Question about hospital privileges

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Hello there. I've been working as a home hospice NP for the past year and just had an interview for an inpatient palliative care NP position. I was told during the interview that this particular hospital is a real stickler about hiring NPs with hospital privileges and even though the interviewers like me, I may not get the job because I don't have hospital privileges.

How does one go about getting hospital privileges? Is the hospital being uptight about it because it would have to pay for me to get some sort of special permission? I feel very frustrated and annoyed because this is my ideal job and it's being thwarted by my lack of hospital privileges that apparently are not easy to get. I am not about to apply for an inpatient non-hospice/palliative care job at another hospital just to get hospital privileges so I suppose if I don't get this job, then that's what's going to happen.

Thanks for your help in advance.

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Specializes in Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care.

Generally, if you're a hospital employee, they should have their medical staff office walk you through the process of getting privileges and go through the credentialing committee. If you're a private group seeing hospital patients, then the practice should be able to help you.

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10 hours ago, Neuro Guy NP said:

Generally, if you're a hospital employee, they should have their medical staff office walk you through the process of getting privileges and go through the credentialing committee. If you're a private group seeing hospital patients, then the practice should be able to help you.

Thanks for your response, @Neuro Guy NP It sounds, though, that this hospital wants applicants to already have hospital privileges. The interviewers told me that they've had a lot of problems in the past hiring NPs who don't already come with hospital privileges. Does this mean that if I get hospital privileges in a hospital from a different part of the states, they're applicable anywhere in that state? Is credentialing someone super expensive? I'm trying to figure out why they don't want to hire anyone that doesn't already have privileges and the only thing I can think of is money.

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Specializes in OB.
5 hours ago, db2xs said:

Thanks for your response, @Neuro Guy NP It sounds, though, that this hospital wants applicants to already have hospital privileges. The interviewers told me that they've had a lot of problems in the past hiring NPs who don't already come with hospital privileges. Does this mean that if I get hospital privileges in a hospital from a different part of the states, they're applicable anywhere in that state? Is credentialing someone super expensive? I'm trying to figure out why they don't want to hire anyone that doesn't already have privileges and the only thing I can think of is money.

But how would you already have privileges at a hospital if you don't currently work there? You can't "transfer" privileges from another hospital, you have to apply to each new one where you work. I don't understand at all.

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5 hours ago, db2xs said:

I'm trying to figure out why they don't want to hire anyone that doesn't already have privileges and the only thing I can think of is money.

They want to hire someone who's already been credentialed for their hospital...basically they want to hire from within. Credentialing can take some time and it sounds like they don't want to wait to get an outside person up and running.

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1 hour ago, Wuzzie said:

They want to hire someone who's already been credentialed for their hospital...basically they want to hire from within. Credentialing can take some time and it sounds like they don't want to wait to get an outside person up and running.

Then what's the point of putting an ad online and interviewing people? Wait ... you don't need to answer that. It's a rhetorical question. I've already talked to HRs in the past who have told me that by law or whatever it is they have to also post the job publicly for some amount of time, even if it is intended to be an internal candidate. It's a waste of time for everyone.

2 hours ago, LibraSunCNM said:

But how would you already have privileges at a hospital if you don't currently work there? You can't "transfer" privileges from another hospital, you have to apply to each new one where you work. I don't understand at all.

If that's the case, then I don't get that either. I am going to ask the recruiter about this.

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8 hours ago, db2xs said:

Thanks for your response, @Neuro Guy NP It sounds, though, that this hospital wants applicants to already have hospital privileges. The interviewers told me that they've had a lot of problems in the past hiring NPs who don't already come with hospital privileges. Does this mean that if I get hospital privileges in a hospital from a different part of the states, they're applicable anywhere in that state? Is credentialing someone super expensive? I'm trying to figure out why they don't want to hire anyone that doesn't already have privileges and the only thing I can think of is money.

Wut doesn’t every hospital require it’s own set of hospital privs? Their response doesn’t make much sense Sounds like a dumb response from them. If they give you privs good if not go elsewhere. Don’t quit current job until you have privs

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Specializes in Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care.

It sounds like you just need to keep it moving. I predict that even if they agree to help, you'll find out rather quickly that this job isn't for you. I sense major red flags so I suggest you spare yourself the misery and look elsewhere. As they say, "nothing good can come from this".

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Is OP getting hospital privileges mixed up with hospital experience? I have heard of some hospitals wanting prior hospital experience prior to allowing privileges but even that is a stretch or have they had a bad experience with np in past?

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12 hours ago, kudzui said:

Is OP getting hospital privileges mixed up with hospital experience? I have heard of some hospitals wanting prior hospital experience prior to allowing privileges but even that is a stretch or have they had a bad experience with np in past?

Thanks for your response but no, I am not mixing up hospital privileges and hospital experience. I was told specifically at my job interview that they'd had a lot of problems in the past hiring NPs who don't already come with hospital privileges. I have had hospital experience as an RN, not as an NP, and the job did not state that the applicant needed NP hospital experience as a requirement, albeit it stated recent hospital experience.

Since I've never worked at a hospital as an NP so far, I thought this specific credentialing was some sort of certificate/credential stating someone can practice in hospitals, sort of like ACLS, BLS, etc. But it sounds like the privileges are hospital-specific so I don't get all of this. Why tell me at my interview that since I'm not credentialed at their hospital that I may not get the job, when I can't get credentialed at their hospital unless I have a job there? They told me it's up to the medical staff: "Even if we like you and think you're the perfect candidate, it's not up to us." Does that sound like an excuse?

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, Burn ICU.

If you are really interested in this job, contact the medical staffing office to see what the process is for an NP to get privileges/credentialed. Then you can follow up with this potential employer about what the process is. It sounds like this particular hospital is not NP-friendly. So could present an uphill battle, but one that the hiring clinic will need to fight if they don't already have a credentialed candidate.

I think it's fine to ask them if they already have a credentialed candidate.

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4 hours ago, WestCoastSunRN said:

If you are really interested in this job, contact the medical staffing office to see what the process is for an NP to get privileges/credentialed. Then you can follow up with this potential employer about what the process is. It sounds like this particular hospital is not NP-friendly. So could present an uphill battle, but one that the hiring clinic will need to fight if they don't already have a credentialed candidate.

I think it's fine to ask them if they already have a credentialed candidate.

So I think the reality of the matter is that they actually want an NP with inpatient hospital experience but instead of telling me this, they just made up this excuse about needing to be credentialed. Ta-dah! The truth comes out!

Next!

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