divobari

I just have to say that any non-prescriber healthcare professional with any advanced degree, i.e. Nurse educator, Nurse administrator, Hospital CEO(Typically with MBA or MPH), Nurse Anesthetist(non prescriber in many states) could take your remark as patronizing, too. The reality is that no one knows what an advanced degree will get them until they actually get one - both knowlede-wise and job-wise. I'll support complacency in colleagues(as long as they are happy, I don't care.), but the need to denigrate those who want to see the profession continue to advance or continue to challenge themselves says more about the critics than those pressing forward. In the end, any advancement it will benefit all nurses and patient-care.

This is called poor workplace culture. Based on your encounter, it sounds like it leaves one wanting. I can only imagine how these types of nurses treat their clients and the kinds of biases and micro-aggressions they foster towards their patients.

I am currently pursuing a DNP and am pleased with the skill that I have gained this far. There is clearly a divide in nursing. There are those who want it to be a labor intensive profession and others who want to use it to influence delivery of care. Nursing, albeit hard to admit, is not terribly difficult to join. So, some are able to make a decent living with less time compred to other healthcare professions. I think ADN/BSN RNs do a fine job. However, I do believe that the more knowledge/skill you have, the better equipped you are to advocate for your patient, when necessary. I've seen nurses who were clearly in the right lose the argument because they didn't have the language and confidence to support their concerns. Furthermore, this is all about personal goals. If you choose to remain where you are, do not disparage others who choose to move on.(something that I have to deal with on a weekly basis.) And those of us who move on, let's inspire others by our actions!

Im not concerned. The negative, uninformed comments reflect on the person - not the profession. Some clearly have resentment for whatever reason... :-) Great reflection!!

In my area, major hospital systems start NPs at $125k-140k, depending on experience... I spoke to a recruiter who was trying to persuade me to not become an AGNP and he said he got a psych NP $130k - with no experience. Not bad for such mediocrity, huh?

Sounds a bit acrimonious, but I'll accept the warm wish... Thanks! :-)

This is draining my energy. LOL! Ok. What is the point here? NP education - along with ANY education one receives - is what the individual makes of it. It also continues as a professional. We can sit back and complain about what we're not getting and how inexpensive NPs should be or do something about it(besides make disparaging comments on allnurses). In regards to me talking to US med students.(maybe I'm responding to one now?) I think I already mentioned that in NP school, I trained alongside med students, was precepted by Cardiologist, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Primary care physician, Oncologist, and Adult-Gero Primary Care and specialty NPs, mostly at top academic institutions in my area. Additionally, I have close friends who are ER, Neuro, and Onc docs. I can confidently say that I get what it takes to become a physician. What people need to learn is the history of medicine and you will see that the NP profession is actually following in the footsteps of MDs and DOs. I find that the biggest barrier are the nurses who seem to think that it is impossible for a nurse to have more "brain power". I often compare and contrast the experiences(and focus) between the two models. I have learned a great amount from my exposure to medicine. My goal as a future educator/preceptor is to incorporate what I learned from medicine more into the NP model, while holding my students accountable for their own education.

yes, and in many major hospitals, you are calling an NP/PA at 02:00. also, have you ever worked with residents or fellows or attendings? Maybe it is because I am at an academic center, I see what happens behind the facade of the "know it all" physician. They are constantly learning and sharing knowledge. The good NPs do the same. There is on the job learning for everyone on the team, because medicine is constantly changing. I question the motives of those who need to defend the MDs at the cost of throwing nursing under the bus. What is with this forum?

Again, with all do respect, we do it to ourselves... Firstly, even if you have earned a doctorate in circus arts, you are a "DR." It is an academic title - not a physician copyrighted title. Physicians weren't always called "Dr", either. It was only when they introduced the MD education from Europe to improve their standard of care. Prior to this, they actually practiced quackery (look at physician notes from the 17-18 hundreds about the practice of bloodletting). Even the lab coat was an attempt to be taken more seriously. Look at old pics - they wore all black. lastly, the confident physicians actually admire DNPs for what they bring to the table. And the confident DNPs will introduce themselves either by their first name or "Dr. XYP and I'm an NP"... In regards to salary negotiation, you can also offer to work at the agreed salary with the expectation that you get a increase after a few months, because you will likely not be as productive in the orientation/beginning phase. Then, just start knocking them out. ;-) if they don't agree, find another job, which is actually another way to increase your salary. You will be more competitive. Good luck!!

I think that most people, even in other careers, generally don't know how to negotiate salary package. Think about all of the craziness that we put up with. I mean, look at the above comments about schools, Med vs NP school, Online vs Brick and Mortar... What does it matter? Everyone comes from different walks of life. NPs do work that many physicians wont do. Also, they are scrambling for NPs, because of the high standard of care that NPs bring to the table. I believe that if you can diagnose and manage care(including knowing what is out of your scope and when to refer/consult) at a high standard, you are qualified - basta! If you know how much you will potentially bring in, acknowledge this to your employer. I will cautiously say that I've been to practices - even in an ED where the NP(well experienced ER nursing) took way too long(up to 1 hour) with patients, while in the meantime, the physicians and PA were complaining about her. I also know another instance where the NP would take 45-1hour with patients, making other patients wait up to two hours for an appointment. Some would leave!... For me, the concession that we did not go to med school is an admission that we are expected to give inferior care to our patients. As a patient, I would hate to hear "the doctor is not in, but the less educated/less qualified NP could see you.(should shrug)"

My wife and I lived in Germany for a few years. She tried to find work as a nurse through the military. They proved to be flakes. They will give priority to service members and their spouses, and native Germans. My some was born in a German hospital. It is VERY different. Nurses tend to be more like CNAs. They are not paid well, but no one really earns much in Germany. Nurses tend to come from out of the country. In order to work in Germany, you need to be at niveau B1 of German fluency. That is super basic proficiency. I would start with the military and get over to Germany to get acclimated with the language and culture. You need both before you can start working as a nurse. Good luck!!

In all cases of distress and desperation, their true self is revieled.

I'm african-american, Ivy-league educated, and lived in other countries(and it has nothing to do with the US military.) I speak 3 languages, and was born in Bronx, NY - the ghetto. I say that only to help you to feel the empowerment that is within you to know that you have likely had your share of adversity as an immigrant, clearly overcoming them. You then became a nurse. It is people like the older white lady(and no, they do not get a free "racist/bigot" pass from me, as mentioned earlier.) you cared for that give the rest a bad reputation and sometimes make you want to go the other way. I will say that whenever you are dealing with a patient, regardless of race or gender, it can never be about you. Maybe it wasn't about race but truly about her religion, or about gender... As a male, I've been kicked out of patients' room not by the patient, but by my preceptors, because they needed to inspect a woman's hemorrhoid, for example. When you feel yourself absorbing the negative energy/emotion, excuse yourself, regroup, and enter the room like it is your first time meeting that person.

Maybe try being a flu clinic. Yes, we should all strive for a great work-life balance. I do NOT believe that nursing is a calling, but you have to be committed to going above and beyond protocol. If I listened to what is misinterpreted as a "calling", I would actually not be a nurse, particularly because I am a heterosexual male. That's an old school mentality because nursing was historically an extension of a religious origin, which founded many of the hospitals across the country and were run by nuns(which is a calling all within itself). I am NOT a fan of "in it for the pay"(it is your life, so please keep the mentality.) types because it typically reflects in their work and interaction with colleagues and more importantly, patient care. This creates a less than optimal working atmosphere for all stakeholders. I believe that this is part of the problem with the field and it is not limited to nursing. Get a job and approach it objectively - you may end up loving it more than you ever imagined...

Touché! Terrible and false example.