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In my experience, RNs go to NP school for 4 main reasons: 1) “better money/lifestyle” 2) “advancement” 3) burnout 4) bc they genuinely want to be NPs. Number 4 is the only valid reason. 1/12 https://twitter.com/nursepatmacrn/status/1281784391396724737
“Better money/lifestyle.” Yes, I make more $ as an NP and I have a somewhat better lifestyle. But it’s not easy street. It’s a different kind of hard work. Plus, if you don’t love what you’re doing, more money/less lifting doesn’t really matter. 2/12
“Advancement.” I get it. There is a drive in lots of folks to “move up” and staying at the bedside is seen as stagnation. Not in a disparaging way, they just feel like they’re not growing. So it’s either mgmt or APRN. 3/12
We need to provide opportunities for more nurses to stay at the bedside while feeling like they’re growing professionally. Learning new skills and being challenged. Making more money. Having more responsibilities. 4/12
Burn out. Wow. This is a big one. I hear nurses say, “I just can’t do it anymore” (meaning bedside). They’re physically exhausted, they just don’t love it anymore. So they’re looking for a lifeboat. But NP isn’t it. We need to help these folks in two ways. 5/12
1st, we need to address burnout and prevent it. For too long we’ve treated nurses as disposable. 1 burns out, we just replace them. We need to figure out how to keep burnout from happening. I get it. I feel like I was burned out at the end (not why I chose NP, but still...) 6/12
Second, we need to help burned out nurses find ways to really fix things. For some, maybe staying at the bedside is the answer if the burnout gets addressed. For some, they need a career change, but not blindly into NP. Help them figure out what they really WANT to do. 7/12
Finally, there are those who genuinely want to be an NP. These are my people. I love being an NP more than anything I’ve ever done. Seriously. More than I loved bedside (and I loved bedside, esp in the beginning). 8/12
So, if you’ve done the research and found out what we do and that’s what you want to do, go for it! But, also pick your specialty well. I’ve known lots who go FNP bc of “the schedule” when what they love is ICU. They aren’t happy (see reason #1). 9/12
I’ve also know those who go ACNP bc they like high acuity, but then hate the schedule. Life is sometimes a trade off. I know it sounds like I’m being contradictory, but sometimes you pick work that’s less interesting bc it offers a better schedule. 10/12
This is different from hating what you do. For example, I love ICU. So I work weekends and some nights instead of M-F 9-5. If I valued that “normal” schedule more, I could enjoy clinic (less than ICU) enough for the trade off. 11/12
Finally, if anyone out there is an RN considering NP school, I’m HAPPY to offer advice, answer questions etc. I live my job but I’m not out to recruit. I want you to be happy with your choice. And there are lots of #NurseTwitter folks who feel the same! Hit us up! 12/12
