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Calibean

Calibean

School, FNP
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Calibean has 6 years experience and specializes in School, FNP.

Calibean's Latest Activity

  1. Calibean

    FamilyNPPrep Test Scores

    Calibean replied to FSUandOUnursegrad's topic in NP Students

    I was getting in the 70's to low 80's and passed AANP with no problem. Just relax and you will do fine!
  2. Calibean

    New Primary Care NPs

    Calibean replied to tussah10's topic in NP

    They don't normally see the patient. I consult if I have a question, but they are just reviewing the charts and signing off since I am not credentialed with all insurance companies yet. I think there are a few companies who don't allow just a sign off by a credentialed person so the office is not booking those patients with me yet. I'm not sure exactly how it is being billed to be honest. Just know I need a co-signature on the chart.
  3. Calibean

    New Primary Care NPs

    Calibean replied to tussah10's topic in NP

    I just started working as an NP in October, still working on credentialing. All my charts are signed off by someone who is credentialed until we are through the process.
  4. Calibean

    Life Insurance

    Calibean posted a topic in NP

    Hi, Started my first job as an NP several weeks ago and was told yesterday that the office will take a life insurance policy out for me of which they are the beneficiary. Now, I understand the reasoning behind it, lost income in the event of my death, I have to admit I was a little surprised. Is this standard as an NP? I of course made a joke about if I do a bad job they can bump me off. I couldn't resist. Just wondering if it was typical. Wasn't discussed during my interviews. Thanks.
  5. Calibean

    Can anyone relate to delay in providing employee contract?

    Calibean replied to lvan0904's topic in NP

    My contract had to be sent to the lawyers to be written, when I went in to sign it, the pay was wrong, they had switched me from salary to hourly, which was not in my favor. Office manager apologized but I have not seen my new contract although I was told I would have it on Wed (last Wed). Hopefully it will come through on Tuesday as I turned down several other offers! So, I completely understand where you are. They also might have lawyers drawing it up and if they have not done other NP contracts, may not have a standard template. Send an e-mail on Tuesday, if you don't have an appropriate response at the end of the day, renew your search. It probably has more to do with having an appropriate legal contract written, but they should be able to give you a time frame of when the contract should be ready. Do you have a start date?
  6. Calibean
    Misty, I visited campus three times during my two year program. The summer before I began, the summer between the 1st and 2nd year and then at the beginning of summer prior to my last summer class of the program which coincides with GWs graduation weekend and we participate in graduation ceremonies.
  7. Calibean
    Group projects did not need to be done in person but were usually done through e-mail, file sharing or when necessary Skype. I would say that there was at least one group project a semester with some classes requiring more. Not really a big deal and I found that everyone stepped up and did their part. The master's portfolio is done through your classes. So, the resume that you develop in your leadership class is posted to the portfolio, your huge research project is posted to your portfolio etc. so there is really nothing that needs done at the end of the program if you have been keeping up with it. I occasionally felt the need to speak with professors and never had a problem setting up a one on one phone call time. I also was able to reach a professor when I had an urgent situation come up with my clinicals immediately. As far as how I completed my hours, I went to school full-time and did not work so completing hours was fairly easy for me. Depending on who my preceptor was I followed them for 2-3 days a week and worked the hours they worked which ranged from 8-10 hour shifts usually. I took most school breaks off so I didn't not have to pay for someone to watch my kids. Let me know if you have any other questions.
  8. Calibean

    Advice please

    Calibean posted a topic in NP

    So I am finishing up FNP school and have three job offers and need some advice about which to choose. The salaries are all fairly similar (Womens health pays a little less, but they get 1/2 days every Friday so it evens out) and all say the offer bonuses for productivity, but no place can give concrete numbers about what these bonuses will be. Womens Health - working with a well established practice who has 4 docs, 3 NPs and 2 midwives. Spend my days doing Paps, OB visits, IUD/Implanon insertion. No call and half days on Fridays. Great office, was very comfortable there during my clinical rotation. (Of course probably because I am a woman and have had 75% of what women come in complaining of). About 15-20 min drive. Family Practice - good practice, part of an established group with opportunity to move around and go into specialty later if I want. MD has committed to training me for 12 months (he calls it a residency) so I will be top notch. Practice has 2 MDs. 2 NPs and a PA but will soon get a third MD. MD plans to retire in about 1 1/2 years and his patients will be shared between me and his PA. About 10-15 minute drive. Derm - Guaranteed productivity here - which will result in the highest eventual pay. One MD and NP at this office. MD has trained a new grad NP and understands what is involved. Great office, well run and part of the same practice above so there is some movement possible. About 25-30 minutes drive from home. So, my concern is this, my husband is active duty military and we start a 3 year tour here in October, after that we may stay here or end up moving elsewhere. I have to admit that family practice seems overwhelming to me at this time, but my brain is telling me if I go into family practice that I will be able to move and get a job anywhere. However, both derm and womens health seem like they would be less work and certainly more conducive to family life but perhaps not as portable as family practice. What do you think? I realize this is a great problem to have and am thankful that I have so many oppurtunities.
  9. Calibean

    Another salary question

    Calibean replied to Calibean's topic in NP

    Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll let you know when we get to the end. There is a lot of other things to be considered in the job offers as well and I need to have both of them in front of me to really be able to compare.
  10. Calibean

    Another salary question

    Calibean replied to Calibean's topic in NP

    I wish I could find the new graduate mean. Tried school and they didn't really help me with a number, lots of advice, but not really what is a realistic expectation in my area. Which job do I choose, salary aside though - family practice or OB/GYN?
  11. Calibean
    It is possible, but the semesters where you have 4 classes will be reading/paper/quiz intensive and the semesters that you have fewer classes will most likely have a lot of clinical hours. Do you have a family or a lot of other things occupying your "free time". Either way, you have to do what works for you, If you choose to work it will be challenging, but honestly it is challenging even if you don't. Time management is your friend. I did not work and my son told me the other day that he feels like I have ignored him the past two years and that he can't wait until I go back to work so I can really be "here" when I am home. Yes, for a 10 year old boy he is really quite verbal and perhaps may be trying to elicit some guilt (he wants and X-box).
  12. Calibean

    Another salary question

    Calibean replied to Calibean's topic in NP

    So, I now have two job offers. One with family practice - I do not know the salary yet but the MD seemed shocked when I said 90,000 and repeatedly told me that this would be a residency year and after a year of training with him I could go anywhere. I don't know what my final offer will be as I have to negotiate with HR still. On the other hand I have an offer with OB/GYN (which is an area I really loved) that is lower pay but we only work half days on Fridays and there are far fewer hours worked during the week. I have also never seen anyone in the office taking charts home like I do in family practice. I have to admit, I am a bit overwhelmed by family practice because of how much it encompasses, but with the support of the physician think I could do well and feel that the smartest move would be to get the broader base so I always have it to fall back on. OB/GYN is really a more comfortable area for me and I loved this office and really enjoyed the work, I feel like it is a great fit, but worry about the portability of it or if I go OB/GYN will it be impossible to come back to family practice if I want to at a later date?
  13. Calibean

    Another salary question

    Calibean replied to Calibean's topic in NP

    I'm sorry I think when I said the MD I am working with it was misleading, what I meant was the MD that I am currently doing clinicals with. I have been a nurse since 2007. I live in Maryland in an area that is in need of providers. I really enjoy the family practice clinic and think I could be happy there, but to muddy the waters, got a call from the OB/GYN office I did clinicals with (and loved) and have an interview there next week. I am stressing too much and am thrilled to have multiple opportunities, just need to figure out the right path and stay strong when I negotiate. Thanks for all the info!
  14. Calibean

    Another salary question

    Calibean posted a topic in NP

    I am finishing up FNP school in a couple of weeks and the Physician that I am working for has offered me a job. He asked me to give him a start date and what I would like for salary (or what I think I am worth). I told him (jokingly) $150,000 which I don't think he found as amusing as I did. Here are the details, it is a family practice clinic although I may have to occasionally fill in at the attached Urgent Care. There are many other providers, but I would specifically be working with the physician and his PA. I have pulled Salary.com and see that for the area 25% earn 85,000 and 50% earn 92,000 but it does not break salary down by specialty/years of experience. Does anyone know where I can get solid numbers to back up the salary I am looking for besides salary.com. I am thinking that I would love to see 90,000 but that it may seem too much to ask as a new grad and that 85,000 would be more appropriate. He did mention that he is going to spend the first 12 months training me as if it is my residency and I could renegotiate my contract at the end of the time however, the group that the practice belongs to is fairly well known for not raising salaries regularly. I was earning $35/hour as a nurse prior to going back to school.
  15. Calibean
    If you are doing the part time program MSN-FNP program you will not start clinical hours until the Spring of your 2nd year - you will have 75 hours during Health Assessment - these hours count as part of your adult hours. The rest of the clinical hours will all be in your last year in FNP I, FNP II, and FNP III. You must do at least 200-250 hours to progress from one class to another. The hours are broken down as follows; 250 adult hours (internal), 250 family hours, 150 pediatric hours and 100 OB hours. If you are doing the DNP program, I am not sure how the hours break down in that program. I know there are restrictions about doing clinical hours where you work, but I think if you are in a different part of the hospital and not doing them directly in the unit you work for you will probably be okay - I think the concern is mainly that clinicals are your time to be a student and learn how to function in a new and different role and if you are on your unit you will step in in as a nurse when necessary. You must have a contract with every site and it can take up to 2 months to complete the contract so also keep that in mind. I did not do any hours at a hospital, all at private practices as this is the role I will go into when I finish.
  16. Calibean

    Fall 2011 Graduate School ROLL CALL

    Calibean replied to missvictoriat's topic in Post Graduate

    1. George Washington University 2. MSN FNP 3. Took a leave of absence from my full time job, may do some PRN though 4. Full time school 5. Worried that I have no recent hospital experience and how that will play into everything. Thankful because I had someone offer to set up all my clinicals for me. Hopefully when I need them in a year, they can come through for me!