Grnrn

I found http://www.oldpremeds.org/ site to be very-very helpful for people like yourself (on the fence)! They also have live seminars, check it out! Wealth of useful info!

Hi there, please cheer up and have patience!!!! There ARE jobs out there for NPs! When I got my RN in the mid 90s, there was a terrible downsizing in my area and many of my "wise" classmates told me to shelve my RN license. However, I do not like to listen to pessimists and I do not like to give up, so after 6 month of full time search I launched my nursing career. Do not give up! There is some hope! AND health care field looks a lot better than other ares of the job market! Good luck!

Personally, I think, nursing experience would give you a leg up when starting out, and perhaps, make a learnig curve a little less steep. However, I know people who had no prior nursing experience to becomong NPs and who did just great. Let this not stop you! To comment on someone above stating that she'd never go to an NP program which will not set up clinicals for her. It is a great if you have such a choice, but if you want to become an NP and all the schools within 100 mile radius DO NOT set up clinicals for you, what will you do? Online? Perhaps, but that would then not be local and even less likely you will have the option of setting up the clinical. From what I understand, not too many schools have such luxury. So, it looks like, if you are motivated enough to become an NP, that should not be an obstacle. When there is a wil,l there is a way! Good luck! FNP student

Hi, from reading the postings here and it looks like the RN experienceto be hired as an NP is not essential. I have worked as and RN for 7 years in acute care, then took about 7 yrs. off to raise family. Now, I am back in the hospital setting (critical care). I have one more year left to graduate as an Adult NP. I was under impression that the more critical care experience you get the better it is to be hired as an NP, hence my working in critical care setting. My work situation is VERY stressful to say the least: I am learning the hard way that critical care is not my cup of tea. Messages on this board make me question whether all that I am going through right now (combining a stressful job and demanding school curriculum) is worth doing to have better hiring prospects as an NP..... Fortunately, we are financially very stable and I do have opportunity to finish my NP program without having to work. Anyone has any opinions as to whether critical care experience will make a difference? (FYI: I am planning to work in primary care as an NP) Thank you! GrnRN

why but why????

Thank you for your replies. At least, I have confirmed that I am not alone feeling this way. Hopefully, one day all the fluff would be condensed in one course and we will have more hands on, scentific and the inner workings of primary care practice (for those going into primary care) courses. Ethics was actually the least disliked, as I am aware that this will come in handy one day. However, even this subject was poisoned by studying and analyzing theories instead of learning the practical application. I was lucky to find a wonderful (and not too voluminous) book written for med. students on the subject of ethics. Short, sweet and to the point.

Actually, I'd rather read Huether & McCance, than some of the theoretical material.

Hi I am in the process of being interviewed at a few places. I have some tele background as an RN. The positions I am being intreviewd for are RN positions mostly tele and PCU, but I will also have an interview at an ICU floor. I have about 1.5-2 yrs left to study at an NP program. My goal is to become a cardiac (outpatient) NP. Which experience would be preferable: tele or ICU in order to become a cardiac NP.... (Since I did not have the ICU interview yet, I do not know what portion of the patients there are with cardiac problems). Thanks in advance for your advise!

Before starting my NP program I was so proud and enthusiastic about becoming an NP. But as time goes by, I am growing more and more frustrated with my curriculum. Completed my first year and do not see the end of theories, roles, paradigms and politics etc. "Paradigm" has become one of those words that raise my blood pressure.... Diagnosis, treatment, patho and pharm. are completely de-emphasized "we are nurses, not doctors". So, how in the world do you apply the "paradigm" when you do not even know some of the essential stuff? Do we completely rely on our previous nursing experience and pay price of obtaing "NP" title by enduring hours and hours of endless and useless "fluff"??? I got much more out of my associate RN program in terms of ability to perform basic patient care than out of "advanced" nursing curriculum. I expected that we'd study similar to undergrad. issues but on a deeper level, but so far, there is no end of "fluff". I have checked out other universities programs' descriptions and they are very similar to mine....Except, for some progressive schools that, I believe, would have 2 pathos and 2 pharm. courses. Where this education will take me? What is the school thinking? Are the professors' hands tied? I do not blame some physicians who are against removing collaborative agreement. Has anyone gone through this frustration while enrolled in an NP program? I have seriously thought about defecting to med. or PA school as a result of being so extremely disappointed. Any thoughts?

Hi everyone! thank you all for your support again! I am wiritng with the update on the status of my job hunting situation. Today I have walked into one place, spoke to manager who happened to be totally cool with my bold action! She scheduled a formal interview date for next week. Exciting? Wait! I am not finished yet! 2 hours later I get a call from another place that was my first choice originally (a major medical center with a great reputation) for an interiview for a critical care area (I applied to this one about 1 month ago, go figure!). And while on the phone trying to set a date for the interview with them, a third place called ! I heard absolutely nothing in weeks and months, and then everything happens within just 3 hours! I am not religious at all, but I can understand how something like this can be attributed to some higher power! Lesson here: while searching for work and talking to recruiters and managers I found that there are major discrepancies between what recruiters and what managers want: recruiter may completely ignore your resume while a specific manager may get excited (in a + way)! You never know! So, thank you for the wise advise to just go up to managers and get the job this way! It turned out to be indispensable! GrnRn

Thanks all for your support and advise!

Thank you for your support!

I have worked there very early in my career when I was in a similar situation right after graduation: no hospital jobs for new graduates. I do not want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I swore to never go back (at least, not as a nurse, ha-ha!)

Agree about the clinical part. Unfortunately, it is not being offered as a part of my refresher course. It is rather a self-paced course that is offered at a local community college. I have contacted many of the programs that do have clinical part, but they have been all closed: supply and demand! So, I am happy to find even that one without the clinical part. The ones that still do exist are too far away. I do not live in a city. Everything is far. Thanks for your replies!

I have moved pretty far from places where I was before.... so, unfortunately, this is not an option for me. It is a good idea though.... Had I been close to my last job, I could have just gone straight to my old manager whom I adored by the way. Thanks!

Thank you! So, why is it that recruiters just look through us? Is it who you know nowadays? I have never done a walk up before.... Any hot tips on how to present myself and how to plea my case to the manager? Did you know their names before walking up to them? Additionally, do you have the link to the volunteering thread? Thanks again! Grnrn

Hi I have been out as an RN for 8 years (raising kids); have 4 years of tele in a major heart transplant center and 3 years of home care experience; have BSN. I have taken numerous CEUs in tele and beyond over the past month and will be doing refresher course sans the clinical part in a local CC in June. So far, I have applied to many places that ARE hiring med-surg and tele nurses with minimal exp. requirements and still haven't heard a peep! I am close to being depressed! What am I doing wrong? What else do recruiters need? I have a great cover letter and a resume and address recruiters by their name.... I mark availability for any shift full-time part time, PD. Will it help to just walk up to managers and hand them in my CV and a letter? Or, is it too pushy and might diminish my chances even further? Should I volunteer at a place of my choice? Would it help? Any advise on what to do will be appreciated? Going crazy! Thank you!!!!!

Hi I have been out as an RN for 8 years (raising kids); have 4 years of tele in a major heart transplant center and 3 years of home care experience; have BSN. I have taken numerous CEUs in tele and beyond over the past month and will be doing refresher course sans the clinical part in a local CC in June. So far, I have applied to many places that ARE hiring med-surg and tele nurses with minimal exp. requirements and still haven't heard a peep! I am close to being depressed! What am I doing wrong? What else do recruiters need? I have a great cover letter and a resume and address recruiters by their name.... I mark availability for any shift full-time part time, PD. Will it help to just walk up to managers and hand them in my CV and a letter? Or, is it too pushy and might diminish my chances even further? Should I volunteer at a place of my choice? Would it help? Any advice on what to do will be appreciated? Going crazy! Thank you!!!!!

It goes in cycles up and down every 5 years or so... It will come back up, believe me! Sit tigh or settle for other nursing area for now and then move on.... My 2 cents.

Thank you all for your posts and tips. I am familiar with Kubler-Ross. I had read "On Death an Dying" while caring for a patient with ovarian CA in home care. Although I loved her approach, philosophy and writing, I do not remember there being specific tips on what to do. I shoudl still skim through her book again though. I have already reserved the Final Gifts at my library! More on the way! :)

Hi all, I am not a hospice nurse but need help with dealing with dying patient and family. I am planning to work in acute hospital setting (cardiology). While feeling deep sympathy for the patients and their family during the moment of patients' death, I am very awkward when it comes to the final moments and soon thereafter. Can anyone recommend good literature (book or articles) about what exactly to say and do or not to say and not to do? Is there some sort of practical guide that I can use? Thank you in advance!

Thank you for your reply! I will be looking!

Hi all, I am currently in an FNP program and not working while in school. I have about 1 1/2 yrs. more to go. I am hoping to find a job as an RN during summer break. I have worked in the past in telemetry, love cardiology and plan to work in this area as an NP in the future. Can you please advise me on the optimal RNexperience and clinical focus in order to land the cardiac NP position after graduation. - Which will be better: CCU, telemetry or cardiac stepdown for my pre-NP experience (I plan to work in outpatient setting)? - Where it is the best to do my specialty clinicals if I am planning to work in outpatient cardiology? - How many hours of specialty clinicals (cardio) will be optimal? Your advice will be much appreciated!!!! PS

One more thing, if you settle on a medical school you might want to deemphasize nursing. As I have learned in one of my personal encounter with a med school admission officer that, paradoxically, they are looking for students from various backgrounds such as arts, engineering, philosophy etc., etc., and nursing was not necessarily considered to be an advantage. Go figure!!!!

It all depends on your situation and priorities. OK, you'll be an NP when you are 40 OR you will be an MD when you are 40. If you have the ambition, drive, guts and are aware of what exactly you will be sacrificing, absolutely go for it!!! If it has been done, you can do it too!!! I got my BSN when I was about 27 with summa cum laude. Then I started taking premed courses while working full-time nights, got a couple of Bs (surprise!... )Then I weighed everything (age included) and decided that for me it will be either future family with children or a a medical degree. So, I chose to go forward in nursing. Am I sorry? At times.... I still think, had I been a few years younger, I would not have had even a second thought. But, I love nursing and, considering my personal situation, I think I'd made the right decision. Good luck in whatever you chose!