Regret Midlevel Position?

lalaxton · Jul 21, 2008

No regrets here. And where did you ever get the idea that docs are 'top dogs' in a hospital?? If you want that then go into hospital administration!

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Jul 21, 2008

No regrets here. And where did you ever get the idea that docs are 'top dogs' in a hospital?? If you want that then go into hospital administration!

actually, almost every doc i have worked with, interviewed with, and interned with have ALL told me they wished they went the NP route because it allows more flexibility and the allowance for a HOME LIFE. i hear that over and over. many of my physician friends did not have good balance early in their careers and in their youth and worked very hard (understandably) to get where they are now... but their children have grown up without them. so, i am young and have small kids... and they really say they wished they had that back.

it is funny that it is such a huge recurring theme. as a NP, i have all the parts of practice I want... caring for patients and managing their care (in the office or in the hospital... I will be doing both) and building relationships with them.

There are MANY studies out there that show that the quality of care given by a NP is equal to or greater than a physcian.

No reason for me to go to medical school unless I somehow doubt myself or think myself to be less. We ALL work as a team here.

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Jul 21, 2008

As i've posted before, I'm thinking about becoming a RN then off to medical school. I feel relieved that if i dont get into med school, there is always the NP positions if need be. Are you happy with it? Or do you wish you would have just went to med school so you could be "top" dog in the hospital? I'm scared of having regrets.

you are wrong. there are not "always" NP positions. being an NP is not a fall back. getting into graduate school at this level is very competitve. in my NP program for the Pediatric program, there were only 7 slots. 7!!!

maybe you need to rethink your career tract. Nursing is not a fallback. If you go and look, nursing programs are just as competitve as medical programs.

While there is some overlap in job duties, the nursing and the medical profession are two totally separate entities. You need to look into this. Job shadow. READ. Talk to professionals in all areas of practice.

I see that you are 18 years old. The average college student changes their major at least twice before graduation.

So... just consider that you may not end up in health professions at all, but may choose an entirely career altogether.

kiser56 · Jul 22, 2008

Sarah,

Hello, how are you? I applaud your choice to become an RN. I started college wanting to go to medical school. I got my B.S. in biology and continued with certification in secondary education thinking about medical school. I toured all the medical schools within four to five hours of me and just never seemed like it was the right fit. They began a B.S.N. program at my college, so I decided on a whim to do it without really knowing why I wanted to become a nurse. While in school, I began learning more about the shortage of family practice physicians in the country and the downward turn in medical schools toward family practice. It made me start to think about becoming an FNP. Here I am now in my second year in the FNP program at the University of Virginia and I could not be happier with my choice. I currently work as a nurse in a level I trauma Neuro/Trauma ICU in TN and I it is far more difficult than I could have ever imagined initially. I think that what you should look into is shadowing both physicians and NP's in family practice or whatever type of practice if you are interested in. If you are interested in specialty practice, depending on your area, maybe becoming a physician is a better route for you. There are also specialty practice options for advanced practice nurses by going through the CNS route. The money is of course different, but the fit is the most important thing. I believe that as a FNP, the role is shaping and growing in ways that the field of family medicine will soon have to accomodate and make our position more valued over time. The good thing is that you have plenty of time to consider your options, so get out there and explore. If you did decide to go to medical school, I would suggest working as a nurse for at least one year before applying so that you will go into school very well prepared for the didactic phase. In the mean time, you can always take tough electives that will prepare you to make medical school always an option (bio, chem, organic chem, and physics). Hope whatever you decide makes you happy!