Too many NPs?

OCRN3 · Jun 15, 2016

It's true. Nps are being churned out and saturating the market. I have found that my nursing experience is only s little valuable and specialty has not mattered to employers. I would concentrate on an easy specialty do u can concentrate on school.

Trauma Columnist · Jun 15, 2016

Its been my experience (10 years as an APN) that NPs and APNs are still valued and needed - it just may not be in your current location or specialty.

My large nephrology practice is always looking for strong APNs. We don't always have openings but in the last 10 years we have expanded our practice and as we expand, we like to have a list of ready candidates to interview.

Riburn3, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 16, 2016

OP, it entirely depends on your market. Do you know of lot's of NP's (especially new grads) in your market struggling to find work, and when they do find it, it isn't very good? That's where I would start. If you come on this site, you can research threads going years back about nurses (both APRN's and regular RN's) complaining about how difficult it is to find a job. You'll also get a ton of people telling you that it's raining money and to make the plunge into a program that will cost you $100k. Honestly just get a feel for your market and talk to local NP's because they will have a better feel than anyone on here. If your area has a local APRN organization, go to a meeting and see what's up.

I agree that previous experience doesn't play that much of a factor to lots of hiring providers, but it doesn't hurt either. EVERY SINGLE JOB I have every gotten as an APRN has been a result of my connections with physicians that I established when I worked as an RN in the CVICU. I still get regularly solicited by physicians asking me to work for them. Even though there wasn't a direct translation between the two roles (RN to APRN), they knew I was capable and teachable, and this has played huge dividends. Just think about it logically, would someone be more willing to hire a new grad NP if they knew them and knew how they worked as a nurse, or hire someone they had absolutely no experience with or knowledge of? ( I guess this could be a detriment if you have a bad working reputation though)

In terms of RN clinical experience, the FNP is a jack of all trades role, and just about anything will help, or at the very least, nothing will hurt you. I will say that ER experience will give you familiarity with all patient populations covered, and you will also get to help perform lots of skills FNP's are trained in (suturing, abscess I&D, etc). However, nothing in the inpatient role will really prepare you well for primary care issues, or the plethora of medications you never knew existed, but totally need to know. I'll also say ER's like to hire FNP's for their fast track due to their patient diversity, and several of my friends that worked ER as nurses, got immediately scooped up by their hospitals to work in the ER as NP's. Plus, where I am in Texas, being an ER NP is one of the highest starting pays there is at over $130k with the big agencies like TeamHealth.

Daryl_G · Jun 16, 2016

Depends on the market. I am in Tampa, Fl. and surrounded by 5-6 NP programs so it's a little saturated here. Truth is if you actually measure the number of NP grads annually vs need its not oversaturated in most places. Florida is a bad example though.

What may make ppl feel that way is the number of post and RN's who say they are going back to school vs the ones that actually complete a program. Before starting and during my NP program it felt like the entire hospital I worked in was back in school. Reality is 95% of them never went or did not finish, just talked about it.

It may get worse in the future in my area. Just to get into a nursing program is extremely hard, many require an absurd 3.5-3.7 GPA to apply. If a student is that dedicated in a business, engineering, or biology program its expected they will apply to a graduate program.

Truth is as long as floor nursing remains in its current state or becomes worse all you will hear about is nurses wanting to become NP, CRNA, Educator ect..

HJaneF · Jun 20, 2016

my mom is a doctor and says NPs are in high demand

PG2018 · Jun 21, 2016

Too many FNPs. Too many schools with a focus in FNP. Too many ways to become a FNP.

I like FNPs. There's just too many of you.

Helloeverybody · Jun 30, 2016

Just think about it logically, would someone be more willing to hire a new grad NP if they knew them and knew how they worked as a nurse, or hire someone they had absolutely no experience with or knowledge of? ( I guess this could be a detriment if you have a bad working reputation though)

You are absolutely correct. I currently work as a CNA and waiting to take my boards, just graduated. We were 3 CNAs on the floor, one was floated, and a 2nd went to the ER (bad back). I was alone with 34 patients. I was literally sprinting around, I know not the safest thing to do, but when that bed alarm goes off, you know that guy with the high ammonia level is ready to jump out of bed, vital signs, bed pans, admissions, ginger ales, puddings!!! lmao The Dr. a neurologist, always joking with the nurses, asked me for my name, and said if I ever want to work in his office, I can have the job tomorrow. Of course I want a hospital job as an RN so I humbly declined. So yes, Drs will hire you if they like you, work with you, as opposed to reading a resume online.