Return to the bedside

Specialties NP

Updated:   Published

I have been an FNP for one year and I just resigned from what was an absolutely terrible job. I have many years ( 20+) of PACU, ICU, CCU and ED experience. As an RN that is. Those willing to hire me as an NP are only offering one terrible job after another. I have spent my life working in hospitals and I miss it soo much. Yet, I can't get a job working in a hospital as an NP. They want 3 years of experience in the area of specialty as an NP. They don't care about my RN background.

In fact, most worthwhile jobs want 3 years or more of NP experience.

I hate the long hours, rotten pay and poor benefits that seem to be the fate of an office FNP. I hate the office environment period.

I feel awful, I regret this more every day and I want to return to hospital RN life.. I want to return to three 12 hour shifts in a PACU or ED as a staff nurse and get my life back. In addition to rotten pay and benefits, My FNP experience was very lonely and beyond boring. I miss the fast pace of the hospital and the camaraderie of fellow nurses. All that time and money on my education will be wasted, but I'm starting not to care about that because I'm so miserable.

Has anyone else done this? Has anyone out there quit and gone back? Will I be able to go back? Will hospitals

allow it?

ANY advice on ditching this career path is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

I wouldn't be so quick to judge the OP. Early in my NP career I went through much of the same thing. I was working as an NP in Florida as a new grad and it was the worst. That was a while ago and I know for a fact that things are still bad there for FNPs there whether they are new grads or have years of experience. From reading these threads and working locums in other states I gather that its like that in many other areas too.

To the OP, you don't have to work in an office. You can look into urgent care centers. Many of them do 10 and 12 hour shifts. If you want to work only in hospitals and you were not trained as an ACNP you will need additional training and mentoring; but, instead of applying directly to the hospitals you should try applying to the physician groups that work in those hospitals. Some of them will hire you and train you. That is the route that I would go... unless you have definitely decided that you want to go back to the bedside. Education is never wasted, you just have to look for the right opportunities to use it. Family practice is a whole different can of beans from acute care. I'm curious to know why you chose an FNP program though instead of an ACNP program. Also, there are numerous accredited workshops that are put on by various state nurse practitioner organizations throughout the year where you can go to learn hands-on procedure skills while building up your CEUs. Great opportunity for NPs who want to learn new procedure skills or brush up on their existing ones.

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@Missmilo You said exactly what I've been thinking and feeling for a while now. Thank you. I can't wait to get back to 3-12's and NOT staying after work to chart and not get paid for it. So tired of it.

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I don't think being an FNP is not exciting. I seen random things all the time....and I love procedures. What I do think is different ........is there isn't a lot of work place drama or stress.....and I personally love that . I am not sure about the posts about staying hours to chart. I have a 95 % fill rate and I am done with my charting every night. I almost always leave within 20 to 30 minutes of my official end time (at the latest). I am a very fast typer and do a fair amount in pre-charting (which were allowed to do) and during appointment. For my fellow colleagues that aren't as efficient , they don't stay late either....they just save it for the next day and do it when they have a no-show or lunch.

I think if you went into this role wanting to be a nurse practitioner.....1 year is to early to throw in the towel. Find another job in this role that is a better fit. However, I am always confused when people who got an FNP think they were going to work in a hospital. My program was very clear from the start that this was not the appropriate degree for that goal.

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Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

@missmilo-

I'm sorry your experience has been so negative. We spend too much time at work to hate it. That being said, you worked hard for your NP, and maybe there's still a way to utilize your education and get the schedule and setting you prefer.

Several people mentioned Urgent Care. Many UC centers operate on 12 hour shifts and can see patients of varying degrees of acuity. You might work with other providers, or you might be solo (with support staff). Maybe this is something you could do, and meanwhile go back for a post-masters ACNP certification, with a goal of getting back into the hospital.

Ultimately, you need to do what makes you happy. Best of luck.

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I won't be judgemental! I'm sure your feelings come from being overworked. I felt this way when I transitioned from CNA to RN. I'm hoping that you've found answers! I'm personally may go back to get my acute care! But I do agree definitely learn because I also heard that same story that you can be held to the same liability as an RN! Maybe doing education or management 😁

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I can see how it would be a difficult adjustment going from acute care setting of 20 years to a clinic setting, but I would not walk away so soon. You need time to adjust and find competence in your new role. As far as NPs working in hospital settings that all depends on where you live/practice. Some states limit IP NPs to ACNPs, but most states do not have that requirement. i see several hospitalist positions open to new grad FNPs where I live.

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I feel your pain. Where are you now?

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Specializes in Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care.
On 9/23/2017 at 9:07 AM, TammyG said:

Wow lots of judgments passed here. Like the OP, I also hated being an NP for many of the same reasons. I tried several different jobs and disliked all of them for different reasons. I longed to go back to the bedside. I chose a different option however, which is that I stopped working altogether. At least for a while. If I do go back to work, I am pretty sure it will be as an RN.

People go to NP school for all different reasons. Telling someone that they "should have known" what being an NP is like is not helpful.

It is true that there are many different NP jobs, and hopefully everyone will find one that they like. But one thing that almost all NP jobs share in common is that you bill, and with that comes certain pressures and responsibilities. Although the RN jobs I had prepared me well for being an NP, I found the NP job totally different in all respects.

If the OP wants to return to the bedside, to a job she was happy and satisfied with, she certainly can do so.

What everyone is saying is true though. I have encountered many RNs who were entertaining NP school but had misconceptions, didn't understand the different tracks or potential options, or know anything about current practice trends and issues. I have seen folks get midway into their FNP program and 'realize' they should have done ACNP because they weren't allowed to do any acute care rotations. It's imperative to research, research research your career path.

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Specializes in FNP.

Is this even a real thread? I know about 75-100 NP's and not one is even close to wanting to go back to RN. Most are getting 150-200k and work about 50% of what they did as an RN.

I'm sure that there are less than desirable jobs out there, and have heard from some NP's that they have changed jobs due to the working conditions. But, overall, being an NP doesn't compare to RN, it's just awesome.

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Specializes in Emergency medicine.

Practicing medicine is an arduous, humbling, difficult career. As an FNP you are trained for an FNP position, not an acute care position. As others have pointed out, RN is a different job. While there is some overlap in the skills required, your experience as an RN does not overrule lack of specific education and training in acute care medicine.

I wish you the best and hope you find a gratifying career for which you are well prepared.

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Specializes in Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care.
9 hours ago, TuxnadoDO said:

Practicing medicine is an arduous, humbling, difficult career. As an FNP you are trained for an FNP position, not an acute care position. As others have pointed out, RN is a different job. While there is some overlap in the skills required, your experience as an RN does not overrule lack of specific education and training in acute care medicine.

I wish you the best and hope you find a gratifying career for which you are well prepared.

This.

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9 hours ago, TuxnadoDO said:

Practicing medicine is an arduous, humbling, difficult career. As an FNP you are trained for an FNP position, not an acute care position. As others have pointed out, RN is a different job. While there is some overlap in the skills required, your experience as an RN does not overrule lack of specific education and training in acute care medicine.

I wish you the best and hope you find a gratifying career for which you are well prepared.

?

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