You do not qualify as an NP...

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  1. Would you leave your resume anyway?

    • 13
      YES, all you can do is try.
    • 2
      NO. They already told you that you are not qualified.

15 members have participated

Specializes in Primary Care, Progressive Care.

With just less than 2 months away from graduating as an FNP, I can't help but think about my future. I live in San Diego, CA where the future of a new grad NP is NOT so good. I have been looking everywhere and most of the available NP job positions require at least 1-2 years of NP experience.

This post is truly just to vent and to ask for advice from all of you. I am in 2 clinical sites this semester (last clinical day is next week). The first clinical site is a community clinic which I really love! My NP preceptor highly recommended me and so the manager has already offered me the job. I haven't even graduated yet but told them I would consider the position. So I am very excited about that!

However, this one other clinic I am at is an Internal Med and they are hiring 2 NPs for their clinic. When I asked the hiring doctor regarding the qualifications for the job (hoping I could apply since I have been a student in the clinic for 2 semesters), he said I am not qualified for the position since I am fairly new and then pats me on my back. They are looking for an NP with 2 years of experience (just like other clinics in SD). I thought that with my 8 years of RN experience, 2 semesters of being there, and great personality, I would at least be considered. I almost wanted to cry when the doctor said those words (but I did not, of course). I really really want to work there (better pay, great MAs, great coworkers, good pt population). I am just very frustrated. The doctors, NPs, and PAs always talk about hiring new NPs whenever I am there since they are expanding. In my head I'm thinking you can hire me. But, I just keep my mouth shut about it now (due to that encounter with the hiring doctor) and hope that they would ask me to apply. But no.... nobody ever asked me :o:no:

So for advise, if you were in my shoes, would you still leave your resume on your last day of clinical and hope that they would someday consider hiring you as their NP?

Or is it just a waste of paper, time, and effort to even leave my resume since the hiring doctor already told you that you are not qualified for the position?

I would appreciate any input. Thank you for reading!

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

The most important thing about your first NP job is having a supportive working environment. I often tell my students that your first two years of practice are very similar to a medical resident's first two years of residency: you are a capable and competent novice provider that will learn more in those two years than they ever touched on in school. Take a job that understands that and supports you!

Sent from my iPhone.

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Specializes in Primary Care, Progressive Care.
The most important thing about your first NP job is having a supportive working environment. I often tell my students that your first two years of practice are very similar to a medical resident's first two years of residency: you are a capable and competent novice provider that will learn more in those two years than they ever touched on in school. Take a job that understands that and supports you!

Sent from my iPhone.

Thank you very much for your words! I agree that I should work for a facility that supports, understands, and values my worth as a new professional. I also understand that the hard truth that I am new and will have to prove myself all the time until I get enough experience. My diploma, certification, or personality doesn't really mean anything yet at this point for some doctors/clinics. But you are right, I just realized I should really be confident about myself and not worry about what other providers may say about new grads =)

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

Everyone is a new grad at some point so I wish some employers would remember that. But, also, some employers are looking for someone who can jump right in and care for people (this would NOT be a new grad). I am just over a month into my first job as a new grad NP. It's not what I considered my dream job but I am enjoying it more than I thought and will probably be here a while. I applied for my dream job (but it said they wanted experience despite my cardiac RN background) and handed out resumes to another clinic in the specialty (dream = cardio) but I'm in family practice now. Like I said I am actually enjoying it and am finding excitement in UTI's and sinusitis patients cause they're quick and easy fixes.

One thing that has surprised me about where I'm at is how supportive they are. Just over a year ago they hired a new grad PA so we had similar orientations.

Even with my clinicals I still feel like such a novice being on my own. Unless you were completely seeing patients independently you still have a ways to go (as do I!!). It's been tough going from competent/experienced RN to novice NP. I miss the days when I knew what I was doing 100%.

Good luck! And congrats on finishing!

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personally, i would probably take the job that has an offer on the table, to get my feet wet, learn what I like and what I don't, learn HOW to be a functioning NP, and get some experience. You may find that you TRULY love this field and never leave! sounds like they will be supportive and get you a great start in your career.

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Specializes in Primary Care, Progressive Care.
Everyone is a new grad at some point so I wish some employers would remember that. But, also, some employers are looking for someone who can jump right in and care for people (this would NOT be a new grad). I am just over a month into my first job as a new grad NP. It's not what I considered my dream job but I am enjoying it more than I thought and will probably be here a while. I applied for my dream job (but it said they wanted experience despite my cardiac RN background) and handed out resumes to another clinic in the specialty (dream = cardio) but I'm in family practice now. Like I said I am actually enjoying it and am finding excitement in UTI's and sinusitis patients cause they're quick and easy fixes.

One thing that has surprised me about where I'm at is how supportive they are. Just over a year ago they hired a new grad PA so we had similar orientations.

Even with my clinicals I still feel like such a novice being on my own. Unless you were completely seeing patients independently you still have a ways to go (as do I!!). It's been tough going from competent/experienced RN to novice NP. I miss the days when I knew what I was doing 100%.

Good luck! And congrats on finishing!

Thank you for your advice, Anh! I will definitely acquire NP experience first from the community clinic that are very eager to hire me for a year or 2. And who knows? I may encounter the same experiences you have now. I may end up liking it a lot too! I also love the usual sinusitis or otitis media patients... they really are the easy quick fixes =) Congrats to you too!

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Specializes in Primary Care, Progressive Care.
personally, i would probably take the job that has an offer on the table, to get my feet wet, learn what I like and what I don't, learn HOW to be a functioning NP, and get some experience. You may find that you TRULY love this field and never leave! sounds like they will be supportive and get you a great start in your career.

Thank you, BirkieGirl! I was thinking about that too... at least i could get my feet wet for a while. The job market for new NPs here in SD is not that great and having a job already waiting for me makes me feel appreciated... and pretty dang LUCKY! :)

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