Bring It On!
The time has come! I've passed boards, obtained my state license and I am scheduled to have "temporary privileges" at my facility next week! This is such an exciting time for my family and me! We've worked so hard for so many years and this is it.
The really amusing thing? I opened the mail a couple of weeks ago when my license came through and it's a little piece of paper that said I was a nurse practitioner. Didn't say adult NP. Didn't say a specialty in gerontology. Nothing. Just "NP." Same effect when my certificate came from AANP. Generic. Not fancy. My husband said, "So that's what $30K bought us, huh?" It was quite amusing actually.
A friend commented that her teaching certificate was more fancy. Makes me chuckle. When you look on paper, that's it. But in real life, it's amazing. It's more than a piece of paper. It's a life change. It's a position change. It's the most important piece of paper I've ever had, and I love it! The way that I feel every day when I go to work is what I paid for. Loving this job and loving the patients I'm helping to stabilize in this setting is what I paid $30K for.
I had requested statistics from my fellow classmates on certification and how many had passed, how many had jobs, were licensed, etc. I didn't have a very big response. Not sure why exactly, but I can tell you that I had responses on the prolonged times that it takes for EVERYTHING! Once you finally get your date for boards, it takes about 4 to 6 weeks to get the official response in the mail. Then you have to get that sent to the state and submit your application for your license. That, in itself, takes 6 to 8 weeks. I'm hearing from classmates that it takes that much time or longer for being credentialed! Add the time spent in finding a job if you haven't already? Well, you can pretty much guarantee that you're going to be working about 3 months after graduation, at minimum. I'm working, but with lots and lots of red tape! Until NEXT WEEK!!! Then bring it on baby!