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Discussion

Questions about being a NP

Hi nurses!

I am currently a 19 year old male, Sophomore student at Salisbury University in Maryland. I have a 3.75 GPA and plan on applying to the nursing program after this semester and I had a few questions about being a nurse practitioner and nursing in general. I am attracted to health care but I am still trying to decide what I want to do. I have thought about NP, PA, PT, CRNA, and even MD and dentist. I have shadowed a nurse practitioner in my hometown and really liked what I saw. I like how nurse practitioners can treat patients and earn a great living without the enormous amount of stress and debt from med school ( I have a little bit of anxiety and I don't know if I would hold up in medical school. ) I have also shadowed a physical therapist and found it interesting, but I like the idea of being able to treat illnesses with medicine. I have had two ACL surgeries and I think this is what really drew me to healthcare, I really love psychology and have thought about psych nursing and becoming a psych NP as well. Overall, I want to be happy while making a comfortable salary. I know many people say it is not important to love your job and that it is just a way to get by in life and pay bills. But I think if you hate your job it will negatively impact your personal life as well.

Anyways here are a few questions I had

1. Are NP's treated with respect by doctors and patients?

2. Do you ever have regrets about becoming a NP?

3. Do pysch NP's do therapy along with prescribing medicine? ( I don't want to just write scripts for someone addicted to a psychotherapy drug)

4. Do I have an advantage being a male entering nursing or NP in general?

5. Would you recommend being a CRNA? ( The money looks great)

6. Do you ever get upset that you do the same work as a doc, but are not paid as much?

7. Is it possible to go right into psych nursing or even orthopedic nursing after I graduate from undergrad? ( I heard all new grads have to do med-surg and I do not picture myself liking that very much)

8.Lastly, do you enjoy your lifestyle out of work? Do you feel like you have enough time and money to go on vacations, do hobbies, spend time with family and friends?

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    Anyways here are a few questions I had:

    1. Are NP's treated with respect by doctors and patients?

    Sometime yes; sometimes no by docs. Almost always by patients

    2. Do you ever have regrets about becoming a NP?

    Nope. Wish I'd done it sooner.

    3. Do pysch NP's do therapy along with prescribing medicine? ( I don't want to just write scripts for someone addicted to a psychotherapy drug)

    Yep

    4. Do I have an advantage being a male entering nursing or NP in general?

    Not unless your name is Dick.

    5. Would you recommend being a CRNA? ( The money looks great)

    Do you like talking to sleeping people now?

    6. Do you ever get upset that you do the same work as a doc, but are not paid as much?

    No, they have more training and student loans to pay off.

    7. Is it possible to go right into psych nursing or even orthopedic nursing after I graduate from undergrad? ( I heard all new grads have to do med-surg and I do not picture myself liking that very much)

    It helps as most psych patients have medical problems.

    8.Lastly, do you enjoy your lifestyle out of work? Do you feel like you have enough time and money to go on vacations, do hobbies, spend time with family and friends?

    Yes.

  • Quote
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    1. Are NP's treated with respect by doctors and patients?

    2. Do you ever have regrets about becoming a NP?

    3. Do pysch NP's do therapy along with prescribing medicine? ( I don't want to just write scripts for someone addicted to a psychotherapy drug)

    4. Do I have an advantage being a male entering nursing or NP in general?

    5. Would you recommend being a CRNA? ( The money looks great)

    6. Do you ever get upset that you do the same work as a doc, but are not paid as much?

    7. Is it possible to go right into psych nursing or even orthopedic nursing after I graduate from undergrad? ( I heard all new grads have to do med-surg and I do not picture myself liking that very much)

    8.Lastly, do you enjoy your lifestyle out of work? Do you feel like you have enough time and money to go on vacations, do hobbies, spend time with family and friends?

    1. Respect is earned. There are lots of docs that don't respect nurses. There are a lot of nurses that don't respect docs. There are a lot of docs that don't respect other docs. There are a lot of nurses that don't respect other nurses. As you get a bit older you will care much less.

    2. None at all.

    3. I just write scripts and complain there aren't enough psych NPs.

    4. No.

    5. That's a big personal preference question.

    6. I make the same salary + performance as the MDs in my group. NPs are cost-effective care and we make plenty of money for our work, in general. Should there be equal pay for equal outcomes? Yes.

    7. Yes. Depends.

    8. Absolutely.

    Sent from my iPhone.

  • Quote

    1. Are NP's treated with respect by doctors and patients?

    For most patients, yes. For many docs, no.

    2. Do you ever have regrets about becoming a NP?

    No. It is the best thing I could do consider my old age > 30. If you are less than 30, reconsider MD or PhD.

    3. Do pysch NP's do therapy along with prescribing medicine? ( I don't want to just write scripts for someone addicted to a psychotherapy drug)

    Yes. But you will not have time to do a good job at time. And most likely, it is more supportive and not hardcore psychotherapy. Most clinics only care about bottom line and volume. They want patient in an out in 15-30 min. If you want to do in-depth therapy, do not become psych NP unless you want to invest on your own private practice.. then you can determine the amount of time spent with patient. Go to psychology or counseling! You are too young to become just NP. You can go to psychology and then become psych NP or go to medical school later.

    4. Do I have an advantage being a male entering nursing or NP in general?

    No advantage at all. Actually, it is an disadvantage. Women are more likely to earn trust and build rapport with patients better than men in general. It is just a stereotypical notion. Some patients request to be seen by only female providers.

    5. Would you recommend being a CRNA? ( The money looks great)

    Yes, it is the highest paid specialty. It is also the least likely to be saturated. For other specialties and FNPs, the schools are mushrooming in an uncontrollable rate, causing low salary. Additionally, the DNP requirement for CRNA will control the supply. Sadly, other specialty has not made this requirement as of yet.

    6. Do you ever get upset that you do the same work as a doc, but are not paid as much?

    I do not get upset about not getting paid as much. That's fine. That's why we exists for cost-effective healthcare. But what I get upset that we get paid 50% of what they get. Let me repeat FIFTY PERCENT sometimes every 40% of their salary. If it is at least 65% or 70%, I can accept it. It does not make sense from the reimbursement standpoint.

    7. Is it possible to go right into psych nursing or even orthopedic nursing after I graduate from undergrad? ( I heard all new grads have to do med-surg and I do not picture myself liking that very much)

    It is not a prerequisite. Go to what you want to do.

    8.Lastly, do you enjoy your lifestyle out of work? Do you feel like you have enough time and money to go on vacations, do hobbies, spend time with family and friends

    If you are single, yes. With family, no. Most NP jobs are 5 days per week. 2 days off per week is pathetic. I am looking for 4-day per week right now. 100k per year is barely enough in today's economy. You need at least the new magic number 150k.

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