Job opportunities in my area NP > PA (new grad)

[padream127]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm a new grad and has been checking the job market around my area (suburban pennsylvania in Hershey) and haven't found any great opportunities over for PA. I am up for any specialty except the ICU and CT surgery.. which is awfully seen a lot of offers for PA, unfortunately for me lol. On the flip side, my top choice is psychiatry but like many other specialties- this field is rarely available for PA and predominently for NP. Even if PA position is available, it requires psych experiences... but it's ironic that it's hard to build experiences when PA is limited in working in psych (and other specialties as well.. basically expectations too high?)?

 

I have done research between PA vs. NP school to try to understand their training experiences (other than them working as a RN for so many years.. but still doesn't guaranteed that their RN was in the field that they will be working as an NP... and they are more focused on holistic view I don't see their training in medicine is any more advance than PA school?) but never enough than asking about other people's knowledges and experiences working with NP or knowing any NP. So please provide your knowledge in here!

I think there is a way where I can prove or at least try my best to show to the HR or the company that PA is also capable of working in psych (and many other specialties that is limited for PA)... however, as a new grad, I'm a newbie and need help with that. So any advice of approaching with that would be very helpful!

Thanks in advance!!

[Pac30]

Pennsylvania is a barren wasteland where most of the jobs pay horribly. (Former PA PA). Your best option is treat your first couple years like you're still in school and go elsewhere for the pay and experience, and come back when you aren't fighting 20 schools worth of new grads as a new grad. 

The old adage here is 

Location, Specialty, Pay

Pick two of them

[iconic]

Because specialized NP > Assistant. Just had my PCP refer to his NP as Dr So and So

[Komorebi]

I'm a psych NP.

We basically rule the market for psych because we are marketed as psych experts. We have population specific programs, so I am not just an NP but a PMHNP. That means ALL of my classes and clinical hours for 2+ years were focused on psych. All of my professors were practicing in psych. Even my pharmacology course was supplemented by a psychopharmacology course the following semester.  Finally our board exam was specific to psych.

I think PA training is generally superior to NP training for generalist education and inpatient care, but I think the crown jewel of NP education is our population specific education programs and certifications which not only prepare us for specific job fields but also limit scope so we don't have to compete with NPs from other fields for jobs.

[Cideous]

22 minutes ago, Komorebi said:

I'm a psych NP.

We basically rule the market for psych because we are marketed as psych experts. We have population specific programs, so I am not just an NP but a PMHNP. That means ALL of my classes and clinical hours for 2+ years were focused on psych. All of my professors were practicing in psych. Even my pharmacology course was supplemented by a psychopharmacology course the following semester.  Finally our board exam was specific to psych.

I think PA training is generally superior to NP training for generalist education and inpatient care, but I think the crown jewel of NP education is our population specific education programs and certifications which not only prepare us for specific job fields but also limit scope so we don't have to compete with NPs from other fields for jobs.

And this basically supports what my advice was going to be.  Do a residency.  I hate to sound like a broken record, but PA school is not enough anymore to overcome our "Assistant" name and lack of autonomy compared to NP's.  I'm finally working again in UC, but I was turned down before I was every interviewed by 4 different UC's who all said the same thing....we ONLY hire NP's now due to the supervision requirements.  This, and I have over 25 years of experience and of course a masters.  It's sickening.  All you can do at this point is go into a field that PA's still have a bit of leverage in like Ortho, but first try and do a residency.

[PACali]

5 hours ago, Cideous said:

And this basically supports what my advice was going to be.  Do a residency.  I hate to sound like a broken record, but PA school is not enough anymore to overcome our "Assistant" name and lack of autonomy compared to NP's.  I'm finally working again in UC, but I was turned down before I was every interviewed by 4 different UC's who all said the same thing....we ONLY hire NP's now due to the supervision requirements.  This, and I have over 25 years of experience and of course a masters.  It's sickening.  All you can do at this point is go into a field that PA's still have a bit of leverage in like Ortho, but first try and do a residency.

How could that be?  NCCPA and PAEA says we are the No.1 Profession and everything is all good!?

[CAAdmission]

23 hours ago, Cideous said:

we ONLY hire NP's now due to the supervision requirements. 

A residency program is not going to fix this. We're hosed.

[bike mike]

https://medicine.uiowa.edu/psychiatry/education/fellowship-programs/physician-assistant-pa-psychiatry-fellowship

If you want to do speciality medicine, do it well, and get a lot of knowledge in a relatively short period do a residency. This goes for psych, cards, ICU, etc.  After completing a residency your opportunities will open up an you may be able to get all three: job, pay, and location. 

 

[iconic]

36 minutes ago, bike mike said:

https://medicine.uiowa.edu/psychiatry/education/fellowship-programs/physician-assistant-pa-psychiatry-fellowship

If you want to do speciality medicine, do it well, and get a lot of knowledge in a relatively short period do a residency. This goes for psych, cards, ICU, etc.  After completing a residency your opportunities will open up an you may be able to get all three: job, pay, and location. 

 

Not really. NPs are independent in over 30 states. For psych specifically, many jobs are from therapy groups; who aren’t gonna be paying an MD for supervision when they can hire an NP. Also forget jobs, many NPs create their own jobs. Not that PAs can’t do it, but it’s more complicated for having to have an SP. I’ve spoken to PA practice owners who advised me that you should also have a back up SP.

Edited May 18, 2021 by iconic

[bike mike]

18 minutes ago, iconic said:

Not really. NPs are independent in over 30 states. For psych specifically, many jobs are from therapy groups; who aren’t gonna be paying an MD for supervision when they can hire an NP. Also forget jobs, many NPs create their own jobs. Not that PAs can’t do it, but it’s more complicated for having to have an SP. I’ve spoken to PA practice owners who advised me that you should also have a back up SP.

Hmmmfff.....I'm in cardiology. Completed a residency. Saw a job listing for an NP and applied. Initially told they were only hiring an NP. After the docs saw my resume landed an interview and have not only been hired but they decided to expand my role from strictly OP as the job was originally listed, but I will also be scrubbing in and getting vascular access for the EP procedures. So to the OP if someone tells you to forget about the job you want because you're not an NP.....don't listen.

[ventana]

On 5/16/2021 at 11:53 AM, Komorebi said:

\

I think PA training is generally superior to NP training for generalist education and inpatient care, but I think the crown jewel of NP education is our population specific education programs and certifications which not only prepare us for specific job fields but also limit scope so we don't have to compete with NPs from other fields for jobs.

problem is employers and NPs are not staying in their field of specialty and I think this needs to stop

 

You should NOT be treating PEDS as and Adult NP

You should NOT be doing OP medicine as an Acute Care NP

You should NOT be doing Inpatient Acute Care as an FNP

 

But the employers need to follow the rules but they either don't know about the rules, know the BON will not enforce them, don't care about them, or just choose to ignore them as they need the NP employee to fill a slot......

 

 

 

I am a pro-PA person as a PA myself, and honestly hiring an NP is so much easier.  We are a full NP independence state so it is literally just hiring the NP. Period, that is it.  The PA is hired is followed by SP agreement, paper work, supervision agreements, meetings and reviews - what a PIA and for the most part totally useless.  

 

As I have said prior no new grad should be allowed independent practice  NPs and PAs should be supervised by senior people in their field or MD/DO for a 1-2 spell just like the SLP's do.  Then apply for independent practice.  We owe it to society to protect society from new providers.