What job do you do?

idodialysis · Jul 16, 2015

Maybe consider becoming an ACNP which is a hospital based specialty.

Futurenurse98 · Jul 16, 2015

Thanks! I'll look into that!

littlepeopleRNICU · Jul 16, 2015

Any experience I have had working with NPs, they do what you said the not "nursing care" roles do...do not take vitals, do bedside care, etc. They function more along the lines of/in collaboration with the docs. If you are looking for this, I don't think an NP is the role for you. Without knowing what they do, why do you want to be one?(I don't mean that to sound smart, I'm just curious what draws you to it since you said you were unsure of the job description.)

Dranger · Jul 16, 2015

I really think you need to reexamine what NPs do. They are much more like a physician than a RN. Bedside care is for RNs not NPs.

PG2018 · Jul 17, 2015

We are considered physician extenders or primary care provider depending on your political slant although we work in acute settings, et al. I am in outpatient psychiatry. I sit aty desk, people come to see me, I evaluate them, and if we agree upon a medication they leave with a prescription. It's quite perfect.

We do more of what you consider a physician doing. We don't do nurse stuff. I won't even answer a ringing phone.

Futurenurse98 · Jul 17, 2015

Honestly I was just curious to learn more about it. I'm always interested in furthering education and going as far as I can in something. It's not that I WANT to be a NP, I've just been curious as to what exactly they do! I was simply wondering if it's something I'd want to do!

Dranger · Jul 17, 2015

Honestly I was just curious to learn more about it. I'm always interested in furthering education and going as far as I can in something. It's not that I WANT to be a NP, I've just been curious as to what exactly they do! I was simply wondering if it's something I'd want to do!

Unfortunately there is a problem with people pursuing being a NP simply to further their education and here's why: I have heard time and time again from coworkers that they want to become an NP because they want to further their education or progress within the field nursing. Nowhere do they state that they have the desire to diagnose, create plans of care or take the responsibility of being on-call as a provider. Furthering one's education doesn't always mean getting a masters or doctorate, there are many ways to learn and grow within a profession and a degree isn't always the answer.

I am glad that you came here for clarification as there are many out there that have the same misconceptions but are actively pursuing a ARNP license....

Futurenurse98 · Jul 17, 2015

Thank you dranger! Honestly I feel like a lot of what's online and a lot of people's ideas of NPs is that it's just a "higher level nurse" & that NPs are the same as nurses, just with more schooling. Or it's thought that NPs are nurses with a few added abilities. It makes it very difficult to get a clear answer without actually taking to some NPs! So thanks for all your input!

IsabelK · Jul 17, 2015

We are considered physician extenders or primary care provider depending on your political slant although we work in acute settings, et al. I am in outpatient psychiatry. I sit aty desk, people come to see me, I evaluate them, and if we agree upon a medication they leave with a prescription. It's quite perfect.
We do more of what you consider a physician doing. We don't do nurse stuff. I won't even answer a ringing phone.

As an NP, I am always an RN. Always. Difference: I straddle an invisible line between nursing and medicine.When I see a patient and we're discussing their medical issues and I'm providing medical care, I'm still assessing other issues as an RN and come up with a combination care plan: nursing and medicine. My assessment and plan always starts with medicine, but also almost always includes components of a nursing care plan. I am part of the Department of Medicine and credentialed through the Department of Medicine. I still answer the phone, I still take vitals (especially if I'm concerned about a reading the rooming nurse or MOA got), I still answer call bells in the hospital (I've even seen physicians answer call bells). When I worked in acute care as a night hospitalist NP, I even helped walk people to the bathroom, pull them up in bed, etc when I had time. Medicine always comes first now, but I'm still a nurse and frankly how hard is it when you're walking down the hall and hear "I need a boost" from a colleague to run in and provide the assistance? Two or three minutes tops. I also found it made the staff nurses see me as accessible and come to me for things that might otherwise have waited till the morning. They knew I'd come.

One reason I won't work at the bedside as an NP is because if I'm being paid as an RN, I'm still responsible for care at my highest level of licensing. That means I'd have to treat the patient as if I were an NP in an emergency and that's a problem if I'm not credentialed by the organization to do something. Damned if I do, damned if I don't. Another reason: I worked hard to be able to do what I do. I like bedside nursing, but I love being an NP.

I do not like the terms "physician extender" or "mid-level provider". I don't have physician in my title. I am not a physician's assistant. To paraphrase an NP friend: I also don't have any body parts that extend on command. I don't provide mid-level care. Who provides low level care? The housekeeper? Oh, my DEA number says MLP for mid-level provider on it. BLAH! I also don't need a collaborating or supervising physician. I can open an independent practice. I do the same job as a physician in my field. I also think the two terms makes it sound like NPs are second class providers, which we're not. There are good ones and bad ones, just like in any field.

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Jul 17, 2015

Unfortunately there is a problem with people pursuing being a NP simply to further their education and here's why: I have heard time and time again from coworkers that they want to become an NP because they want to further their education or progress within the field nursing. Nowhere do they state that they have the desire to diagnose, create plans of care or take the responsibility of being on-call as a provider. Furthering one's education doesn't always mean getting a masters or doctorate, there are many ways to learn and grow within a profession and a degree isn't always the answer.
I am glad that you came here for clarification as there are many out there that have the same misconceptions but are actively pursuing a ARNP license....

I definitely agree! If you love bedside nursing, there are plenty of ways to 'further your education' without leaving the bedside. My specialty (NICU) has a ton of nurses who adore their jobs and would never consider becoming NPs, but I've known a handful who went back for MSN degrees in Nurse Leadership and/or Nurse Education. It allows them to stay at the bedside while taking leadership and/or teaching roles on the side.

You're asking the right questions, OP! If you really want to figure out whether the NP route is for you, I'd suggest shadowing. Don't want to commit to a masters degree that you realize halfway through you hate! (Unfortunately I know a bunch of people in that boat who are out tens of thousands of dollars in loans, so they feel like they can't quit the program!!)

A very wise nurse shared the following analogy with me when I was deciding between med school and nursing school:

The inpatient hospitalization experience is like a bicycle. The patient is at the center of the wheel, and the various services they interact with are the spokes (RT, OT, PT, lab, radiology, social work, etc.) At the bedside, the nurse is at the center of the wheel, immediately next to the patient helping them to navigate the complex healthcare system. The MDs/NPs/PAs are steering the bike: they interpret the big picture and set the long-term hospital pathway, but they are removed from a lot of the intimate bedside care.

I guess that makes it more like a unicycle, lol. PS, managers seem to love it when I use that analogy in job interviews, fyi!

Jules A, MSN · Jul 17, 2015

I don't do RN things mostly because I don't have the time or desire to but since I am in a hospital setting interacting with inpatients the truth is I probably do more hands on patient stuff than most of the physicians I work with. I'm medical staff and while I'll always be a nurse at heart I now consider myself a provider and model my practice based on my peer physicians' philosophy.