Why you shouldn't become a nurse practitioner

[mzaur]

- Poor support from licensing agencies

o This is a big one. Look around online and I see adds all over the place stating garbage such as: "EASTERN FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY OF PHEONIX GOVERNERS UNIVERSITY is now taking applications for their CNA-to-DNP program. Please apply online, no GRE, college education, high school diploma, or GED required." Wow. Good job ANCC, AANP, or whoever credentials these places, you sure do make sure that only the highest, and I mean HIGHEST standards of education are upheld in the prestigious field of nursing. I am sure the AMA would rather get kicked in the balls multiple times before they would allow the credentialing of a fully online medical program from a fully for-profit university with teachers posting online quizzes and tests from their garage. And people are lobbying for less nurse practitioner restrictions? I know there are great nurse practitioners and programs out there but PLEASE, lets be real.... Until some limitation is put on the quality of these bed-bug ridden basement nurse practitioner programs, we will never have the support for unregulated practice.

hahah this made me laugh, but you're spot on. The accrediting agencies really need to get their act together, and I really hope they do because the future is worrying. There is a reason that physicians are always in demand and have such high salaries. Medical schools are tightly controlled so that the field doesn't become oversaturated with doctors, and the curriculums are standardized with little variance between them. NPs want to (more or less) be equal to doctors, yet there are programs with barely any barriers to entry. As much as I'd love to blame the schools, they are only taking advantage of lax regulation by the accrediting agencies. Eventually the field will become flooded with NPs since everyone and their mom can get in as long as they are willing to take on the debt. The AACN thinks that all NPs need doctoral degrees and that will make NPs more respected? I really think they are on the wrong track here given the lack of standardization of DNP degrees and the ease of acceptance into for-profit programs. Nursing schools should be as standardized as medical schools, and the number of degree conferring programs need to be tightly controlled to prevent oversaturation. Also, this wouldn't be as big of a problem if there was quality control, but as more and more unprepared NPs are set forth, and as states give NPs more autonomy, there may be huge issues in the future with unprepared NPs making bad decisions, which could really hurt the profession as it may undermine public confidence.

[futureeastcoastNP]

I certainly agree with most of what you're saying, especially the stuff about the horrible schools being accredited, which is insane to me. Despite that, I still think there are many people who should become NPs - namely RNs that hate working bedside. I only went to nursing school to become an NP. I really don't like the bedside role at all and would have gone to PA school if NPs didn't exist.

[chillnurse, BSN, RN, NP]

I am basically a strong supporter in the 'educational bubble' which I think is going to pop very soon. It seems as if all education standards are being lowered in this country. I don't say this to try to make myself sound smart or anything either, I consider myself as the average college graduate, average joe, average person, average intellegence. But I worked hard. College is providing people who should not be in college, whether it be due to lack of ability, or the more often, lack of effort, to obtain degrees. College education has turned into a profitable endevour, and to make something profitable, it has to be available to everybody. There is no GPA requirement for pumping gas, buying beer, or purchasing an iPhone. If there was, the amount of customers would severely be diminished. It seems as if the educational system has fallen into a commodity type state. And what better way to do this is with the promise of a better future and use of government money. No better than a traditional scam in many cases.

[futureeastcoastNP]

hahah this made me laugh, but you're spot on. The accrediting agencies really need to get their act together, and I really hope they do because the future is worrying. There is a reason that physicians are always in demand and have such high salaries. Medical schools are tightly controlled so that the field doesn't become oversaturated with doctors, and the curriculums are standardized with little variance between them. NPs want to (more or less) be equal to doctors, yet there are programs with barely any barriers to entry. As much as I'd love to blame the schools, they are only taking advantage of lax regulation by the accrediting agencies. Eventually the field will become flooded with NPs since everyone and their mom can get in as long as they are willing to take on the debt. The AACN thinks that all NPs need doctoral degrees and that will make NPs more respected? I really think they are on the wrong track here given the lack of standardization of DNP degrees and the ease of acceptance into for-profit programs. Nursing schools should be as standardized as medical schools, and the number of degree conferring programs need to be tightly controlled to prevent oversaturation. Also, this wouldn't be as big of a problem if there was quality control, but as more and more unprepared NPs are set forth, and as states give NPs more autonomy, there may be huge issues in the future with unprepared NPs making bad decisions, which could really hurt the profession as it may undermine public confidence.

yep, yep! All true and my thoughts exactly.

[Deltaflaze]

May not be able to work in favorite specialty- this is true of anywhere, including working as an RN. Get the experience and you will be fine.

You may take a big pay cut - Again, the same of any where. Some will be moving from 80k as an RN to 120k as an NP in my area. Fight for higher pay and refuse to take low paying positions. If you work 4 days a week, no holidays, no weekends - expect lower pay. Just like if you are working as a clinic RN.

You have to learn an entirely new trade - ya? That's the point?

Another 30k-70k in loans - My current RN job is paying all my tuition, but again...so? Higher education commands higher pay.

Time - now you're just trolling.

Labels and role confusion - If you have any confidence, you will be fine. Provider is a provider. Something tells me you have poor preconceived notions of what a nurse practitioner actually does. I don't expect people to "bow down." I expect to impact my patient's outcomes as equal as a physician and in collaboration with physicians (which has been proven, search evidence bases). We're not meant to replace physicians; we're meant as an alternative or to work in collaboration with the healthcare team.

Poor Support - so get a degree from a good school and influence this policy to change. This will never change if you just troll it...

But this is just my two cents. I can respect that you have opinions as well on it.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I certainly agree with most of what you're saying, especially the stuff about the horrible schools being accredited, which is insane to me. Despite that, I still think there are many people who should become NPs - namely RNs that hate working bedside. I only went to nursing school to become an NP. I really don't like the bedside role at all and would have gone to PA school if NPs didn't exist.

I would like to believe that there is more to your decision to pursue NP licensure than disliking/disrespecting bedside nursing. It seems that people who pursue advanced practice degrees should have a real interest in the additional education and in the kind of work it prepares you for rather than just fleeing the bedside.

[futureeastcoastNP]

I would like to believe that there is more to your decision to pursue NP licensure than disliking/disrespecting bedside nursing. It seems that people who pursue advanced practice degrees should have a real interest in the additional education and in the kind of work it prepares you for rather than just fleeing the bedside.

I'm not FLEEING bedside, Ruby, I said I went to nursing school solely to become an NP. That means I have a REAL interest in an advance practice degree and what it teaches you - in fact, I ONLY have an interest in advanced practice degree. There is nothing wrong with that. I didn't go into nursing to do bedside anymore than a medical student gets a chemistry degree to be a chemist. Means to an end - it is the foundation needed for the role I wish to pursue.

Furthermore, I really don't like how you said "disrespecting" bedside. Nothing in this particular post said anything about disrespecting bedside - you're putting words in my mouth.

[Mully]

May not be able to work in favorite specialty- this is true of anywhere, including working as an RN. Get the experience and you will be fine.

You may take a big pay cut - Again, the same of any where. Some will be moving from 80k as an RN to 120k as an NP in my area. Fight for higher pay and refuse to take low paying positions. If you work 4 days a week, no holidays, no weekends - expect lower pay. Just like if you are working as a clinic RN.

You have to learn an entirely new trade - ya? That's the point?

Another 30k-70k in loans - My current RN job is paying all my tuition, but again...so? Higher education commands higher pay.

Time - now you're just trolling.

Labels and role confusion - If you have any confidence, you will be fine. Provider is a provider. Something tells me you have poor preconceived notions of what a nurse practitioner actually does. I don't expect people to "bow down." I expect to impact my patient's outcomes as equal as a physician and in collaboration with physicians (which has been proven, search evidence bases). We're not meant to replace physicians; we're meant as an alternative or to work in collaboration with the healthcare team.

Poor Support - so get a degree from a good school and influence this policy to change. This will never change if you just troll it...

But this is just my two cents. I can respect that you have opinions as well on it.

You missed it. The whole thing. There is no "trolling" going on here. This is a great piece written to a generation of up and comers that DO expect people to bow down, or that ARE looking for the CNA - DNP program online in no time, or that EXPECT to immediately walk into their favorite specialty. Clearly the OP does not feel that no one should become a nurse practitioner, and I'm sure he enjoys aspects of his job.

A lot of great stuff here. If this piece elicits a defensive response, you're probably taking it personally, for whatever reason.

[Retired APRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I'm not even going to try to be diplomatic.

I worked and studied hard to become an NP. Hours and hours of classroom, personal study, research. Hours and hours of clinical work in outpatient and inpatient settings. Blood, sweat and tears.

I really resent these schools with minimal requirements that are graduating minimally trained nurse practitioners. They and their graduates are lowering the standard and providing fodder to the people (especially the physicians) who don't "midlevels" to practice with any kind of autonomy. Looking at some of the programs out there, I don't blame them.

It feels like many people are not taking the nurse practitioner role seriously, that they are just looking for a "higher" role than RN and they want it as fast and as cheaply and as easily as possible. Sorry, but I would not want someone like that treating me or my family members.

Right. I'm going to go put on my body armor now and stand over there near the OP.

[Pachinko]

I agree that this is not a troll post. He's just presenting facts. I'm still an NP student and am glad that someone in the profession is willing to talk about the downside. I will say that I am so sick of bedside nursing that I'm ready to confront these challenges. On balance I will probably have to work more in order to make the same money I make now, but I hope it'll be work that I like more. It will at least be a change.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

The original post isn't a bad read for prospective NP students, but the OP really needs to edit out the typos. We all make them but if the post is to be a resource then edit to to make professional.