Texas NPs

carachel2 · Jul 24, 2013

I am employed part-time in family practice. I get at least 2 postcards a week and countless emails and calls from recruiters looking for NPs so I would say it's good. I would say starting salary is anywhere from 42.00 an hour to 50.00 an hour depending on the environment, etc. I have no idea about surgery..are you a first assist as well? ER NPs seem to be doing better with hourly well into the 60's/per hour.

Be prepared if you want to work in derm: all of my friends who are doing this love it and are paid well BUT they all worked for 2-3 months for FREE doing some sort of residency/training.

Missy89 · Jul 24, 2013

I am employed part-time in family practice. I get at least 2 postcards a week and countless emails and calls from recruiters looking for NPs so I would say it's good. I would say starting salary is anywhere from 42.00 an hour to 50.00 an hour depending on the environment, etc. I have no idea about surgery..are you a first assist as well? ER NPs seem to be doing better with hourly well into the 60's/per hour.
Be prepared if you want to work in derm: all of my friends who are doing this love it and are paid well BUT they all worked for 2-3 months for FREE doing some sort of residency/training.

Thanks for the feedback! Oh wow I didn't know that but I would definitely still want to do it. I love the idea of doing a residency. Where in Texas do you live? I've lived in FL my whole life so I'm excited to move in 2015. I graduate Dec 2014!

kguill975, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 25, 2013

FYI: The state of Texas BON mandates that all NPs, working as a first assist in a surgical specialty, take a RNFA course. It'll be an extra hoop to jump through, here in Texas. Good Luck!

Annaiya, NP · Jul 25, 2013

Overall the TX job market is good. Most people do not want to live in TX and then with the stricter BoN rules for APRNs the NP jobs here can be really hard to fill. The only person I've ever heard who had some trouble finding a job was a new psych NP that wanted pediatrics. She couldn't find a job so after 6 months she took an adult psych job.

Missy89 · Jul 25, 2013

Do they let apns do that with no or experience? I'm coming from adult med surg and peds icu :/. Nvr did or but love the idea of surgery

kguill975, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 25, 2013

Do they let apns do that with no or experience? I'm coming from adult med surg and peds icu :/. Nvr did or but love the idea of surgery

Sure, but you'll get the basic knowledge about aseptic technique and first assisting during your RNFA course. Your sponsoring surgeon will teach you the rest on the job.

carachel2 · Jul 26, 2013

Overall the TX job market is good. Most people do not want to live in TX and then with the stricter BoN rules for APRNs the NP jobs here can be really hard to fill. The only person I've ever heard who had some trouble finding a job was a new psych NP that wanted pediatrics. She couldn't find a job so after 6 months she took an adult psych job.

ok, see...i really don't get that. I've been an FNP for almost four years and I have never once felt restricted. What do you feel bothers people ?

reebokHCFR, MSN, EMT-P, APRN, NP · Jul 26, 2013

Most people do not want to live in TX...

can you elaborate on that? I am in FL and TX is one of the only states I would consider moving to, though I have never been there.

Annaiya, NP · Jul 27, 2013

A lot of people aren't interested in Texas just from a cultural perspective. If you fit in then it's great but it isn't the place for everyone. As for the BoN, they require your education and training along with your certification to match the job that you are doing. Consequently, someone who is trained in primary care cannot work in acute care without going back to school. On the job training and CE type education courses do not count for increasing an NPs scope of practice. For instance an FNP who is working in an OB/GYN office will be more limited in what they can do and the procedures they can perform compared to a WHNP. For some people, this is an issue and they don't want to deal with it. But if you're an FNP working in a family practice then it isn't going to impact you.

carachel2 · Jul 27, 2013

A lot of people aren't interested in Texas just from a cultural perspective. If you fit in then it's great but it isn't the place for everyone. As for the BoN, they require your education and training along with your certification to match the job that you are doing. Consequently, someone who is trained in primary care cannot work in acute care without going back to school. On the job training and CE type education courses do not count for increasing an NPs scope of practice. For instance an FNP who is working in an OB/GYN office will be more limited in what they can do and the procedures they can perform compared to a WHNP. For some people, this is an issue and they don't want to deal with it. But if you're an FNP working in a family practice then it isn't going to impact you.

Ah, well...I LIKE those restrictions. I don't think an FNP has any business in acute care unless they have a lot of additional training. But I know others feel differently. Glad to hear that is all that is a big deal in regards to "restrictions." I felt I was missing some big important point, lol!

zenman · Jul 27, 2013

What I don't like about the TX BON would cover a lot of expletives. I hope the BON members are on here or someone tells them to look here. I can't even work in my home state because of a policy I've never seen before. It seems like almost every BON I know of has to have at least one policy that keeps them holding the ignorant sign. It's like the bumper sticker I saw on a car in Kansas, "Welcome to Kansas. Now set your clock back 150 years." The one policy I'm talking about is having to have all your hours for NP (I think at least 500) done within 2 years and not split up. Well, "hello" I was a psych CNS gaining a lot of experience and then went back and did a post-masters psych NP and didn't need 500 more hours to complete the course. There was nothing else I needed to make it 500 hours. My combination of psych CNS and NP certainly has benefited me more than just having the NP certificate. So suffer Texans,lol!