Tag: nurse practitioners

Burnout Isn’t Just a Physician Problem

NPs and PAs are often touted as the solution to the growing primary care physician shortage, but at what cost? Burnout impacts them, too.

The growing primary care physician shortage has put an overwhelming strain on doctors in the United States, often in the form of burnout. A combined workforce of nearly 400,000 strong, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants have been poised and ready to be, and often touted as, the most viable solution to the shortage. But at what cost? After all, NPs and PAs are not immune to burning out, themselves.

According to the International Classification of Diseases, which now classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon, burnout is defined as “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Those suffering from burnout often experience feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy.

Last fall, the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants published the first report on national trends of burnout among PAs. The data revealed that 62.1% of PAs had enthusiasm for their work, while 21.4% reported some degree of cynicism, and 10.4% reported a low sense of personal accomplishment. The report also revealed that 12.8% had never left a position due to stress, but were considering quitting their current position due to stress, burnout, or a toxic workplace, and that 30% had quit once in the past due to stress. Another 11.7% of PAs had left more than one position due to burnout.

As for Nurse Practitioners, burnout in the nursing profession, as a whole, is well-documented. Nurses experience some of the highest risk and rate of burnout, with a third of all nurses in the U.S. reporting high levels of emotional exhaustion. Though Nurse Practitioners may outrank RNs, they seem to be experiencing similar levels of burnout. For instance, though the NP profession ranked #7 on U.S. News & World Report’s 100 Best Jobs list in 2019, it was also reported that NP experience above average stress and below average work-life balance.

Are you feeling burnt out in your role as an NP or PA? How do you combat work-related stress? Tell us in the comments below.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

States with the Most Jobs for PAs and NPs

Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are some of the most in-demand healthcare professionals in the nation, but where is demand highest?

Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are some of the most in-demand healthcare professionals in the nation, but where, in particular, is that demand? We analyzed data on our site and came up with the three states with the most available openings for PAs and NPs right now, as well as a selection of noteworthy openings for each position type.

Nurse Practitioners

1. California

Number of NP Jobs Available in California: 427

Average Annual NP Salary in California: $126,890

Noteworthy Openings in California:

Click Here to Search NP Jobs in California

2. New York

Number of NP Jobs Available in New York: 350

Average Annual NP Salary in New York: $118,550

Noteworthy Openings in New York:

Click Here to Search NP Jobs in New York

3. Washington

Number of NP Jobs Available in Washington: 235

Average Annual NP Salary in Washington: $116,350

Noteworthy Openings in Washington:

Click Here to Search NP Jobs in Washington

Physician Assistants

1. California

Number of PA Jobs Available in California: 207

Average Annual PA Salary in California: $118,500

Noteworthy Openings in California:

Click Here to Search PA Jobs in California

2. New York

Number of PA Jobs Available in New York: 116

Average Annual PA Salary in New York: $117,060

Noteworthy Openings in New York:

Click Here to Search PA Jobs in New York

3. Connecticut

Number of PA Jobs Available in Connecticut: 71

Average Annual PA Salary in Connecticut: $126,320

Noteworthy Openings in Connecticut:

Click Here to Search PA Jobs in Connecticut

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Suicide Risk Among Nurses Higher than Non-Nurses

Nurses are at a higher risk of suicide than the general population according to the findings of the first national investigation into nurse suicide in over twenty years.

Nurses are at a higher risk of suicide than the general population according to the findings of the first national investigation into nurse suicide in more than two decades.

The study, which was published in Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, found that suicide incidence was 11.97 per 100,000 female nurses and even higher among male nurses, with suicide claiming 39.8 per 100,000. Both figures are significantly higher than that of the general population, which is 7.58 per 100,000 women and 28.2 per 100,000 men. Overall, the suicide rate was 13.9 per 100,000 nurses versus 17.7 per 100,000 for the general population.

In all, over 400 nurses per year die by suicide, and according to the study, nurse anesthetists and retired nurses were at the highest risk.

“We are overworked and stressed, and on the edge of the breaking point at any given moment,” said Ariel Begun, BSN, RN, who was willing to speak with us regarding the alarming rate of nurse suicides. “In the last 10 years I have seen the expectations of nurses increase and the staffing and quality of supplies decrease. Nurses have been told they need to do more with less for years and it keeps getting worse.”

When asked how the healthcare industry and its employers can better support the mental health of nurses, Begun had a lot to offer.

“First, fix the systemic problems in healthcare. Starting with patient to nurse ratios being lowered, and increased staffing for support of the department and to ensure someone is available to help in emergencies. We should not consider barebones staffing to be the norm. We also need to provide better resources for nurses to care for patients without having to use the cheapest thing on the market. Additionally, we need better hours and shift options. We should not need to work to the point of jet lag mental conditions, where our basic thought capacity is diminished to the point where we have trouble remembering to care for ourselves.

“Guilt is also a driving factor for nurses. We don’t call out when we are sick because we know the department will be hurt by us not being there. We don’t get decent breaks and we work to the point of dehydration and kidney failure potential. Toss in Neurogenic Nurse Bladder, a condition that develops because of the nurse’s lack of bathroom break time. Can’t pee, I might miss a call from the doc, or my patient might code while I am away.

“In regards to mental health specifically, it would be nice to have group support sessions where nurses can get together and talk about the issues they have. Resources for home-work balance need to be available, too. I always thought that a group yoga session would be a nice thing to have as a way to get your day started in a healthy manner. The first lesson I learned in nursing school was, now is not the time to try to quit any vices you have, in fact you might as well double down on them, because they are going to be what helps you get through your day. Nurses are taught to do the things that we then need to teach our patients not to do. Nurses are not taught coping strategies for how to handle their stress. They are only taught that it is a thing and you can’t escape it.”

If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or others, we encourage you to seek help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or by texting 741741 to have a conversation with a trained crisis counselor via the Crisis Text Line.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

How Do You Deal with “I Want to See a Doctor”?

What do you do when a patient has the audacity to say, “I want to see a real doctor,” thus calling into question your qualifications?

By Jessica Levinson

Earlier this year, while working the front desk in a specialist’s office that employed PAs, MDs, and DOs, it was a sentence I heard pretty frequently—“I want to see a doctor, not a PA.”

Though we followed company policy and told patients they would be seeing an advanced practitioner during scheduling, and though there was a clearly displayed sign in the waiting room informing patients that the practice employed PAs and NPs, patients would often claim they were not made aware and often said that they never would have scheduled an appointment and that they would not have wasted their time coming to the appointment, if they knew they were not seeing a physician, often in more colorful language.

Having written scores of articles for this very blog about the comparable or better care advanced practitioners provide, I cringed every time—while I also tried to convince patients to keep their appointments and see the advanced practitioner on staff. Sometimes, it worked. Sometimes, it didn’t. Mostly, I wondered how PAs and NPs dealt with the question themselves.

I asked one of the PAs on staff this very question. She said, in summation, “I’m not going to force them to see me. If they want to see a doctor, they’re welcome to. It’s just going to be a few weeks before they can get that appointment.”

As the physician shortage continues to grow and, in turn, to leave gaps in access to care, her sentiment seemed pretty spot on. Often, when scheduling patients, I was able to offer same day appointments with the PA or NP, but would need to look as far as three weeks out for a ten-minute time slot with the MD.

To me, it is more important to have whatever my medical issue is handled by someone who knows more than myself and a Google search, no matter their title. However, some will continue to want to be cared for exclusively by physicians. When they do, how do you find yourself responding? Tell us in the comments below.

Jessica Levinson is HealthJobsNationwide.com’s Social Media Manager and Brand Ambassador, who also moonlights as a best-selling poet and freelance writer.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Yet Another Physician Speaks Out Against PAs, NPs

As the physician shortage worsens, there is no shortage of physicians speaking out against the idea of PAs and NPs being comparable substitutes.

A physician-penned op-ed published online this week entitled “NPs/PAs ‘Just as Effective’ as Physicians? I Don’t Think So” casts a negative spotlight on PAs and NPs, yet again.

The piece, which was written by Starla Fitch, MD, an ophthalmologist, speaker, and personal coach, brings up the oft talked about physician shortage and all but ridicules the idea of advanced practitioners as a comparable substitute, with Fitch stating in the piece, “With all due respect to our healthcare team, I beg to differ that going through four years of college and completing an additional two years – sometimes online, no less – can truly be “just as effective.””

Fitch takes issue with calling PAs and NPs equal to physicians, but admits support is needed by other members of the healthcare team.

“I’m not arguing against having the support of other healthcare members. Trust me. The shortage is real. And we need to find solutions,” Fitch writes, continuing on to say, “But please don’t say, we are “just as effective.” I realize that there are many duties that nurse practitioners and physician assistants can do with skill and authority. And the reasons why primary care physicians are declining is multifactorial, for sure. As I see it, though, putting physicians and our skill side-by-side, on equal footing, with those who are not physicians only serves to drive a deeper wedge between the healthcare folks who need, at this crucial time, to come together.”

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

5 Reasons to Give Travel Positions a Try

For those with a sense of adventure, travel positions need no other selling point. If you don’t have a natural love of travel, though, here are five other reasons to consider travel assignments.

Not a lot of careers come with the ability to travel the country and get paid for it, but there are quite a few in the healthcare arena that do. Physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, therapy professionals, and more are afforded the unique opportunity to accept contract positions, often also referred to as locum tenens, at hospitals and clinics all over the United States, from sea to shining sea. For those with a sense of adventure or a love of travel, this needs no other selling point. However, here are five scenarios in which you may want to give travel assignments a try, if you need more convincing.

If You’re Relatively New

Travel positions provide a good opportunity to figure out what you want to specialize in, in which setting, or even what area of the country you want to live in. Since travel positions are predominantly contracts that are two or more months long, you’ll have plenty of time to see what you like, or don’t like, before fully committing to a permanent position somewhere and setting down roots.

If You’re Feeling Burnt Out

A change of scenery can do wonders for the seasoned clinician who is struggling with the all too common pains of burnout. Working with different populations of patients, or even different coworkers, in different places can help to alleviate the feeling of stagnation. Travel positions typically also afford more work-life balance and less intensive schedules, which allows you to focus more on the things that truly matter in your life—not just documentation.

If You Want More Money

Locums positions typically offer higher salaries than permanent positions, sometimes as much as 30-50 percent more. If you are trying to pay off a student loan, or just want to tuck some money away for a rainy day, signing on for a few travel positions is likely to get you out of the red.

If You Want a Trial Run

Travel positions allow you to try out a wide range of settings and patient populations, often with the option to take on a permanent role within the practice you are filling in at. If you are thinking of pivoting in your career, this is a good way to “try before you buy,” so to speak, that will allow you to make an informed decision about where you want to settle in for the long-term.

If You Want to Make a Difference

Locums positions are often available in remote and underserved areas, allowing you to significantly impact the lives of people who need your skills the most. From the most secluded towns in Alaska to small town America, you’ll be able to provide quality care for those who would not otherwise have adequate access to care.

Ready to give it a shot? We have over 40,000 travel positions available on our site right now, if you want to take a look.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

NPs Touted as Primary Care Shortage Solution—Yet Again

Nurse practitioners are the solution to health care provider shortages, or so said a rally cry of an op-ed published by The Hill this week.

Nurse practitioners are the solution to health care provider shortages, or so said Sophia L. Thomas, President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, in an op-ed published by The Hill this week.

The op-ed, which can only be described as a rally cry for full practice authority, points out the strain of the primary care physician shortage, one that is estimated to fall short of patient demand by 120,000 physicians by the year 2030.

In contrast, however, the NP profession is growing, expected to increase by 6.8 percent annually between 2016 and 2030, with more than three-quarters of NPs trained in primary care areas.

“There are more than 270,000 nurse practitioners (NPs) licensed in the United States, and they are an under-utilized asset in the struggle to strengthen and expand primary care access,” said Thomas. “While 40 percent of U.S. states authorize full practice authority (FPA) for NPs providing patients with full and direct access to NP care, unfortunately a whopping 60 percent of states have yet to modernize their state licensure laws to grant the same access. In those states, outdated regulations restrict NP practice rights, which in turn reduces access to care for patients.”

In addition to expanding FPA laws, Thomas calls for states to allow NPs “to sign the forms for the care they deliver instead of being forced to get redundant third-party signatures,” as well as to “create flexible and sustainable reimbursement methods to ensure that NP care is covered and reimbursable.”

Thomas closes the piece by saying, “NPs are uniquely qualified to provide high-quality, comprehensive and cost-effective primary health care to all patients. It’s time that policymakers at both the federal and state level take the steps needed to ensure that all Americans, regardless of where they live, have access to the primary care they deserve.”

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

The States with the Most Healthcare Job Openings

Some states prove to be a safer bet in terms of finding a job in healthcare, due to the sheer number available. Here are the states with the most right now.

Healthcare job growth has been strong in 2019, as expected—the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics has long projected the healthcare sector to see some of the fastest and most consistent growth through 2022. So, where are the jobs? Here are the five states with the most healthcare jobs available right now.

  1. California
    Jobs Available: 8,541
    Top Positions: Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists, Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Speech Language Pathologists
  2. Texas
    Jobs Available: 4,702
    Top Positions: Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physicians, Speech Language Pathologists
  3. New York
    Jobs Available: 2,647
    Top Positions: Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians, Physical Therapists, Physician Assistants
  4. Illinois
    Jobs Available: 2,210
    Top Positions: Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Nurse Practitioners, Speech Language Pathologists
  5. Virginia
    Jobs Available: 2,125
    Top Positions: Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Physicians, Occupational Therapists

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

NPs Bite Back at Physicians’ Call for Public Advocacy Campaign

Physicians and Nurse Practitioners have been battling it out online in the form of open letters this past week, with both calling on the AMA to step in.

An open letter penned by the President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Sophia L. Thomas, DNP, FNP, PNP, FAANP, was posted to the AANP website this week, and in it, calls for the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and its Resident Student Association to retract their own open letter, which they released last week, asking “Where is the Public Campaign Advocating for Physicians?”

The AANP’s letter stated that the AAEM’s letter, which was written by Haig Aintablian, MD, President of the AAEM/RSA, and David A. Farcy, MD FAAEM FCCM, President of the AAEM, “was riddled with blatant inaccuracies and self-serving statements that seek to undermine the NP profession and devalue the health care needs of patients nationwide.”

One of the inaccuracies pointed out in the AANP’s letter is where the AAEM’s said, “the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) has put forth a significant public campaign challenging physician education and compassion with slogans such as “brain of a doctor, heart of a nurse” going so far as airing commercials recommending patients actively choose a nurse practitioner over a physician for one’s health care.”

Thomas said in the NP letter, “AANP is proud of its public awareness campaign that highlights the role of the NP as well as the patients who choose them as their primary care providers. Our goal is to expand public awareness of the NP role and to encourage more patients to consider an NP.”

She went on to explain, “To be clear, AANP never conceived of nor sponsored “brain of a doctor, heart of a nurse” as a tagline in any advertising campaign or as content in any official social post issued from our organizational social accounts. In fact, we find the entire premise insulting, as 50 years of research clearly demonstrate, the “brains” of NPs drive health care outcomes equivalent to physicians, year in and year out.”

The AANP letter closes by saying, “It is time for the American Medical Association (AMA), AAEM and AAEM/RSA to put patients first and let them choose their own provider. Only then can we make patient-centered, accessible health care available to all. AANP stands ready to work with medicine to find reasonable solutions to the issues where we differ and promote high-quality health care together for all of our nation’s citizens.”

The AAEM/RSA letter can be found here, and the AANP’s reply can be found here

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

89% of Patients Consult “Dr. Google” First

Dr. Google is in. 89% of patients queue up Google and search for their symptoms before going to see a medical provider. But this isn’t exactly a good thing.

No matter what symptoms you Google, it seems as though the search engine ends up painting a bleak picture, returning worst-case-scenarios like that you are having a heart attack, or that you have cancer, or any number of complex diseases or conditions. Or maybe even worse, it downplays more serious conditions. Yet, for some reason, 89% of patients queue up Google and search for their symptoms before going to see a medical provider.

The reason? According to a recent survey conducted by eligibility.com, where the staggering number came from, it is because patients wanted to see just how serious their symptoms were before seeking a professional diagnosis and treatment.

This practice comes with its own problems, of course, since Dr. Google is not an actual doctor and neither are the people who are Googling their symptoms. For instance, Googling “nasal congestion,” which is the most popular symptom Googled in Texas, Georgia, and Florida, returns the following possibly related, mildly problematic health conditions: seasonal allergies, common cold, sinusitis, upper respiratory infection, and animal allergy. However, it can also be a symptom of something more serious that should not go ignored, such as thyroid disorders, the flu, or even pregnancy, and Google has absolutely no way of saying for certain. Meanwhile, on the other side of it, patients who Google their symptoms can be susceptible to “cyberchondria,” a sort of adjunct hypochondria, in which they experience unreasonably high anxiety regarding common symptoms due to their search behavior.

While Google may be a useful tool for a lot of things, one thing is for certain: it is no replacement for a living, breathing medical professional. And even Google will tell you that.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.