saorse15

I work in a hospital where we have NPs and PAs on the same team/ service. When we are referred to as a group, we are called midlevels. As in, "we will be hiring a surgery midlevel" or "please call the midlevel on call". Individually, we are introduced as Diane Doe, NP or Jim Jones, PA. Its just used as a collective term here. I realize that may always be the case.

I work at the VA and I will try to answer your questions. In my VA, there is very limited opportunity for OT and it is in primary care on Saturdays. Education-the VHA has something called Valu university online and you can get some free CEUs that way.There is an allowance of $500 yr for CME, but it is a pain to get, however, I would try if it was supposed I really wanted to go to. We work with case managers and LPNs in our clinic, sometimes they rotate to other clinics. We pull back our own patients. Coordination of care is difficult with out of VA providers. I know a lot of these providers and that helps me to communicate with them.Having a relationship with outside providers is helpful, although some of my patients come from 2-3 hours away to see me. It has been my experience that it is difficult for NPs to change positions at the VA. They prefer for there to be someone to take your position if you want to transfer within the same facility. It's actually easier to transfer to another VA. This may just be my VA, and it may be different elsewhere. As to what I wish someone had told me, there are two. #1-the salary at my VA is not competitive , #2-nothing ever happens in a timely manner. . It does seem to take an act of Congress to get anything to change/happen.You will learn to be incredibly patient or go insane,lol All that being said, I love working with the vets and do consider it a privilege.:)