In response many of the posts we find on here. What would be some of the biggest struggles that nurse practitioners, np students, new grads, vets, etc experience in this field? Does not have to be related to anything specific, but if you had one problem in regards to being a nurse practitioner, what would it be?
I guess to start mine would be something along the lines of attempting to understand what the future holds for nurse practitioners in this ever-changing world.
Money. Yes I do ok here in GA but as an RN my income was basically the same. Add in all the taxes I pay and I just do not bring home enough money to do this! My yard man makes more than I do. But his is a cash business. So there ya go!
Money. Yes I do ok here in GA but as an RN my income was basically the same. Add in all the taxes I pay and I just do not bring home enough money to do this! My yard man makes more than I do. But his is a cash business. So there ya go!
I would not work as a NP if I didn't make significantly more money than I did as a RN. There is too much involved, too much at stake not to be compensated nicely, imo. Although I know different areas pay different depending on the need and cost of living but there is no reason why a NP should not be paid significantly more than a RN in all areas. Even as a new grad NP I made almost twice my RN rate. Are you involved with your state's NP organization? That seriously doesn't make sense that NPs in your area area accepting that type of lousy compensation for the work we do.
That makes no sense why don't you have office staff for the bulk of this? Paying a NP to do clerical things is a poor business move, imo.
The office staff do initiate them, but often have questions re: previous meds tried, reason for treatment failure, etc.. I do end up getting on the phone with the companies when the PAs are denied. We also deal with a lot of immune globulin and very expensive meds such as Xolair, Zemaira, and Cinryze which need a lot of documentation and clinical information for authorization, which can be time consuming. It's the denial for daily controller meds for asthma that gets my back up.
Specializes in Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care.
Not sure where it is that everyone is making these crappy salaries but i went to school in Georgia. I'm a recent grad. My classmates who stayed got acute care jobs with physicians i know well and none of my six other classmates stayed out at less than $98,000 (the ones I'm close enough to ask about salary anyway). And we're new grads!!! In the deep south!!!
I am not an NP... I'll be starting a program for PMHNP in the fall. I'm excited that I was accepted (the program only took 10 people) but I'm terrified that my RN experience won't be enough (even though I'm planning on continuing to work through my program). I went into nursing because I wanted to be a nurse and only chose to advance my career after seeing how painfully understaffed my state hospital was with Physicians and Mid-level providers. For months I had to run my unit without a regular ward physician or mid-level provider. We ran heavily on covering MD's or PMHNP's (they changed so much and it was very hard on the patient's - since each provider had different medications of choice and would change the patient's medication regimen's constantly, and it was hard on the staff because a lot of the decisions that were made by these providers did not translate well to the floor). I had to leave my position for graduate school... and that killed me (I loved my job so much). I feel guilty for leaving my floor but excited about school and gaining experience in acute inpatient psych (versus max. security forensics where I've spent most of my career).
I do feel strongly about RN's having experience before going into NP programs... and I do worry that mine won't be enough. I'm not trying to put down people that went into direct-entry programs or PMHNP programs without psych nursing experience - but there is so much I feel like I still don't know. Book learning is great! I feel like education can really help prepare people... but some things you have to experience. Like there are things that work in the books... but patient care is individualized and implementing that awesome thing from your book... on the floor... doesn't always translate well in reality. And that is often learned by experience. I'll be taking a pay-cut going back to my state hospital (no more OT) but I want to go back and I hope that my RN experience combined with an advanced practice education will help bring continuity of care to my unit. I guess my biggest struggle is... I hope I get through this program and I hope I don't suck.
Not sure where it is that everyone is making these crappy salaries but i went to school in Georgia. I'm a recent grad. My classmates who stayed got acute care jobs with physicians i know well and none of my six other classmates stayed out at less than $98,000 (the ones I'm close enough to ask about salary anyway). And we're new grads!!! In the deep south!!!
That does sound good for the south. I know a new grad in DC with their FNP who just took a job for $90,000 which I thought was low for this area.
I work in an area with rampant drug abuse problems, so I find it exhausting to have arguments with patients about why I won't prescribe controlleds to them, since it happens daily and often multiple times a day. And then there's the awesome fact that the patients will see someone else in the clinic who will just give them whatever they want.
That makes no sense why don't you have office staff for the bulk of this? Paying a NP to do clerical things is a poor business move, imo.
Ha! My clinic is the same, it's ridiculous. I try to explain that it's not that I feel above doing paperwork or mundane tasks, if they need to get done I'll get them done, but seriously do they really want to pay me the salary I have to file papers???
Lol I live in a mid tier cost of living area and I make around 90k with a little OT as a RN. If my first offer as an NP isn't 100k or near it I wouldn't even bother.
I work in an area with rampant drug abuse problems, so I find it exhausting to have arguments with patients about why I won't prescribe controlleds to them, since it happens daily and often multiple times a day. And then there's the awesome fact that the patients will see someone else in the clinic who will just give them whatever they want.
Try not to let that bother you and definitely don't let the browbeating sway you to prescribe something you know is wrong. Those who are ready to consider why you won't prescribe certain medications that are contraindicated might actually improve and the others just aren't ready yet. Hopefully your education will plant a seed. If not as we all know prescribers willing to write for benzodiazepines and stimulants with a opiate chaser are not difficult to find.
gettingbsn2msn, MSN, RN
610 Posts
Money. Yes I do ok here in GA but as an RN my income was basically the same. Add in all the taxes I pay and I just do not bring home enough money to do this! My yard man makes more than I do. But his is a cash business. So there ya go!