What can I do with my MSN-FNP that doesn't require much patient contact

I know what you might think, why did I start FNP if I don't like contact with patients. The thing is, I didn't feel this way before I started the program. I've been an RN for 3 years, I started FNP because I wanted to get out of bedside.

Demanding and understaffed work environment was getting the best of my mental and physical health. I thought it would be different in outpatient setting, since I'd be getting more respect and independence.

I did a thorough research about what I'd be doing as an FNP before starting the program, and it seemed really nice, way better than bedside. However, I didn't really know what primary care really was before I started my clinicals. And now I have 4 months before graduating, and I'm realizing that's not really what I want to do.

I just can't deal with people. I can't stand when they think that there's a magic pill to fix everything when they don't bother changing their eating habits or adding exercise regimen. Or when they come into the office not knowing what medical conditions they have or what medications they take.

It may not be a big deal to many healthcare professionals, but I just cant imagine dealing with this for the rest of my life. Maybe I'm just burned out. I don't know.

What can I do with my MSN FNP degree that doesn't require much patient contact?

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

1 hour ago, CaliGrlOncNP said:

PLUS, we need nurses that are good at things other than patient care - I.e. management, administration, research.

That's why we have nursing managers, researchers and leaders who en masse have no idea whatsoever about the things they are supposed to manage, research and lead.

[Tegridy]

22 hours ago, CaliGrlOncNP said:

She already was working as a nurse and did like patient care before becoming an NP. The problem is there's no way to really know if you like the job you are going for until you actually do it. Shadowing is not the same. If it were easy, there wouldn't be such high rates of burnout and dropout. Its a systemic issue, not an individual issue.

PLUS, we need nurses that are good at things other than patient care - I.e. management, administration, research. So I do not think all nurses need to love patient care, just like all MDs do not love patient care and all professors do not love teaching.

You have to learn your primary job responsibility first. If you pack medicine, leadership, research, instruction into a 3-4 year degree you will be adequate at none of those

[ADNRN2016]

On 3/2/2020 at 1:17 PM, CaliGrlOncNP said:

That's a really unnecessarily harsh judgment in my opinion and nursing is the only profession where I see this harsh criticism of people who don't LOVE what they do. It's actually really really common for people in all professions to not love what they do - doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, financial executives, etc. In this day and age when its easy to get $200K in student loan debt going to all public schools (as in my scenario), many people are doing things they don't love to do because they have to put food on the table. But we have this bias in nursing that people "don't belong" once they decide it isn't their favorite thing. As a result, there is a systemic over - glorification of nursing that further leads young people to believe that its a perfect profession. Perhaps if more people were realistic about what nursing is REALLY like, there would be fewer people ending up in this profession and being unhappy. Perhaps we should be as empathetic with each other as we are with our patients.

"As a result, there is a systemic over - glorification of nursing that further leads young people to believe that its a perfect profession."

This sentence resonates strongly with me. All the instagram and facebook posts of nursing as a field full of passion and heroic work is only one perspective of nursing being represented, and can certainly be very misleading.

[nurselove757]

Surgical first assist?

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

1 hour ago, nurselove757 said:

Surgical first assist?

PAs are wastly preferred. Very difficult position for an NP to get in without specialty experience and personal connections.

Plus, you can be pulled at any time for preops, postops, daily rounds, clinic, etc., etc.

[amoLucia]

On ‎3‎/‎6‎/‎2020 at 2:22 PM, KatieMI said:

That's why we have nursing managers, researchers and leaders who en masse have no idea whatsoever about the things they are supposed to manage, research and lead.

LOVE THIS! Maybe a needlepoint project?

[HealthNutNP, BSN, MSN, RN, NP]

Definitely research different specialities and perhaps reach out to NPs or PAs in those positions to get a feel for their true day-to-day responsibilities/expectations. I worked in primary care for 2 years after graduation and HATED it. I looked at it the same way I looked at med-surg experience - get your feet wet with broad experience first before going into a specialty. Problem was, primary care is difficult for a new grad. It was irritating to me also that many of the patients I saw never held themselves accountable for their own health. I've now been in surgical oncology for 2 years and love it.

Focus more on what you want to do on a daily basis. You know you want less patient contact. Do you like more procedural work? Do you like adrenaline rushes? Do you want to follow a patient through their journey (I.e. oncology) or do you want to clock in, see patients, send them on their way and go home? You could consider working with a surgeon in their specific specialty (GI, urology, plastics). I had a friend who worked in ENT - very low stress. Another friend of mine works in pain management - I would hate it, but she enjoys it very much.

It's okay if you don't like primary care! But don't give up just because you don't like one area. There are many other possibilities.

[Myruby]

I worked many jobs that required following patients until I decided that I really didn't want to follow a patient's chronic problems anymore.  Some options are Student Health, Occupational Health, Urgent Care, Infertility, Research, etc. Travel is nice also, as things never have a chance to get old.  I still have my pet peeves, but they don't bother me as much.  ie "What is your pain on a scale of 1-10 ?" Answer, "A 12."  "How long have you had that cough? rash/pain/etc" Answer, "a while "

[Guest1030824]

On 2/5/2020 at 2:35 PM, FNPStudentLife said:

Thank you guys for your responses. I do like the idea of working in urgent care. I currently work in ER and I like it because you “treat them and street them”, so maybe urgent care will my goal. Thanks again!

I would like to do Urgent care as FNP, but do I need experience in ER prior?

[Myruby]

No, you don't.  I am an FNP and have never worked in the ER but have worked in urgent care. I can see where it would be helpful, but not necessary. 

[LittleWing21, RN]

Honestly, this is a reason I haven't pursued FNP. So many patients come in seeking meds when that shouldn't be the treatment. Good luck finding something that works better for you!

[Spacklehead, MSN, NP]

Consider working for a pharmaceutical company. They are typically always looking for RNs and NPs to work clinical trials or become drug reps. Some handle post-market issues (adverse reactions, etc).