the job, or shadow someone first? My behind the scenes work is extensive, but could be apples and oranges. I am paid an hourly rate and gas mileage, but the hourly is for 4 ten hours days a week, regardless of whether I am in the office or seeing clients. I'm sure there are regional differences as well. Best of luck!

Be true to yourself...there will always be negative people. In my region, there are actually more NP positions than people to fill them. There are definitely more NP positions than full-time RN positions. The market here is such that employers would rather hire two part-time RNs than one full-time because they don't have to pay benefits. Not the case though with NP positions. Best of luck to you!

Just a bit of devil's advocacy...I do not wear artificial nails now (I work directly with patients). However, I did wear them when I had an administrative position. Regarding the possibility of skin tears: my nails were much less "sharp" when coated with acrylic than they are now without. My nails are much sharper, and thus more likely to scratch someone, in their natural state, than they were with acrylic coating. I think the infection rate is somewhat over-hyped, but that being said, anyone wearing acrylic topping needs to keep them professionally cared for on a very regular basis. I also agree with the issue of patient perception and overall professionalism.

Absolutely...every day!!! I am 6 weeks into my new job, and am humbled and elated daily.