hcmanp

work up a business plan of how many patients you can see/hr, what you can do for this practice, and send in your proposal. I am starting a job that wanted to dissolve the NP position, yet they discovered that we bring in revenue and don't cost as much as a physician. Sell yourself to both your doc and to the practice manager. They see money. The doc sees relief. You see a paycheck. Everybody wins! Good luck.

I think it sounds promising. You know the docs, which is always an advantage. They called YOU, so this is an advantage. Make sure you know how to contact them at any time you are at work. Set aside some of the $ for your IRA religiously. I have heard that the urgent cares can be pretty routine cough/colds type stuff, but in a small town, it could become more. I assume you would refer any chronic care patients with new onset problems to your collaborating physicians, and those with chronic conditions who want to see someone outside of office hours could be referred to your care. Since it is not associated with a set company like Take Care (no negatives meant here) you can parlay this into whatever you like. Do not count on patients knowing whether to go ER or see you- that will probably be for you to decide, and that is a good thing, because you know your own limitations (I hope) and can direct them according to your resources, knowledge base and the intensity of the problem. And it's good that you have that resource readily available. This is a tough time to find a job, and this job sounds pretty good, go get your written contract set and have fun. Good luck.

Get a paper copy of every CEU/CME you participate in Keep a file of these. If you are truly neurotic, make 2 copies and keep them in separate places (home and bank or work or mom's house, whatever). I have everything in one place, and if the house catches fire, that box is going out the door with me. Do not rely on other's computerized "tracking" - do your own! Make an excel (I HATE Excel, btw) spreadsheet. As an NP, I have to track the source and whether or not it's ANCC certified credits, pharma credits, in my specialty etc. You'll need a column for each criteria you want to track. If you have a friend who can help you program it (and lots of people actually like Excel - go figure!), it can automatically add the numbers up for you. Mine is pretty elegant, thanks to my friend/husband. But you still have to enter the data by hand. PLUS, one day you might get to send all those certificates to your accrediting body (yes, I did have to do that last time-it's called an audit, and it was not fun) to prove participation, and you will be awfully glad you took the time at the time to print those certificates out! They DID want to see them YIKES!

Has anybody seen the Hagar the Horrible cartoon this Sunday (3/9)? What did you think? I thought it was offensive, my husband thinks I am over-reacting.

Only post earrings, no dangles to avoid ripped earlobes No necklace to avoid strangulation My husband bought me a special "work" wedding ring after he found out about the "no elevated diamonds" rule. It's a very small band with diamonds embedded (like an anniversary ring), which has served to eliminate any questions about whether or not I was married, and I never scratched anybody with that ring. The research I am aware of includes fake nails, stethoscopes and neckties: and they all DO carry bacteria, so eyuck, yes, I would bet on rings carrying bacteria, but yes, I would wear that ring anytime I had clinical/hospital duty.

Don't worry, yellowfinch, I think we are all in this together.

:specs:you must have forgotten to put on your cap!

you must have forgotten to put on your cap!

My only regret is not doing it sooner - this was a second career for me. You will never want for a job, and nursing has literally hundreds of options, not just working in the hospitals. (Cherry Ames, you rock!)

Yes, the time has come for us "mid-level providers" (Gee, I hate that term...) to be united, and work as colleagues. It's not about being "pro-nurse" as much as being pro-patient, pro-self, and pro-fessional. If you have a better opportunity as a PA, by all means, go for it. Do your research, and make the best choice for you. Best of luck.

Dare we think to consider PA school? Not out of the question, but depends on school availability and the particular state as usual. I have been interested to see the changes / advances that PAs have made for their practices legislatively, and NPs continue to plug away as well. I do not see any advantage to clinical specialist. Can someone clarify that for me?

check out the national guideline clearinghouse. They have tons of guidelines from every possible source, including the VA, ICSI, and government agencies from all over the world. I am not 100 percent sure that's what you are looking for...we used a textbook Uphold and Graham, Clinical Guidelines in Adult Health or something like that. We never developed "standardized procedures" where I went. Keep talking if this does not help. Somebody on this forum wil have the answer!

get a job in an orthopedic surgeon's office. You will get lots of experience, and maybe can hire on as RN FA. If you really like it, get your NP and with any luck' they'll keep you at the office. I know someone who did just that, and it worked for him. Good luck

I participated in the 2003 test-revision in Baltimore for the ANCC. They wanted NPs who had less than 5 years experience, and we took the test about 4 times (didn't I pray I would never have to take that test again after I graduated and passed the first time!?) to make sure the test represented new practitioner's experience, and was not too hard, nor too easy. I passed easily on certification, and also during the work at ANCC. BUT some of the board members even with 3-5 years experience did NOT pass the newly designed test. We had to justify why the questions were ok to include if we could not get the right answer. It was the most interesting thing I have done professionally. We had to swear not to give away the test answers after we were done. As a result, I highly recommend review courses. They should reinforce learning, not just give "test taking techniques" - that crap is a waste of time and money. Fitzgerald did great for me. Being an ICU nurse has very to do with being a nurse practitioner. (sorry). Sometimes very experienced nurses can over-analyze questions, too. Go with a good review, study your butt off, and try to relax. Good luck, but you don't need that. Just knowledge.

Check out the Correctional Forum, they have a pretty accurate take on it, but remember sometimes they have a bone to pick. I always say, in Corrections, you know who the criminals are, and the ones with the guns are on your side. It's not for everybody, but if you can get over not being touchy-feely, and have a little tough skin, you should be ok. Always be fair and friendly and consistent. The women are supposedly the most difficult to deal with, needy. There is a lot of mental illness, so expect some of that. Also traumatic brain injury, which makes people seem "slow". Doesn't make them "bad". Sometimes they just get mixed with the wrong crowd and make bad choices. You need to have excellent assessment skills, as you may be the only "medical" person available. LOTS of autonomy. If you want to advance, just hang around,you could be DON in a short time. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.:wink2: