himilayaneyes

Hi. I've been a licensed family nurse practitioner for 8 months now with about 7 months of practice. Before this, I had been working as an adult ICU nurse for about 6.5 years. I feel totally comfortable seeing adults but started a per-diem job where I treat adults and children. I decided I wanted to be a FNP who specializes in pediatrics because I love interacting with the children. I found a peds job, got a 1hr orientation (unpaid), 2hr computer training (unpaid) which consisted of "This is how I do physicals." I just gave my two weeks notice after a little more than 2 months there for various reasons including unpaid lunch breaks, not being a fan of night shift, and lack of support. I feel out of place because I'm learning a totally different specialty...children are not miniature adults. I'm now at a different pediatric practice where I have been shadowing the MD and will continue to do so for a couple of weeks. She is knowledgeable and gives me homework. I've decided that I'm going to bust my butt reading articles, journals, and finding out everything I can possibly learn about pediatrics. Thanks for reading my vent...I guess my real question is how long until you start to feel comfortable in your diagnostic abilities as a NP. I feel great with adults, but peds is a new territory. P.S. In addition to learning a new specialty, I'm also learning Spanish due to my patient population. Feel likes there's a lot to learn with too little time.

If you want family practice experience, then take the family practice job. This will be more desirable to the majority of employers vs. vein/weight loss clinic. As an employer at a family practice, if choosing between someone with family practice experience and the person with vein clinic experience, I'd chose the family practice person. Good luck.

Keep your eye on the prize...blah blah blah. Been there done that. Are you happy doing what you're currently doing if working? Anytime I got discouraged, I'd go to work and remember why I was in school.

Congrats!

Your agency will provide you with the collaborating physician.

I am an ICU nurse. When we receive float nurses, they receive the tele patients. Every once in a blue moon, they may receive a patient on some type of drip because we just don't have the manpower...but in that case, an ICU nurse will be responsible for the drip. You have every right to refuse the assignment...it's just not safe.

Get your ACLS, take a critical care course. Volunteer to float to ICU all the time. Harass the ICU manager until they hire you. Good luck.

I have to agree with the poster that said it sounds shady. I'm working for a home health company for which the pay rate is $80 per patient. Plus, I don't see how it's possible to see 300 of them every week. I would keep looking elsewhere....this doesn't sound fair to you nor does it sound safe.

Congrats!

I would try emailing them. I got mine from FL in 7 business days. Good luck.

Hi. I felt just like you at one point in time. I was primarily interested in adults and had no desire at all to work with children. However, I enjoyed my pediatric rotation so much that I did it twice and hope to land a job in pediatrics. If you don't want to work with children at all...then just do the adult track. However, I will tell you that my friend did the adult track and plans on going back for her FNP because most jobs are marketed towards FNPs. So you may just want to do the FNP track...taking two certification exams within 6 months of each other just seems like a lot of stress to me. Good luck.

@ Jeremiah. If your school is purchasing the review for next year, then I would just wait until next year to take it. However, for academic purposes, the purple Fitzgerald book is very helpful. Hollier and Leik are great books as well.

@ Jeremiah. Honestly, I didn't like the Fitzgerald review when I was sitting there for 3 days. I felt like they were just stating the information in the book. However, the review book that they give you for the live course was good. I used it to study for the ANCC and it was very helpful. It's a different book than the purple Fitzgerald book. Either way...it's probably worth it to invest in a live review course...it can only help.

I have to agree with Bezoars. I'll take care of my loved ones if something were to happen. (They all live locally). I'd totally understand if someone refused to care for them...it's scary. I don't feel comfortable enough to care for ebola patients. My safety and that of my family comes first. Give me the full blown AIDS patient any day...I care for them all the time. However, hearing about healthcare workers being infected despite PPE...quite frankly it's terrifying. Every nurse has the right to accept or refuse an assignment...in the same manner, I can refuse to care for someone on a ventilator if I'm not trained to handle a ventilator. I have received no training on the PPE for ebola or the care of infected persons. Thus, I would refuse the assignment. Hospitals providing 5 minute online presentations on PPE don't cut it...I want a live in-service with the opportunity to practice. Give me the same gear and training as the CDC workers...and let the hospital CNO and CEO join me in the room. I also think separate living quarters should be provided for those who care for ebola patients and fear bringing it home. Plus, if the worker should contract the virus, they should be paid for their time out, and their hospital bills paid in full. Until certain guarantees are in place, quite frankly.....no.

Since you'll be signing a legal document, wording is everything. They should either use a generic term like nurse practitioner or pediatric nurse practitioner. The state acknowledges you as a PNP not a FNP. You should share your concerns with the hiring manager and if necessary, present them with your own contract.