As a new grad NP back in 2016, I had no idea what to look for in my first NP job. I was excited that I got to negotiate a high starting salary with benefits.

But what I didn’t know was that the support for me as a new grad was … to put it nicely… non-existent.

The “training period” quickly went out the window as clinic days were filled with walk-ins, late and cranky patients, and an unbelievable amount of admin work.

It wasn’t so much that I was struggling with my clinical skills (assessments, differentials, and patient education) - I was more struggling with managing my time efficiently with patient visits, charting my visits, coding correctly, and setting my boundaries.

I was struggling…to the point that my shoulders took a permanent place by my ears every time my day started. I began to have chest pains, anxiety, and even thought I was having gallstones! I gained 10 lbs. from eating scraps (Kit Kat bars, gummy bears, etc.) since I felt like I didn’t have time for a proper lunch.

I was so frustrated, but I temporarily got my act together and headed straight to administration to let them know what I needed to be successful - and they denied every…single…request.

I remember one day, I said to myself, “I’m going to have lunch today - no matter what! I’m a human, not a machine.” And just as I got ready to get my purse and walk out, the MA comes in with a chart for a patient who JUST got released from the hospital with a diagnosis of diabetes.

You might be thinking, why didn’t you just have the patient wait until you came back? That’s a great question.

The patient had been waiting 2 hours for another provider who was not going to be able to see them because they were running behind.

I had a line-up of afternoon patients and really didn’t feel like staying even later than I normally do.

I felt bad for the patient who just got diagnosed with diabetes and needed someone to help him get set up with the right education and self-management tools.

So I saw the patient and he was thankful.

You might be wondering if I ate lunch that day…

Nope. I ate a KitKat bar I had in my purse and kept it moving.

That same day, I said to myself, "Well, since lunch didn’t work out, at least I’ll be able to leave work on time." I was WRONG.

4:45 PM (same day) the same MA came with another chart for a patient that had been waiting over an hour for another provider and the patient was starting to complain.

I asked the MA, “Who authorized this?” and she said, “The administrator.”

This was my breaking point. I just couldn’t continue to do this any more. This system was so broken and it was breaking me!

After three months of this, I was burned out.

I re-read my contract and found that I had to put up with this for another 3 months in order to give proper notice…

So I did. I gave my notice and they were NOT happy…but somehow understood.

Looking back, there are a lot of things that I would do differently. However, the lessons I learned in the subsequent 3 months would serve me for the rest of my career. I couldn’t go on 3 more months if I didn’t change for myself.

I have used these skills throughout my career as a nurse practitioner and I am a more well-rounded professional because of it.

My friend, you are why I created Boss NP University. I want to help you through the struggles we face as early career NPs so that you don’t ever feel the way I did.

NP school doesn’t prepare us for the RN to NP transition and there are a lot of nurse practitioners that struggle in silence because they are afraid to admit they are struggling or are scared they “might get found out” (that’s imposter syndrome by the way).

I feel compelled to provide early career nurse practitioners with a safe space to share their struggles and learn how to navigate the unknown territory of the novice NP with confidence.

The resources and tools inside Boss NP University are strategically designed to help you THRIVE as a nurse practitioner.

Together, we can write the reputation of the nurse practitioner as elite advanced practice nurses who meet the challenges of the complex healthcare system with collaboration, empathy, trust, patience, and forward-thinking.

Doors are now open, but not for long. We will be closing registration on 1/31/2023 at midnight.

Let’s gooooo! See you inside!