Would you take a non NP job if you couldn't find one you liked/wanted?

[linearthinker]

I've been out of school 6 months. I have been on a few interviews and even had three offers but had to turn them down b/c I didn't really like any of the opportunities. One of the guys was just a jerk (he was very confrontational about my educational choices), and I ended the interview (politely) and walked out, and I can't believe he offered me the job, lol. When he called, I said, "You're kidding?" Anyway, I am just continuing to look for something that is the right fit, but I am just not finding anything. I'm not in any hurry except that I don't want some gap on my CV to become a problem in itself. The job is going to be stressful enough as a new practitioner without being in a place I don't want to be!

In the meantime, another colleague has asked me if I want to teach a BSN physical assessment course. WTH, I don't have anything else to do this fall, lol. What do you think? Does it help or hurt me do something now that is not a practitioner position? Is it looking bad for me that I am taking so long to take a position? Should I take a job I don't really want just to get some experience? How long is too long? If it isn't a problem, I'll go teach physical assessment and keep waiting for just the right situation.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

You can't see the same people monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually working 2 days a week? I am certain I could. I had plenty of PT preceptors who did. The NYT just ran an article last week about how many family practice physicians are going PT. Do they not have real relationships with their patients?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

just sayin in my experience, no you don't. we have four of us and one NP works two days week and that is all she talks about: how hard the followup is.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

Well that is very disappointing. Maybe I ought to just stick with teaching then, lol. But I guess I have to get a job before I decide I don't like it. Thanks for your feedback.

[longtim]

Frankly, it sounds like you are looking at this like a hobby or something. Starting part time, money isnt important to you, and the jobs dont entice you, and maybe you should "just" teach - tho that wasnt why you got this education.... I dont think any of it will be satisfying until you know what you wanted out of this education and then go seek that job. It IS difficult for someone new just out of school to build any practice as a part timer. Often NPS with more experience will reduce to PT but starting the other way, is a challenge. Why not approach it like a professional and give it a year as full or 3/4 time? Just a thought.

[sourapril]

you should open your own clinic!

[meandragonbrett]

I think new NPs find themselves in a few different areas with issues.

A) Removing themselves from the shift work-staff nurse mentality. You have a totally different role in a NP position and are responsible until the work is completed.

B)Only the jobs that nobody wants are advertised. The best jobs are obtained via word of mouth, networking, etc. and they never even hit the job boards.

C) How is your 2 day per week job going to benefit my practice? You're here two days per week. The patients don't know you and don't trust you. How do you plan to bill enough to cover your salary when you might only see 8 walk ins per day? If you can cover your salary with billing but can't generate revenue for the practice, what's the point of you being hired? As much as people don't like to admit....running a practice IS a business and the providers must be willing to do their part in keeping the business afloat and contributing to the overall health of the medical practice.

D) I know you say you don't care about the money. Please do us all a favor and don't accept a job with a lowball wage. All it does is undercut your local NPs in the market and keeps salaries lower than fair. If you don't care about money at all.....volunteer at a local community health/church health clinic type set up that provides services to those who don't have insurance. Volunteer with the health department. etc.

Just a few thoughts amongst many.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

Frankly, it sounds like you are looking at this like a hobby or something. Starting part time, money isnt important to you, and the jobs dont entice you, and maybe you should "just" teach - tho that wasnt why you got this education.... I dont think any of it will be satisfying until you know what you wanted out of this education and then go seek that job. It IS difficult for someone new just out of school to build any practice as a part timer. Often NPS with more experience will reduce to PT but starting the other way, is a challenge. Why not approach it like a professional and give it a year as full or 3/4 time? Just a thought.

I don't know quite how to read your post, so I will assume the best and take it in a positive tone. And to be honest, it is a hobby I suppose. I have never been interested in FT work. I have a lot of other committments and interests, and I do not have the time to give 4 or 5 days a week to a job. I didn't mean any disrespect to nurse educators. By "just teach" I was only saying just take the PT job I am being offered and wait and see what else shakes out. I wasn't implying that teaching is in anyway "less than" practice.

FWIW, I turned down the teaching position anyway, due to some schedule conflicts. I remain unemployed, but hopeful.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

I think new NPs find themselves in a few different areas with issues.

A) Removing themselves from the shift work-staff nurse mentality. You have a totally different role in a NP position and are responsible until the work is completed.

B)Only the jobs that nobody wants are advertised. The best jobs are obtained via word of mouth, networking, etc. and they never even hit the job boards.

C) How is your 2 day per week job going to benefit my practice? You're here two days per week. The patients don't know you and don't trust you. How do you plan to bill enough to cover your salary when you might only see 8 walk ins per day? If you can cover your salary with billing but can't generate revenue for the practice, what's the point of you being hired? As much as people don't like to admit....running a practice IS a business and the providers must be willing to do their part in keeping the business afloat and contributing to the overall health of the medical practice.

D) I know you say you don't care about the money. Please do us all a favor and don't accept a job with a lowball wage. All it does is undercut your local NPs in the market and keeps salaries lower than fair. If you don't care about money at all.....volunteer at a local community health/church health clinic type set up that provides services to those who don't have insurance. Volunteer with the health department. etc.

Just a few thoughts amongst many.

I appreciate your thoughts and the time you took to write them.

a) I don't have shift work mentality. I don't know where that came from. If anything, I have the opposite, lol. I simply don't want to work FT. Never have, never will.

b) Salient point. I live in a small, remote- rural area. Everyone knows everyone, and there are no jobs in the immediate area at all. If there were, I'd know by word of mouth within a few days. I don't really care to work with any of the physicians in this area anyway, so i was happy to look out of town. I was looking at positions in the medium sized town an hour away (another reason I cannot possibly do it more than 2 days a week-the commute). Any suggestions on how to network out of town in an area where I do not know anyone and have no connections personal or professional?

c) These are important questions. I cannot answer them. I would hope that anyone looking for a PT NP would have answered them for him or herself already. Is that not something a practice manager considers before deciding to add an additional PT provider? In my very limited experience it has been practice managers who run the show, not physicians, and they have been business minded and know exactly what they want. From my end, I was hoping to find a practice that wanted a PT FNP that had a physician (my state requires oversight/supervision) that enjoyed the NP/MD dynamic. I know they exist!

d) In my area the going rate for experienced NPs is about $30/hour. I anticipate making somewhat less than that as a new graduate. The FT job I was offered was paying 62K/year. I didn't even ask about the benefit package b/c I knew I wasn't interested in the job, so I have no idea if there were additional monies for education, etc. That is not the norm here. The best paid NP I know makes 70K with 10 years experience. She gets no benefits with that at all, that is contract pay. RN pay starts at about $17/hour, for comparison. So, with that in mind, what in your opinion would be a "low ball salary" that I should not consider so as to not undercut the market?

I am glad you mentioned volunteering. The opportunity to do volunteer and mission work is the primary reason I went to NP school. I already do quite a bit in the RN role, in fact, I just got back from Tanzania, which was fabulous-again. However, I am acutely aware as a new grad that I am not ready to perform as a Missionary in the NP role. I simply don't have enough experience. I asked about volunteering at the Health Department and was told it is not possible for liability reasons. I did do a volunteer weekend with Remote Area Medical as a NP, but it only amounted to figuring out what immunizations were needed to catch kids up. It was pretty straight forward stuff, and isn't going to hone my advanced skills or develop my diagnostic capabilities. I am going to take some courses next month on suturing, arthrocentesis, and skin biopsy. I am in school working on my DNP as well.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

you should open your own clinic!

Not legal in my state and I definitely don't want to work that hard!

I want my one of my old preceptor's job. It was a one doc family practice and she worked Tues and Thursday mornings seeing walk-ins and all day Wednesday seeing her own panel. The physician was supportive and a strong mentor (so she said and as far as I could tell). I have no idea how much money she made, but she did say she made more money selling Mary Kay than being a NP, lol. However, she was deliriously happy and planned to work there the rest of her life, so unless she got the plague or something and I didn't hear about it, I doubt my dream job is going to be available anytime soon. But that is exactly the kind of thing I want to do (minus the Mary Kay thing). The real trouble is, those one doc shops are a rarity these days. He was losing money and having to put his own money in to keep the doors open. Not everyone is willing or able to do that, obviously. This goes back to the point made earlier about it being a business, etc. I have a class mate who took a job in a rural coastal/island area with another one doc shop. He doesnt take insurance and an office visit is $10. He still makes house calls in a zodiac boat and takes payment in barter services if you can't pay. He stays open with some kind of grant and nothing in the place is newer than 40 years old, lol. But she says he is smart as hell, up to date on all the EBP guidelines and very funny and compassionate. Now, I am not so keen on the boat aspect, but that is the kind of job I want. I want to work for Marcus Welby! (part-time )

[canyonforest, MSN, RN, NP]

While waiting for the right fit, I think the teaching opportunity is the way to go....thankfully you have the opportunity....I feel, just stay positive...and it will all work out...

[alwayslookingnp]

It's tough. I live in a large metropolitan area where jobs are hard to find. I traveled for a while but I want to live at home. I finally took a job teaching but NP requirements are 1000 hours yearly. How do you meet that if you can't find a job other than pain clinics? (no thanks.)

[%63theend]

I'd love to hear an update to this thread!!