Why you shouldn't become a nurse practitioner

[chillnurse]

You may not be able to work in your favorite specialty.

Currently, work in the ER as an RN? Do you love it? Good, well your first job out of school may not be in the ER as you have lingered during your nursing career. Love the ER? Well, recruiters love experienced NP's in the ER, so you may be out of luck for a few years.

You may take a big pay cut.

WHAT, A PAY CUT???? I MAKE 45 DOLLARS AN HOUR AS A LOCAL TRAVEL NURSE AND MY STARTING NP PAY IS LIKE ONLY 38 AN HOUR, DUHBULL YEW TEE EFF. Yeah, that's right, your first job might land you in a local community health center making less money with a masters degree, than with an associates degree.

You have to learn an entirely new trade.

The term "advanced practice nurse" is really misleading. We don't practice in any way as an RN does. Our role more so mimics physicians. "Man I have been an ICU nurse for 12 years and an ER nurse in a level trauma center at 16 different Mayo clinic locations, I GOT DIS BRUH." No, you don't get dis. What you have is a new steep stepping-stone into a new trade. You are on the other side of the brick wall now writing the orders for your old self to follow. Welcome to "advanced practice nursing."

Another 30-70k in loans and other fees.

Running short on change due to having to support a family, bills, expensive hobbies, or for some other reason? Well, the solution sure isn't to take out another student loan. Becoming a nurse practitioner costs A LOT OF MONEY. Yeah, it isn't medical school, but we also don't make what physicians make either. Count your coin prior to becoming an APRN.

Time

Looking for a 1 day a week online nurse practitioner program that requires no travel graduates in 5 months, 10 clinical hours, and a 2.1 GPA to get into? Looking at some of the online programs that exist, I wouldn't doubt there are at least a few of these. I am sure there are some great online programs out there, but trying to take the easiest shortcut probably won't pay off in a competitive market such as todays. A good program will require a decent time commitment. Should getting a master's degree not at least be as much work as your associates? Some seem not to think so, they seem to believe that once you have your RN you should instantly be crowned Dr. Nurse with the wave of a magic wand and the writing of a few 'nursing policy' papers.

Labels and role confusion

Get ready for this one... Labels. The patient walks in the room. "WHAT A NURSE, I WANT TO SEE A DOCTOR, WHAT IS THIS NURSE DOING HERE." All that extra school and you still get called a nurse. Where did the word practitioner go? Oh, that's not in a good amount of people's vocabulary. Nurse is a nurse is a nurse is a nurse nurse nurse. Don't think that big white coat with the MSN FNP flashing around is going to make people bow down to Dr. Nurse. You will need to present yourself well to avoid this dilemma.

Poor support from licensing agencies

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, let's 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.

Now I am not saying that become a nurse practitioner is terrible, but these are some things to consider. I am sure this is going to be rather controversial, so I have put on my jock strap and am ready for low blows to the land down under.

Thanks for reading, if you made it past the 3rd paragraph without cursing me under your breath, we may be able to be friends.

Best of luck to you all!

why-you-shouldnt-become-a-nurse-practitioner.pdf

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

Yes, these people have such huge needs. Pain clinics aren't the answer. Very frustrating business to be in.

[Sgraceo1]

Interesting article, but I cannot say I agree.

1. As a nurse practitioner I went from working as a staff nurse for barely 30/hr night shift to $49/hr day shift $56.50 night shift as an ARNP. The group pays my cellphone bill, bought my scrubs and lab coat and I have a pto bank of 270 hrs to use for vacation. My raise in pay more than makes up for my student loans. Travel nurse and per diem pay does it reflect average pay of an RN with five years experience.

Another perk is that I now get all free meals at the hospital as a member of medical staff... Can't complain.

2. As an Np I am using mind over body and my back thanks me for it. I will have the ability to work much longer than as a bedside nurse.

3. Are you sure this is not a CNA--as in certified nurse administrator...they already have a masters, so no GRE makes sense.

just a different opinion. I love my career and would definitely do it all the same again if I could. If a nurse out there wants to have an awesome advancement in career, do it!!!

[Psych77]

The example of RN pay being higher was also travel nursing, which means you have to drive an hour to work to get that pay, and likely its a contract. Not ideal working hours for most.

[synaptic]

ah well whats it matter now. Everybody and their mom is going back to nurse practitioner school. Its so easy a caveman (or nurse) can do it.

We will probably all make like 10 bucks an hour 5 years from now seeing 500 patients per day.

[Purple Butterfly]

I enjoyed reading the original post and outline. I also enjoyed reading the opposing views and other information. All of which, shined light on debt versus reward, realities of the job, and other things. Sometimes, you don't know what you don't know.

[v101ick]

Most of what is stated has merit. I am a recent graduate with 22 years ICU/ER/Psych experience and here is what I have learned in my first year of practice:

1. Brick and mortar schools for FNP's are preferred and expensive: 84,000.00 in loans!!!!

2. Pay sucks

3. Responsibilities are huge, and benefits are sad.

I was better off debt free as a bedside nurse making 45.00/hour with benefits and breaks. Thats sad too, because now I am an 'over educated' "Nurse"

[RN-dancer]

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.

My sentiments exactly!👏👏👏👏👏👏

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

Poor analogy using doctors and chemistry. They go to med school so that they can get into a residency program to get experience before they are free to practice alone.

[KrazyNurse]

You are so freaking funny LMAO!!!! This put a smile on my face. Thanks for your input.

[greenjungle]

There are a lot of Philippine MDs now working as NPs.

[Deena Carrico]

Well it's too late for me, since I am a NP. I'm disgusted. I think the online programs are terrible. I think NPs need to have residency programs. Nurses are not doctors. I think nurses should be allowed a bridge to become doctors. It was rediculous to try and make "doctors" out of nurses. For heaven sakes , we do not have medical degrees! What a damn waste of education.

[blixkanaan, MSN, APRN]

It's hard for me to not agree, and I think most honest people entering this career feel this way. I'm a new graduate and right now am struggling with the whole role transition thing. But I think the best take away that you mentioned is about going to a good NP program. I think the best thing going for me as a new grad is my strong RN experience and the fact that I went to a good, "brick and mortar" school (i.e., no online didactics; has a minimum RN experience requirement; and we needed more clinical hours to graduate than most schools, etc.). So with that said, I noticed that I got a lot of people interested when I graduated and had decent prospects for employment when I finished. So if I ask my self, "was it worth it?" then I think the simple answer would be, "Absolutely!". Anything to get me away from the increasing bureaucratic nature of hospitals and bedside nursing. Tired of answering to nursing managers that I probably know more about nursing and medicine than they do. Tired of literally cleaning crap off people. Did it for 8 years, and no more....All depends on what you can tolerate at this point in your life I guess...