Piper

I lost a full-time gig in a busy private urgent care earlier this year due to my productivity not being up to par, plus some other issues at a company level, not personal. In-office X-ray capability, basic in-house labs, ability to give IV fluids / meds with relatively quick access to CT / MRI / more complex labs available often on a same-day basis, so we saw a lot of complex patients in addition to the typical urgent care smorgasbord. I worked with top notch providers but could not get my hustle factor to where it needed to be. Speed and efficiency absolutely count. I'm getting ready to turn 61 and feeling burned out on it all, so I am thinking it is time for a career change.

I work at a privately owned urgent care center. There are four physicians and two PAs, and all of us take charts home to work on them. However, we have recently been told by our Board of Directors that taking charts home is a potential HIPPA violation and could end up costing our company as much as $2 to $3 million in penalties if a HIPPA violation were to occur. So no more charts going home, which actually makes me feel happy. I either stay late or come in early to finish charts. My days off feel much better now, but I still hate all the EMR bull****. We have Dragon for voice dictation but it is so bad that only 1 provider uses it. I am trying to learn how to chart efficiently without writing the great American novel for future attorneys to enjoy.

There is no way I would actively encourage my make-believe kids to go into medicine unless that was truly what they felt called to do. I honestly would encourage them to consider the debt load / potential income. School loan repayments equivalent to a mortgage would just suck.

From Pirate NP/PA Nation Facebook Group. Attention--all APRNS! SB 695 Modernize Nursing Practice Act filed today: NCGA 2135-0NCGA_2135-0.pdf Yep - full practice independence with oversight only by Board of Nursing is what I am seeing.

"One Up On Wall Street" by Peter Lynch. Has been on my shelf for a while. "Wisdom Meets Passion" by Dan Miller and Jared Angaza. Love me some Dan Miller and listen to his podcasts when I can. Great ideas on taking chances and living a full life. Finding that time has a greater sense of value and urgency at this point in my life. Medical books are forever banned from my nightstand!!

You will make a great salary BUT.......this will be much more stressful and much less satisfying than you thought it would be.

Congrats - that is well-deserved. One helluva boulder you have been rolling uphill for so long.

My common rx is tussionex 1 hour before bedtime and benzonatate during the daytime.

Nice link - I just finished the exercise. Got some reviewing to do for sure. Very thorough on explaining the results.

Please, please, please make sure you will have training / mentoring as you learn the ropes. Being thrown to the wolves is no fun. Good luck!

I have to add my voice to the "go for the residency" chorus. Sounds like a fantastic learning experience.

Doing chest compressions on myself.........

1 month at a nightmare inpatient GI situation. Thrown to the wolves and turned in my resignation after 2 weeks on the job. Absolutely no regrets. Do I win for shortest 1st time job ever?? :)

I am not nearly as eloquent as UGoLong, but basically "what he said.....". It can be so scary to take a leap and leave what is familiar, even if the known is unhappiness. Don't let the fear of the unkown freeze you in place. Sounds like you have an amazingly supportive boyfriend. Life is too short to not enjoy your work. It won't be your only source of happiness, as others have pointed out, but going to work every day without feeling like you want to vomit is pretty important.

At our free-standing urgent care clinic, everybody pulls weekend shifts. Most folks have a schedule ranging from 8-10+ hour shifts depending on how many patients are still waiting to be seen when we lock our door at closing time. We are open 0800-2000 during the week but close a little earlier on weekends. Not uncommon to be there for an hour or two past closing during busy times (i.e now.....)