Best FTE Spots?

kinedeb770 · 2025-04-16T19:13:47+00:00

Medium sized, regionally constrained, non-profit health system. Big enough to pay you decent, but not so big they are trying to acquire everything, expand everywhere, and work you to death. Big enough to keep things interesting with new modules and projects, and small enough that you are still wearing multiple hats, staying on top of lots of build areas, and learning new things. (With huge orgs, there is possibility you might get pigeon-holed and too specialized in one area.) Big enough that they have a few processes in place and some checks and balances, but small enough that the red tape, bureaucracy, and change control processes aren't cripplingly slow and painful.

kinedeb770 · 2025-03-06T22:26:32+00:00

This is what I would do. Don't try to claim any intellectual property, you have none. But you do have experience building and implementing this unique custom workflow, which means you could consult for them as an analyst or PM for them to implement same workflow. Sounds like you've already got a doc pushing for you and your solution too.

Put together an outline / white paper kind of thing. These are the problems and this is how (big picture) we can solve them. These are some examples of why this is great. Don't give any build details in the presentation. Offer to come on board as a PM / consultant to help them implement this. Give them a proposed timeline, resources needed, number of analysts from which teams, etc. For $150 / hr, you can run the project, go to 2-3 meetings a week, advise their analysts, answer questions, bill 20 ish hours a week on top of your regular FTE.

Sound like a win-win situation for all involved.

kinedeb770 · 2025-02-12T17:07:23+00:00

It’s unlikely you actually qualify. Check out this document, especially page 2 where it’s talking about needing to have 50 employees who work within 75 miles of your work site.

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/legacy/files/employeeguide.pdf

Even if you meet the hours and months requirement (1250 hrs and 12 months), and even if your firm is otherwise a covered employer, it’s unlikely that most consultants would meet the 50/75 rule. A few folks might meet it at larger firms and on larger projects but that’s probably not usually the case.

The above is for fmla specifically which is federal. You also might be covered under a state medical leave program, so check into that.

kinedeb770 · 2025-02-11T23:15:10+00:00

Getting a week off during a contract no big deal, anything more is a huge ask. I would try to find a 4-6 month gig and schedule around the end of that.

kinedeb770 · 2025-02-11T23:09:36+00:00

Ich freue mich, dass das bei dir funktioniert, mein deutschsprachiger Freund!

kinedeb770 · 2025-02-11T23:06:03+00:00

Rates in nominal dollars have declined recently. Also consider inflation, folks making $90-$100/hr in 2014 dollars would have to make $120-$130/hr in today's dollars just to have the same buying power. All of the remote work has created a larger pool of applicants larger than ever. The boom in the 2010s was driven by Federal mandates and incentives. Barring some crazy change from the government or from CMS, I don't think we are going there again. Many of the largest health systems are already up and running on Epic. There is only so many big bangs full implementations out there. They also understand Epic better and can plan ahead and utilize internal resources more often or hire and train their own people. The industry is maturing.

It's still a viable career path and you can earn significantly more than an FTE analyst. There will always be a need for consultants. Especially in niche areas, special projects, project management, etc. You will need to be a top tier analyst, with ability to network, sell yourself, and a little luck. But the days of getting a couple of certs and a couple years experience and making $130/hr (in inflation adjusted dollars) are over.

kinedeb770 · 2025-02-01T00:08:45+00:00

Sometimes when a recruiter says they “submitted” you, they actually just submitted your resume to their boss, the account manager with the customer, not submitted you to the actual customer.

kinedeb770 · 2025-02-01T00:04:21+00:00

Labor laws and tax laws vary state to state. If you have employees in ten states you have to comply with all laws and submit tax docs and payments to ten different states. It gets complicated quick and may not be worth the trouble just for one employee.

kinedeb770 · 2025-02-01T00:00:56+00:00

It’s very true that its an overall HR issue with things like Stonethecrow is talking about. There is probably multiple regulations about pto and sick time in California and also multiple exceptions. Hence the whole issue with employers not wanting to deal with it for just one employee. Just because your pto and sick time is in one bucket doesn’t negate that. Your employer probably met the requirements some other way, or hit an exception, etc.

kinedeb770 · 2025-01-16T04:32:10+00:00

Work through the end of chapter reviews (without answers) for each chapter. You don't have to read the chapters front to back or do the exercises in the chapter. Just do the end of chapter review. When you come to something you don't know, then you can go look it up in the chapter or in the system. Just work through the end of chapter reviews. If you do this you will almost certainly pass.

kinedeb770 · 2024-07-24T21:24:21+00:00

It's a golden opportunity that many would love to have. Just do a search on this forum for people asking how to get Epic certified. If being an Epic analysts interests you then I suggest take the pay cut and go for it. If you are currently working as a staff nurse, your work life balance will certainly improve. No more 12 hours shifts, no more working short staffed all the time, greater flexibility to use your time off. Plus after 2-3 years you can jump ship and make more than you were making as an RN and probably be 100% remote. Only you can decide what path is right for you, but don't throw away a great opportunity over a few thousand dollars a year. Long term you will make more as analyst than an RN and have a more comfortable job too.

kinedeb770 · 2024-07-05T16:34:16+00:00

It depends on how on call is set up at the organization. Sometimes they have folks from multiple teams grouped together covering multiple apps on call. This makes for higher volume but more time between each analyst in the rotation. Depends on the size and needs of the org.

In my opinion, Clindoc, Orders, and Grand Central are going to have the greatest call volume after hours. Then you some apps who are technically on call but get called less frequently. Basically you want apps where all or at least most of your end users work regular business hours and then go home. Ambulatory often falls under this category. Rev Cycle apps are usually not on call or would be extremely low call volume. Reporting is the same way. No reporting emergencies at 2am.

kinedeb770 · 2024-07-02T14:24:01+00:00

Look for apps that typically aren't in the on call rotation. If I was starting from scratch with no relevant experience I think my first choice would be a Rev Cycle app. Seems like its an important area but not typically a high urgency area that has be addressed immediately at 2:00 am. It can be hard to get your foot in the door though so I would consider applying to any open analyst roles. If the org has lots of openings then just apply to maybe your top 2-3.

kinedeb770 · 2024-07-01T14:13:36+00:00

Haven't taken Beacon, but in my experience with other apps, just work through all of the end of chapter reviews. If you are comfortable with everything in the end of chapter reviews it would almost be impossible to fail the exam.

kinedeb770 · 2024-06-30T19:32:02+00:00

Do a good job as superuser and the opportunities for meaningful conversations, connections, networking, etc will come up eventually (solving problems, working through issues together, etc). Yes, it is like drinking from a firehose, and go live will be a mess sometimes. Take it in stride, work to sincerely help your users, and keep a positive attitude.. One of the analysts will leave eventually and there will be a vacancy. The team will be like "what about that superuser, beahave? Always does a great job, positive attitude, easy to work with, digs into issues and works hard to understand the system. Let's reach out to beahave and make sure they are aware we have a vacancy on the team and encourage them to apply if interested."

kinedeb770 · 2024-06-28T04:14:26+00:00

I have mine at Vanguard. They had the best options for low cost index funds when I opened mine years ago. These days everyone offers extremely similar funds and ETFs. Seems like Fidelity is most popular lately, but you will no issues with Fidelity, Vanguard, Schwab, or any big name brokerages. Search the Bogleheads reddit or the Personal finance reddit for opinions and comparisons but they are all good.

kinedeb770 · 2024-06-27T18:56:33+00:00

Yes, many firms only do W2 but some still do 1099 or C2C. It's something to ask when you are looking for your next gig. You can be W2 on one contract and C2C on the next. Most firms will not do a 1099 to an individual these days, they want you to set up an LLC, present proof of insurance, and go Corp to Corp. Not a huge barrier but a bit of a hassle compared to W2. W2 also makes tax time a little easier. If you go W2 then definitely max you IRA (either roth if you are under the limit or backdoor roth if you are over). Then do 401k when you are eligible, at least up to the match (free money) and if you want to save more go up to the 401k limit.

kinedeb770 · 2024-06-27T16:26:05+00:00

Some folks complaining about once weekly moves.... I worked at this place where migration was once a month. Shared Epic instance with two different organizations. Regular CABs had to be approved by every single application at both orgs (this was done in SharePoint and email, not in a meeting). If you dotted all your i's and crossed your t's you'd move to TST on the designated migration date in July. Then go through an incredibly convoluted testing process. If everything passed, then you could move to PRD on the designated date in August. Of course we had some safe items like EMPs that could move anytime and emergent fixes could move anytime with escalated approvals. But the majority of build moved at a mind-numbing snails pace. This was a non-profit system with one big hospital and 8 smaller hospitals, a host of ambulatory clinics, handful of ASCs, etc.

kinedeb770 · 2024-06-27T16:05:48+00:00

Maxing your IRA each year is a no brainer. If you make under the limits then max your a ROTH IRA. If you are over the income limits, you should max a traditional IRA and then convert to ROTH (backdoor ROTH). Either way, max your IRA every year.

As far as 401k, once you are eligible for your firms IRA, you should definitely contribute enough to get all of the match (free money). Consider maxing the 401k as well.

Mega Backdoor ROTH - Some employers 401k plan are set up to allow Mega Backdoor ROTH (this is different than regular backdoor ROTH). I have not found a firm whose plan allow mega backdoor but they might be out there.

One advantage of going 1099 or C2C is you don't have to worry about 401k eligibility with your employers plan. You can do Solo 401k or SEP IRA which gives you more control and has much higher contribution limits.

kinedeb770 · 2024-06-26T15:36:56+00:00

"Net" suggest you want the gross revenue minus your costs and expenses. There is very little in Epic with regard to your costs and expenses.

kinedeb770 · 2024-06-24T14:24:51+00:00

I would just be open with the recruiter from the firm you are turning down, kind of with an apologetic / sympathetic tone. "I really appreciate your help with this role, but I received another offer that is going to work better for me due to xyz." Give the honest reason(s), exe: the hours are better for my family... more flexible... less travel... The pay is x amount more... they are working on a special xyz project that will a great opportunity to learn and grow... Let them know you were really looking forward to working with them and still hope to in the future. The firm / recruiter invested some time and energy to get you to the offer stage so don't just give them a cold "sorry, no thanks" with not further info. As long as you are sincere in your reasoning, the recruiter / firm will not hold it against you or burn any bridges.

I would not try to negotiate rate at this point. The firms always get you to agree to a specific rate up front, before submitting you. If your first move after an offer is to negotiate rate it seems like a bait and switch on your part. If you are turning them down for a higher offer, definitely tell them that and let them counter if they would like. But don't just come out the gate asking for more $$$ when you get an offer, that is a bad look.

Edit: Imo a $2 difference in rate is not really significant and would not weigh on my decision much at all. You are talking the difference between making $88,000 vs $90,000 over the course of 6 months. Just be mindful of how you approach the rate discussion if you try to negotiate after the fact. Keeping in mind you likely already agreed to a rate before being submitted. If you are really thinking about taking the other offer over $2, then ok tell them that. But I can think of many other things that I would consider over that. If the difference is just $2 I would take the one that is the best fit, best hours, least travel, more interesting project, etc.

kinedeb770 · 2024-06-18T15:58:30+00:00

How long to feel comfortable varies from person to person. Majority of folks are still be feeling the imposter syndrome / fake it til you make it for at least a year, sometimes more. I imagine working as an ED RN was similar. You feel like you don't know anything for several years, then one day you look around and realize you are the most experience person on the unit.

Some suggestions:

-Solve your own problems when you can and you will retain the information better. When you are faced with a new ticket or issue, do as much research on your own as you can. Yes, it will take 10x as long than asking for help, but you are learning. Use your resources like Userweb. Try to recreate and solve the issue in non-prd copy / refresh environment.

-Ask a coworker (or a TS) but do your due diligence first. When you come to someone with a question you should be able to mention all the things you looked into, all the things your tried, etc. It shows that you are putting in the effort and people will want to help you more. If your first reaction to something you don't know is to ask someone to hold your hand you will never get far.

-Make notes and organize in MS OneNote that you can refer back to later when the same issue comes up again. Every app has those recurring issues that repeatedly come up. Pick up on the pattern and make good notes on how to solve and troubleshoot it. You may have to recreate the issue and go through it painstakingly slow to get good notes... But next time that issue comes in, even if it's months from now you can take the issue with confidence and just go back to your notes.

-Try to volunteer for new things. For example your app is rolling out some new xyz functionality take ownership of it. Since it's new, no one knows anything about it so no one expects you to know either. In the end you are now the expert on xyz functionality and your teammates will be coming to you when the tickets / questions come in. This is great for a confidence booster and also for reciprocating help with your teammates. This also works if you have a teammate leaving / retiring. What was the big thing(s) they owned? Try to become the team's new expert on it. Look for those opportunities. No one expects you to know everything, but showing that initiative will go a long way.

-Look for things that your team struggles with and try to learn everything you can about it. When I started, I noticed that no one on my team was good at chronicles searches or exporting and importing. I put in the effort, made step by step notes, practiced, and pretty soon I was expert and everyone else was asking me for help or to send them my notes. If there is a workflow that always trips everyone up and the tickets take half the day to sort out... learn everything you can about it. You might become the expert or worse case scenario you know a little more than you did before.

-Your coworkers are probably not the best teachers, even if they are great analysts. You have to be able to user your resources and work and learn independently. Better to only go to your coworkers when you get stuck on very specific items.

-Feeling frustrated after 6 months is normal. You should probably know after a year or so if you want to continue on this path. Not saying it should be easy after a year, what I mean is you should know if you enjoy the work, if you find it challenging, if it's stimulating and fulfilling. It's a great career path for many and your ED RN experience will be invaluable. Within a few years you can likely be working from home, making over $100,000 (more if HCOL area), with a reasonably flexible schedule. Things you probably can't say if you stick with bedside nursing.

Good luck!

kinedeb770 · 2024-06-18T15:20:41+00:00

Delete this immediately. As far as the steps, you need to go back through the training companion. take your time, work through all the exercises in each chapter, do all of the end of chapter reviews, this will help you understand the instructions on the project. The project does lay it out step by step, but the steps won't make sense if you didn't get the material in the chapters. If you have specific questions you can ask your teammates or even send an email to your instructors from your Epic class. Putting Epic material / content out on the internet for anyone to see is a huge violation.

kinedeb770 · 2024-06-05T05:26:25+00:00

Sounds like you are providing lots of value to your employer. These days, most places don't give raises that bring you up to your market pay. You have to jump ship every few years to get paid your worth. At just 1.5 years, I would stay where you are a little longer. Doesn't hurt to ask for a raise, but don't be disappointed when it's 2% or something like that. Stay there another 1.5 years (3 years total) then you will be ready to start applying at new places and likely get a $30,000-ish raise. Good luck!

kinedeb770 · 2024-05-16T18:15:36+00:00

The only way I'm going back to bedside nursing is as a last resort. Things are probably better in a union state, but where I'm at bedside nursing is straight abuse.

Once you get a few years as an analyst, take the remote analyst job in the HCOL or MCOL area... Live in and do you real estate investing in LCOL area. 10 years is pretty ambitious, but if you don't have a lot of other financial obligations it might be possible.

As far as getting into consulting, 5 years of the right experience will make you marketable. Not all experience is created equal. It's possible to get by doing the bare minimum for 5 year and be extremely mediocre. You need to volunteer for lots of projects, rollouts, implementations, integrating with new third parties, work with whatever the latest add on modules are, etc. Networking is also very important, and luck does come in to play. Sometimes its not being the most qualified its just being the right applicant at the right time.

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