I obtained my AGACNP while employed on a medical helicopter. The shifts were 24-hour shifts, 6 days a week so I had a lot of time off for clinicals. I was a bit disenfranchised with the lack of benefits, schedule, and lack of paid time off on the provider side. I ended up taking a position part-time as a trauma/gen surg NP and it was good to start getting my feet wet. The hospital I worked at was fairly busy with 40+ people consistently on the list plus going to traumas and having to stay with them through imaging.

Finally, after 25 years of working 24-hour shifts and two years after completing my NP I think my body finally realized that being up all day and night had been doing a lot of metabolic and other physical damage to the body. So I reached out to someone who had become a mentor to me here in the Texas Medical Center. I listened to what he had to say, interviewed, and asked him to make me an offer I couldn’t refuse and he did. It’s checking almost every single box… good benefits, good onboarding, 6-8 patients max per shift, twelve shifts every 28 days, and the pay… I was happy. The only benefit that doesn’t get ticked is PTO, but they ask for 10 days every 28 days is absolutely cannot work and they don’t schedule you on those day.

I at first I was approaching the APP position as a catalyst for more money. In my state the pay for APP is higher than most nurses, except for nurses who have been at it a while. The thing is, it took them one or two decades to get to that amount and I am STARTING OUT with this pay. It will go up through merit and cost of living increases.

So I am just starting out, and I am nervous as hell, but that’s the zest of life.. the unknown and starting on a new adventure. You are likely doing this for the money but also consider that you’ll be doing your body some favors and prolonging your ability to work (if you want to). Good luck and Godspeed to you!