hello101

I personally do not think it is a bad thing...but I do think sticking with hospital patients/environment you'll get more experience and see more stuff than doing home visit. I am not a FNP but I do internal medicine/infectious disease and after I got my degree, I did some homehealth type of work as an NP. In homehealth, they are more stable and I was just managing their hypertension, diabetes, etc.. Now I am more in the hospital and let me tell ya...I am seeing and learning a lot thru the other NPs and Doctors and of course, the nurses. Hope this help:nurse:

I have been a cardiac RN for over 10years before getting my APN degree and functioning as an NP. I thought for sure that I will work as a cardiac NP but I came to realize that I wanted to challenge myself more ("something out of my comfort zone box") and worked with a Physcian who specialized in Infectious disease. Let me tell you..I do not regret it!! It's been great. We have great repor. I teach her Cardiac and she teaches me infectious disease. I am just glad to find a physician who was open minded and accepting me. My fellow classmate who works with a cardiac group..very busy like any other practice. The other NP I know does research stuff and the other NP I know works for the hospital but she has variety of roles (education, teaching, see's x amount of patients..she's doing a lot that I think she's bringing work home..so I don't think she'll last long). The good thing about being an RN and/or NP is that we have options to go elsewhere.

I have tried working two jobs....I was so so so tired!!! When I stayed as a prn or weekender as a staff RN and then went to my NP work...let me tell ya...I felt drain. I had no time for myself. I though I could do it but it was extremely hard...so I got smart and negoiated with my boss and now just work as an NP...but I know what ya mean about working as an RN and picking up OT when needed...it pays more than the NP . Also, working as an NP help me focus on NP work and I'm learning everyday..I need to be on top of things..

I am a CNS and most physicians I know look as CNS as an educator or researcher. I work for a doctor and function as an NP (diagnosis, prescribe, bill etc). The doctor who hired me knew that I was an ANP and did not care what if I was a CNS, NP, or PA...as long as I know my stuff and able to bill..I was happy that she gave me that chance and prove myself. It's sad to say but I had a hard time with fellow NP at the hospital who feels that I needed to go back to the NP program to do what I'm doing now. I remember hearing comments that "she's not an NP, she's a CNS"...(a lot of hosp staff has a habit or thinks I'm an NP so they will say I am an NP and that when the other NP hears this...They would correct them and made it known that I was a CNS. Which I do introduce myself as an APN/CNS...but still they see me as an NP. It is getting better that the NP are not "making side remarks"...I do my job and take care of my patients and I enjoy what I do. Any CNS who function as an NP out their with similar experience? Where I work there is only 2 others who function like the NP as a CNS.

I am sorry to hear that your facility does not offer this!! You would think everybody should get on board with basic wound stuff since a lot of law suits are out there! Any how, there are a lot of info on wounds. You can Google this (ie Stages of wounds) and also look at images from google. Let me help you start out by you telling me what kind of products your hospital carries and I can tell you what it is for and the rationale behind it. Ask me specific questions and we can go from there. There is a lot of info on wounds...

I am a wound specialist and a practitioner. I see a lot of people doing wound vac applicaton wrong...like "stuffing" the foam. I should be cut to fit. Does your wound have any undermining or tunnelling? How much drain are you having? It's not infected? There's a lot of questions to be ask...If wounds are stalling than you must look at the WHY questions. If you don't see wound progression in 1-2 weeks than you must reassess and do other wound care. With a wound vac, and if it's healing the way it should than yes you should see progression of granulation tissues. I have many patients who fail with wound vac and there are numerous reasons why...and always other alternative treatement (I'm saying it's going to be easy, but there is almost always other ways of doing things). I work in a wound clinic...which I hope that is where you are going to..someone who is specialized in wound. Not all physicians know the latest and greatest products out their. It is truely a specialty area. Good Luck.

I don't have my Acute CNS but have my CNS. I have a classmate with the same degree but works in acute care (ER) and she loves it. I am assuming Acute CNS is like an NP who works primarily in acute care?

Yes, me as the CNS I have my own NPI number, I bill...I have an NP role, I do what they can do. Yes, CNL is NOT an APN, as "TRAUMARUS" has stated. I'm in the Chicago areas and I see that they are fading out CNS title, so that either you go for an NP or CNL. Like I said, I think they want to clarify the RN who can prescribe and the RN who cannot type of thing... I know my friends who do not have a CNS title but has her MSN. She work and have a CNS role..she gets paid the same as a CNS would. She or the Hosp cannot legally give her the title CNS but they call them Clinical Nurse Consultant. To answer the question of "can a CNS opening up their own clinic? "I don't know. I don't think so, especially in IL.

I thought that they got rid of CNS program (at least in IL).. and now they have the new CNL (Certified Nursing Leadership) program. I believe that they did this to try to clarify the difference between CNS and NP. I am personally a CNS but work more like an NP. I can prescribe medications, bill... do what NP do. I know it's confusing..I find myself expaining my title to the doctors. Some doctors I know have a CNS who function as an NP and other doctors would not even consider you to function that way and look at you as an educator or researcher. When I did my clinicals...I followed and learned from both CNS and NP. I just happened to be in the CNS program and can only take the CNS test, not the NP. But I asure you, I'm confident in NP work...I had great training. Not only was I with the nurses but I was with their doctors for my clinical rotation. I just don't know what will happen with the rules of CNS...I hope I don't have to go back to school to be an official NP...I hope to be "grandfathered in." I'm not sure I can go back to school in this point of my life..and I hate and be sad to lose my job just because I don't have the official NP title. I am an APN who is as equally smart and capable of doing my job!

Thanks for the input! I think about if I don't make more money and have higher liability and lose benefit..it's not worth the change...just got to keep on looking if that is what I really want to do. I still love staff nursing but the lifting patients are killing my back (I swear I use erogonomics-body mechanics).

I know many nurses who has been an RN for a long time (10-20yrs) who finished NP program and tried to get a job as an NP but pay wise is not much to what they are already making! Does anyone had this problem. If they were to take their new role and go else where than they lose their benefits such as pension, etc. Many that I know who can venture out is the younger NP who is "nothing to lose." Another question I have is what is the average number of patients do you see to be productive and bringing money to the practice. Any comments would help:p

Yes and No...Most doctors want an experience NP but really don't care where they got their degree..as long as they can perform and bill-be productive. When I was going to school and doing my clinicals I had a lot of opportunities for jobs before I graduated b/c I networked and sold myself. The important thing I learn was how to negotiate (thru a fellow experienced NP)! I've been an RN for over 10 yrs w/varies experiences (ICU, ortho, medsurg, wounds, etc). It paid off. I know that I earned higher than a new NP grad-on average. What school did not teach me well was the finance issue--billing-what an NP can bring in for the practice. Well I learned quickly and when it was time for my review..you bet ya that I got a good raise.