APN Interviews

1.)    What is the reason that you chose your specific APN specialty?

The love of this side of medicine and the lack of empathy from others.  These patients support and understanding.

 

 

2.)    Please provide a description of: a) the type of setting where you work (i.e. community hospital, major medical center, private primary care practice, clinic for the underserved, etc.), and (b) a “typical” day as you render care.

I currently work in a hospital clinic in 2 different locations.  A typical day for me is seen patients starting at 8:00 in the morning and 8 AM at 5 PM.  I see anywhere between 10 and 22 patients per day

 

 

 

 

3.)    What is your level of satisfaction with your role in general, and specifically within the system where you are currently employed?

I love what I do.  I attempt to stay out of the weeds and politics.

 

 

 

4.)    What type of APN certification do you hold? Identify the accurate name of the certifying body with which you are certified.

I am an adult psychiatric nurse practitioner board-certified and gain this certification through the ANCC.

 

 

 

 

5.)    Do you have prescriptive authority and do you prescribe controlled substances? If you do prescribe controlled substances, from which schedules of controlled substances are you allowed to prescribe?

I do have prescriptive authority and prescribed controlled substances.  I do not prescribe class I.

 

 

 

6.)    Must you practice according to an agreement with a physician? If so, is the relationship supervisory or collaborative?(Please share as much information re: this as you are able.)

In the state of New Mexico I do not have to work under a physician.  However, due to regulations as well as hospital bylaws I do work under a physician.  I do not have to report to this physician each and every patient.

 

 

 

7.)    Are you credentialed and privileged by a hospital or health system? If your answer is “Yes”, please explain what the credentialing and privileging process entails in your organization (i.e., are the documents reviewed by only the human resources department, the nursing department, or the medical staff office, or perhaps all of these, etc.).

I am credentialed and have privileges at my local hospital.  However, the hospital has not begun allowing nurse practitioners to admit under their own names.  We still have to admit under an MD.

 

 

 

8.)    Do you specifically belong to a professional organization (s) that specifically addresses APN issues? If so, which one (s)? If not, why not?

I belong to ANCC and APNA

 

 

 

9.)    What is your understanding about the DNP degree (Please explain what you know about the degree itself), and whether you have this degree already or intend  to pursue it? Can you please also tell me your feelings ( Positive or negative) about the DNP and why you feel this way. 

DNP programs are meant for people who are wanting more knowledge and the research area as well as a social area.  I am not sure if this is something I want to obtain/pursue at this time.  This is mainly due to no increase in pay or standing within the medical community.  I believe that a DNP is worth while, but not at this time due to financial gains.

 

 

 

Please feel free to add any additional information re: your specific field that you may feel may be beneficial for my learning process.

When you are completed with your program it is important that you work with others who are willing to continue your learning in a collaborative manner.  Do not feel you have to take the first job or decrease in pay since you’re a new provider.