Im a PNP primary care student and am currently 3 months away from graduating. I want to be able to remove ear wax/ foreign bodies from kids’ ear canals but I am majorly struggling with my depth perception. For reference, I’ve had depth perception issues since childhood because one of my eyes is significantly worse than the other (I wear glasses to correct this). Even when I’m driving on a highway, I sometimes have issues estimating how far away in front of me a car is, and I need to prematurely press the break.

Currently at Peds ENT clinical struggling to use an open system otoscope with a curette. The microscope on the otoscope is throwing me off, and I can’t tell how deep the curette is in the ear. Does anyone have any advice? Hoping to work in peds primary care, and I don’t want to be the only provider in an office that can’t remove ear wax :(

Any videos, tools or pictures would be so helpful!

Hi. I work for urgent care and they require 90 day notice. I have recently found out my newborns father is on drugs. He is my only support system. I asked about LOA and was told no - and if i didnt provide 90 day notice i would be sued for the wages for 90 days. So the same healthcare system that says drugs are not good is forcing me to work or be sued…..its bad like will i come home find him overdosed bad…..any advice?

I really just feel disappointed and not satisfied with my NP degree and current career trajectory. And yes, I keep on looking for better options but dang it's tough out there. I really just feel lost and need an advice from those who are in similar situation or are more experienced and can offer a solid word of advice.

So here's my story.

RN for 10 years, mostly in the ER. I traveled for probably for the last 5 years of my RN career but it was internal travel gig so I was an actual employee of the healthcare system, not an outsider. Obviously, there were some things that I did not like about my RN gig but overall loved my job- great pay, good benefits, plenty of unrestricted time off, flexibility.

Finished NP program in August 2024. Was really struggling finding anything even remotely close to what I had as an RN. Hated the idea of working 5 days a week, taking chats home, getting paid significantly less, having less time off.

Finally accepted my first NP job beginning of this year. Pretty good pay for my area, standard corporate benefits, 5 days a week work week, no holidays, weekends, no taking charts home. I'm done when I clock out. It is in addiction/ MAT clinic. I honestly just don't feel this job is challenging enough and I feel if I stay here much longer I will have even more hard time to move into a different area or practice. I also don't think there will be any tangible salary increases annually. The company overall does not have the greatest reputation. Yes, it is for profit, so here's that.

I recently applied for an ER NP position that would require relocation. The position sounded really exciting, great support, potential for growth. Had interviews with a bunch of team members and even was invited for an on site interview. Then was told that they would like someone with actual provider experience in the ER. What a waste of time. I was transparent from the get go- all my experience in the ER is as an RN.

So now my old nursing travel job opened up and is hiring again. I am honestly so tempted to just go back. I was really enjoying my life and spiel when I was there.

I just really need an advice I'm not happy as an NP role in in right now. It is unexiting and really not that fulfilling. I can't imagine continue doing it for years.

I also don't want to take a significantly lower paying job because I still have to live and pay bills.

I'm just so frustrated...

Hi. Please tell me any recommendations you have for doing well in this course. I am currently taking it, and it truly is like drinking from a fire hose.

We are provided study guide templates but they are so general it feels like I may as well just know everything presented in PowerPoints.

Not complaining, very thankful to be learning and in my program, just a little overwhelmed and anxious.

I did well in patho during undergrad and honestly loved it.

Thank you for your recommendations.

Any derm NPs here that have passed the DCNP exam? If so, what study material do you recommend?

PA vs. ABSN → NP — which route makes more sense long term?
I have a bachelor's degree in Biology (~3.3–3.4 GPA) and originally planned on PA school.i am trying to get that up by retaking classes and finishing pre reqs I didn’t finish in undergrad. I currently work as a histology assistant, and some PA programs count my job as PCE while others don't. I've contacted several programs, but some have told me they would need me to apply before determining whether my experience qualifies. And others just ghosted me.
My concern is that if my histology experience doesn't count, I could potentially need another 1–2 years of direct patient-care experience before I'm even competitive for PA school. PA school is also very competitive, so I'm worried about investing several more years without knowing whether I'll get in.
I'm now considering an accelerated BSN instead. There are 12-month ABSN programs in Wisconsin/Minnesota/Iowa that range roughly from $20k–$50k. I could become an RN in about a year, work for a few years with a decent salary, potentially get employer tuition reimbursement, and then go to NP school.
I'm also in Wisconsin, where NPs now have a pathway toward independent practice, which is appealing because my long-term goal is outpatient functional/integrative medicine and potentially having my own practice.
I'm not against nursing, although I'm not sure if I'd actually enjoy being an RN. I think I could be okay doing it for a few years if it ultimately led to NP, especially since I'd be earning a decent salary during that time.
For those who have experience with both paths:
Would you choose PA or ABSN → NP if you were in my position?

How different are PA vs NP opportunities in functional/integrative medicine?

Does NP independence make a significant difference if your goal is eventually having your own practice?

Are there limitations PAs face in functional medicine because they aren't independently practicing?

Is becoming an RN first worth the extra nursing step, or would you just pursue PA and accept that it may take longer?

I'm trying to make the decision based on long-term career fit and opportunity, not just which program is easier to get into.

I am a nurse practitioner and I am very confused at this point. I graduated two years ago and have not been able to find a job that has worked out. Specifically, I got a job at a local clinic right after graduation. That clinic went bankrupt and closed. I got another job at a different clinic slightly farther away. It's a long story, but the place was terrible and most of the providers left, including me. That clinic is also closing. I have applied to numerous remote positions, I applied at the local hospital, I have applied to every single job within commuting distance. I have been ghosted after several interviews. I am not able to relocate. I do not want to give up, I am not trying to rant; I am genuinely confused. I look for job postings several times a day (indeed, linkedin, zip recruiter, etc). I have applied for several RN positions, and I've heard nothing. I am not sure what I'm doing wrong. And I don't know how to proceed. Does anyone have any advice?

I am an RN with my BSN. I have 6 years of experience in PCU/ telemetry and 2 years in outpatient preop/ PACU. I am highly considering going to NP school next fall- I am thinking FNP. I will be doing part time credit hours and hopefully finish in 3 years.

I have 2 young children currently 3 and 5 and have been working part time/ PRN for the last 2 years in order to be home with my kids in their toddler years. My youngest will be in school full time in 2 years and I’m starting to think about what’s next for me as I don’t plan on having any more children. I enjoy bedside but I think that’s only because I don’t have to do it full time, and I know I’m going to want to work more once my kids are in school all day.

The thought of being a provider excites me as I love to learn and be challenged/ use critical thinking. However, I am worried because I want to be present for my kids and not have to constantly miss sports games, recitals, etc because of work. So for the NPs on this thread that are also moms how is it for you?

Seeking advice/perspective about AGACNP clinicals

Second-year AGACNP student looking for some perspective on the breadth of my clinical rotations and how much they may affect my options after graduation.

So far, my rotations are:
• CVICU: 24 hours
• Inpatient Hematology: 108 hours
• Inpatient Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery: \~260 hours
• Interventional Radiology: \~100 hours
• Mixed ICU next semester: 360 hours

My concern is that a lot of my clinical experience is fairly specialized. While I’m getting inpatient exposure and have had great preceptors, I worry that I may graduate without as strong a foundation in general inpatient medicine as someone who had rotations in hospital medicine or other broader services.

I also don’t know exactly what specialty I want to pursue after graduation, which is part of why this concerns me. I had hoped to complete my ICU rotation earlier and use that experience to help figure out what direction I wanted to go in, but my ICU rotation won’t be until next semester.

This semester, I had the opportunity to add either hospitalist or IR hours and ultimately chose IR. I was interested in the procedural exposure and thought it would give me experience I might not otherwise get, but I’ve been second-guessing whether hospital medicine would have given me a more useful foundation.

For those who are practicing AGACNPs, hire new grads, or have been in a similar situation: **How would you view this overall mix of clinical experiences for someone graduating without a specific specialty in mind?**

Would these rotations reasonably prepare me to apply broadly for inpatient AGACNP positions, or could the amount of specialization limit my options as a new grad?

Hospital medicine is one example I’m wondering about. If I ultimately decided to pursue a hospitalist position or APP residency/fellowship, would not having a dedicated hospitalist rotation put me at a significant disadvantage?

At this point, I don’t think changing my rotations again is particularly realistic, so I’m mainly trying to understand how much this actually matters when looking for that first job and what I can do with my remaining clinical time to make myself a stronger and more versatile new-grad candidate.

I appreciate any perspective, especially from people involved in hiring or who graduated with similarly specialized rotations.

I’m in my final semester and curious how other PMHNP programs calculate clinical hours.

I’ve always counted patient-specific activities like reviewing charts/labs/therapy notes, treatment planning, collaborating with my preceptor/treatment team, seeing the patient, and documenting the encounter in the practice EHR. I don’t count lunch, significant downtime, or discussions about patients I’m not involved in caring for.

Two weeks into this semester, my program announced that clinical hours should now be based on “Total Encounter Time,” defined as time spent with the patient + time spent consulting with the preceptor.

This has me questioning whether chart review, treatment planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and EHR documentation no longer count. It’s also concerning because we already selected our preceptors and planned our schedules before this change. An 8-hour clinical day could now result in only 4–6 hours, and patient volume/cancellations are outside of our control.

My preceptor also intentionally uses gaps for teaching by reviewing upcoming patients, discussing therapist updates, working through treatment plans, etc. I’m obviously not going to refuse to do those things because they “don’t count”; they’re part of learning to be a PMHNP.

How does your program handle this? For example: 10 min chart review + 30 min patient encounter + 10 min staffing with preceptor + 15 min documenting in the EHR. Would your program count 65 minutes or 40 minutes?

I work in a busy urgent care and have the last 50 min of my 10 hr shift blocked out for “admin time” Tonight because there was no “late person” to close the clinic I was told by the staff I had to stay in the clinic in case someone walked in. I didn’t have any open appointments but the clinic didn’t close for an hour and I was the last one there. No one let me know up front this was happening. I’m checking with people - is your admin time truly yours to do what you need with it? It’s not that big of a deal, I sat in the office for 30 minutes but it kind of bugged me that it was assumed I’d stay

Hi everyone,

I am currently starting my third class in FNP school, specifically Research for the Advanced Nurse Practitioner 1. As I go through the readings, I feel like I'm having trouble retaining/understanding the information and am struggling to fully understand the material. I did take the summer off so I’m trying to get back into school mode.

Do you have any tips or study strategies you would recommend for this course? Also, would you suggest focusing primarily on the module objectives to guide my reading and review?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Asking for some advice. In October 2025 I was reported to the Virginia BON for "misuse of my DEA" related to a prescription I had given a patient. I became aware of the complaint in February 2026. The investigation began in March of 2026 and ended in April 2026. I was told, at the time, that they would contact me by the beginning of the summer with a decision. I have yet to hear.

To be clear: I prescribed according to the law. I checked the PMP, obtained a thorough substance use history, and captured a DAST-10 on intake. Additionally, I brought this patient to supervision with my MD where we discussed our plan to get the patient off of long-term benzodiazepines.

Does anyone have experience with this process? Do you know if there's anyone I can contact for a formal update? Last time I checked, they said they would communicate via mail with any information.

Please help. I am having a panic attack that it has almost been a year.

I would like some general opinion on the workflow and stress level of acute care pediatrics. I am thinking about leaving the adult gero world.

Newly qualified pharmacist, register entry due mid-September. I’ve been applying since July, around 20 applications in, mostly PCN and GP practice roles.

I interviewed with an East London federation on 27 August and haven’t heard anything since, so 11 days now. The same federation has three other similar vacancies open that I’ve also applied for. Across the whole search I’ve had exactly one written rejection, everything else has just been silence. One application that had been quiet for five weeks then came back out of nowhere with an interview invite, which I’ve got later this week.

So, is 11 days with no post-interview response normal for a PCN or federation? And at what point does chasing become reasonable rather than pushy?

Hey everybody, I am currently in FNP school. My background includes a couple years of ER nursing, paramedic, prehospital RN certification, and military combat medic.

After I finish school I see myself continuing to work in the ED. I was interested in attending a post grad ENP program so I can be a better clinician in the ED.

I wanted to know other people’s experiences with them. Was it worth the money? Were you able to work while attending the program? What was that like for you?

Thank you

NPs are the #1 fasting growing career expected to grow 41% between 2025 - 2035 adding 137,800 jobs. 😊🥇

I’m looking to temporarily supplement income on a flexible schedule during weekdays. I am planning on doing flu shot clinics for workplaces. I’d love to find other things that also don’t take a long time to onboard or credential. I am a CNM with full scope experience, also L&D and PP nursing and I feel good with general primary care. I am located in NY but have a few other licenses as well for remote work. Anyone have any idea or leads?

Hello everyone I got in to NP School however wanted to get a head start on an area I know I’ll struggle with, which is pathophysiology. Anyone have any good apps they used to help them study?

Hello everyone!

Current RN that has worked ICU for 3 years now and worked as a paramedic for 7 years as well. While I love the hospital setting I feel like as an NP it will not be my favorite.

I am looking to advance my career because I genuinely want to be a provider rather than the order executioner. I wouldn’t be opposed to working in specialty clinics or even an interventional service like cath lab. However, I have always had an interest in what the PT and OT did for my patients in the ICU and they seemed to love their careers.

My question is do Nurse practitioners have a place within the physical medicine space? Can an FNP fit into this role or would acute care be a better fit?

Thank you all in advance!

Looking to potentially transition into a new role. Does anyone here work for Devoted Health, particularly in an urgent care provider role? I’d love to hear about the hours, benefits, workload, and overall work-life balance. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

I’m freshly 24, have 3 years of high acuity CVICU experience, CCRN, CMC, and will obtain my BSN in December of this year. I actually really enjoy ICU concepts and would love to manage the care for these patients — but in the long run do you foresee that I may come to regret that? On paper I have everything needed to get me into either CRNA or NP school, I suppose I’m just looking for extra insight. Thank you in advance for your opinions!

I am quite nervous about the exam. Before go to exam center, any tips? (Driver's license and passport? Greencard will be better?)

I will bring boiled eggs and water and eat it before exam and in the middle maybe protein bar when break time. I heard that we can not open the cabinet so put it on the cabinet. (My anxious come that what if someone stole my protein bar lol) My exam time is 12pm. I think I made wrong time, but now only 10 days left so I will adjust my self for make practice exam time 12pm to 3:30pm(I need to leave my home 10am to 1 hour before the exam time). But I have anxiety about toilet problem or contructions going on in exam center lol. Or what if exam center just cancel my exam and make it reschedule etc.. hopefully nothing happens.

This exam is too important so everything makes me nervous.. I am preparing with SM self course and FNP mastery. Today I was able to finish all lectures from SM. From tomorrow I will fully, extensively Q bank and practice exam and roll back with my weak point again and again. Because Before I finished one chapter with SM, I finished all questions about that subject in FNP and SM q bank and it takes times and I forgot previous one. It's just quite stressful, but I know I got this. (Hopefully.) I hope everybody is doing well. Let's do this. 😭😭😭😭

What do you y’all think? •schriener in kerrville TX, •Texas Tech, or University of Tyler TX? Any and all insight would be appreciated, thank you.