Thursday, December 29, 2011

Powered by optimism and fueled by determination to get out of hospital nursing I was able to complete my masters in nursing.  My whole family made sacrifices for me and I promised things would be better after graduation.  Finally, graduation day was here and I was able to see the light of my bright future as an NP.  All I had to do was pass my boards and get a job, right?  Well...

1 year and a half later I am still on the hunt for happiness I was looking forward to at graduation.  Now, they only seem like legends passed on by my nursing professors and fed to me during my clinical rotations as a student.  The economy has come crashing down and there doesn't seem to be a single reliable physician out there.  This combination is lethal to a promising new career.

I landed my dream position in an office for women's health with my mentor and highly respected MD, I had always wanted to work for.  I was on a "temporary" internship basis and was led to believe that I would work full time.  After a year of "interning" I wondered when I would be promoted to full Nurse Practitioner status.  I had, after all, graduated and passed my boards, I was seeing patients and carrying my fair share of the practice.  No promotion in site and no more full time hours.  No one told me this would happen.

The light seems to be coming into focus.  I was eventually offered a job that was full time and twice the salary of my "dream job."  The interview went really well, I gave notice to my other employer and things seemed to be looking up.  What is this??? One week into my new position I seem to be learning the medical assistant's position, office manager duties and (oh, yes) have my rear end handed to me by the doctor one afternoon as well as being told that there were 40 other resumes sitting on his desk for my position.  Sure am glad I left my "internship."

Here I sit, 3 months after accepting my new position and I am a full time stay at home mom.   I have a masters degree, 1 year of experience and looming debt from my masters program because I have yet to land a position that has delivered what they were promising.  Have I mentioned all the job postings I have gone through requiring at least 1-3 years of experience in any given field?  I know I am not the only one in this wonderful predicament, and I am thankful for my family and my health.  What else is there?

4 comments:

  1. Hey there.

    Try not to get too discouraged. I know it can be tough. Have you ever thought about opening your own practice (i.e. house calls, women's health, etc)? Are you in a state that has independent, collaborative or supervisory practice?

    Good luck,
    Stephen

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  2. Thank you for your support. I am thinking about a lot of different options. I am in a collaborative state. I have seriously considered house calls and starting up a business that way with a collaborative MD.

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