Unemployed Vanderbilt FNP

[Nurse Beth]

Dear Vanderbilt FNP,

Congratulations on your accomplishments! You will get a job! It's just a matter of when and where. Never give up.

Not all employers view advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) as overly qualified RNs. I work with several APRNs in my hospital who are employed in various RN roles. Here's the difference - many of them worked as RNs while going to school, and stayed in their RN role or used their advanced degree to promote within the organization.

If you get a job as an RN, keep in mind that an FNP working as an RN is held to the standard of care of an FNP in court. In an emergency situation, for example, that may mean practicing outside of the RN scope of practice for which you were hired.

While there are differing opinions on whether it is better to have RN experience before obtaining your NP and whether it makes you less employable, your problem is a basic one of landing a job without experience.

The principles of job seeking remain the same.

• Compelling resume and cover letter
  
• Interviewing skills
  
• Networking
  

You say you are being given reasons for being turned down for both RN and FNP jobs, so I presume you are getting interviews? If so, that means your resume is effective in getting you noticed. Good job!

During an interview, you must stand out, and persuade the employer that you are a good fit for their organization. Be familiar with their culture, mission, service lines, etc. Be prepared to answer Why should we hire you?”

Start aggressively networking if you are not doing so already. Join local and state organizations. Ask every NP, MD, and nurse you know if they can recommend anyone for you to contact. Are you in touch with your classmates and former professors?

Consider relocating. Are you in an area with a poor job market for NPs? Research different areas and start applying.

Be patient and be persistent.

Your observation about PAs and NPs being held to seemingly different standards and perceptions is worthy of another post!

There are some highly informed APRNs on the site who I hope will chime in with insight from their experience.

Best wishes, friend

Nurse Beth

Just read a great article 7 Social Media Posts that Will Destroy Your Career and these related articles:

Top States and Hospitals for Nursing Jobs

Do you have an Elevator Speech? No? Why You need one

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

@AnaLong - oh my goodness; thanks so much for those kind words. Made me smile!

And...congrats on your new job - I'm sure you will rock this job and cont to wow them!

So very happy for you

[lorelei12901]

Great advice from Nurse Beth...again. Back to basics. Good resume, persistance, networking, creativity. You will land that job!!! Good luck, Vanderbilt FNP!

[adventure_rn, MSN, NP]

I realize that the OP has been offered a job, but I think that this post brings up an important insight about direct entry programs and employment challenges. While I don't think that direct entry "cheapens" the NP education, it makes sense that it would be more difficult to get a job as a direct entry NP considering that the vast majority of new grad NPs have RN experience. In just about any professional field, people with relevant work experience will have the upper hand. Think about it: if I'm hiring for an NP position at a cardiology practice and I'm interviewing a ton of candidates with cardiac nursing experience against a few candidates with no professional healthcare experience, I'm ultimately more likely to choose a person with cardiac experience, right?

In addition, former nurses also have an advantage when it comes to networking. I've known plenty of NPs who were hired onto units where they had previously worked as nurses because the providers already knew and respected them. Even if you don't plan to work on your prior unit, nurse managers can provide references that speak to your professionalism, critical thinking, and competence in a healthcare setting. In this sense, NPs with nursing experience may also have the upper hand.

I don't think that there's anything fundamentally wrong with the direct entry NP program, but I think students should be informed that they may face an uphill battle relative to their non-direct-entry peers with regards to new graduate employment prospects. Unfortunately, I would imagine that schools with direct entry programs aren't always forthcoming about these issues when they have a bottom line to meet.

[RisaW]

Great Advice. I'm a Vandy Direct-Entry grad and really would have appreciated this information 9 years ago, especially the part about networking. Thank you Nurse Beth, good advice.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

My organization employs a very large number of NPs in a variety of settings, from ambulatory to acute care and other inpatient settings. All of the jobs require experience & documented evidence of clinical competence. These positions function in highly independent roles, which are inappropriate for newbies. When our recruiters get applications from DE NP grads, they are not considered for any NP positions, but are sometimes hired into staff nurse jobs.