Rough around the edges PA wanting to end life as an RN, thoughts?

[kayakingsteve]

Hello, male nurses... Here's my boring story.

I am 5 years out of grad school as a PA, I know everyone thinks PA/NP is great, but for me being a PA has not been pleasant. I am idealistic and to make a long story short very cut and dry. In a small pool of doctors and mid-levels I am technically good but not good at sucking up to the right people. It can take up to 6 months to find a new job in another ER and the hassle of being in the middle of patients, nurses, doctors and the administration just isn't worth what PA's get paid. I also don't like being pressured to sign off on ridiculous work-ups everywhere that I work but get punished/not renewed if I don't agree with the doctors and refuse to CT scan everyone head to toe that comes in the door.

I am good clinically but not at all emotional. I find that I generally get along with the few male nurses/techs... hell, even the security guards, but I am not in any way attuned to women and that has hurt me in popularity with nursing where I have worked also, about 1/3 of female nurses "get" me and the rest think I am insensitive or mean because I don't have time to chat with them every 5 minutes.

I don't need to make as much, would like the freedom to work almost anywhere and not have to wait 5 months for paperwork designed for doctors (which is what PA's have to do at all hospitals) and think I still could be useful.

Is there any chance I could make it through RN school and all the female-dominated stuff? If so I want to do prisons or VA when I get out, where a male RN might come in handy...

Thoughts anyone?

[hppygr8ful]

I know you addresed this to male nurses so I hope you don't mind the input from a female. I am an RN who did not mesh well with traditional hospital settings - I moved out of bedside care about 9 years ago and went to psych which I loved and subsequently led to the job I have had for three years as a nurse in Group homes for developmentally disabled adults. The pay is not what I would make in a traditional setting but I have tons of autonomy and I love my job.

I am sure you could make it through RN School but you may not have to. If you are interested in working in the correctional system you should see if they hire PAs. In California (where I live) they use PAs both in the County Lock-up and the state prison system. I have friends who work in this area and they like it a lot.

Lastly you may want to work on your inter-personal skills as you will need them to Navigate the politics of the above system and for sure in RN school which is full of instructors who love making student's lives hell.

Peace and Namaste

Hppy

[kayakingsteve]

All advice welcome.

Unfortunately from what I've seen there haven't been many positions for PA's in prisons in Florida. I'm still looking. Another problem is that most places want to "OWN" their PA's, as in part-timers are frowned on. As a pa you are pretty much by default a second-class citizen and if you are full-time they can always have you at their mercy and pressure you knowing you have no other options at the time and the next job might be 4 months away. I would like the anonymity and flexibility to work more quickly and transition between jobs.

As for interpersonal skills, I am polite, direct and honest, but don't care what anyone thinks of me and don't think personal feelings have anything to do with my job. Might not win friends with the wrong people, but it does win me a few friends I respect.

As for people making your life hell, only you can let someone make your life hell.

Advice appreciated

I know you addresed this to male nurses so I hope you don't mind the input from a female. I am an RN who did not mesh well with traditional hospital settings - I moved out of bedside care about 9 years ago and went to psych which I loved and subsequently led to the job I have had for three years as a nurse in Group homes for developmentally disabled adults. The pay is not what I would make in a traditional setting but I have tons of autonomy and I love my job.

I am sure you could make it through RN School but you may not have to. If you are interested in working in the correctional system you should see if they hire PAs. In California (where I live) they use PAs both in the County Lock-up and the state prison system. I have friends who work in this area and they like it a lot.

Lastly you may want to work on your inter-personal skills as you will need them to Navigate the politics of the above system and for sure in RN school which is full of instructors who love making student's lives hell.

Peace and Namaste

Hppy

[Nursejim]

Stay a PA. Especially if you are "rough around the edges" as most female nurses (therefore most nurses) don't do well with rough edges. This is a big PIA.

[Ricu]

Interesting. I wonder what kayakingsteve decided to do. The OP is well over a year old and we haven't heard. I wouldn't pretend to psychoanalyze the guy but it sounds like his relational skills need a little fine tuning. He's going to encounter people of both genders and paperwork everywhere he goes in the health care industry. Good luck, buddy!

[cougarnurse]

Lots of people who used to post just 'aren't' anymore. Don't know why??????