Neuro NP

[SkepticActivist]

Hello, I have a few questions for any Neurologists or Neurology residents on SDN. I am currently a BSN student and would like to become a Nurse Practitioner in a few years. I know after doing a few searches on SDN that NP's are not highly favored here. I did not realize until recently that there was such a knowledge gap between NP's and MD's (I knew a gap existed but not a grand canyon sized gap lol) However, I am still going forward with my education to become an NP and I know now that it will require hours of independent study outside of NP school, and I should probably start now lol. I do plan on becoming an activist for changing NP curriculum in the future.

With that said, what do you expect an NP working in Neurology to know? What type of patients do you allow the NP's you work with to see? Lastly, what are some things you recommend I do or learn to help become an NP in Neurology (and please don't say go to Med school lol). I know I have already started getting resources that I see on SDN like Robbins, Pathoma, Sketchy, etc. any others?

Thanks!

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[curiousneuro]

Hello, I have a few questions for any Neurologists or Neurology residents on SDN. I am currently a BSN student and would like to become a Nurse Practitioner in a few years. I know after doing a few searches on SDN that NP's are not highly favored here. I did not realize until recently that there was such a knowledge gap between NP's and MD's (I knew a gap existed but not a grand canyon sized gap lol) However, I am still going forward with my education to become an NP and I know now that it will require hours of independent study outside of NP school, and I should probably start now lol. I do plan on becoming an activist for changing NP curriculum in the future.

With that said, what do you expect an NP working in Neurology to know? What type of patients do you allow the NP's you work with to see? Lastly, what are some things you recommend I do or learn to help become an NP in Neurology (and please don't say go to Med school lol). I know I have already started getting resources that I see on SDN like Robbins, Pathoma, Sketchy, etc. any others?

Thanks!

It's great to hear that you're interested in the field of neurology! Where I work, nurse practitioners and other mid-level's are used mainly as support staff in the hospital, as well as to see very routine cases in the outpatient world, such as headache follow-up patients.

In my opinion, I don't believe that there is any field that has a bigger knowledge gap between physicians and mid-level's as the field of neurology. It is an extraordinarily intricate field, and takes many years of study to really begin to understand the complexities of the nervous system. There really are no shortcuts to being a good clinical neurologist. Period.

 

[Thama]

We work with NPs on the inpatient side in our residency program, and the level of quality varies wildly. Staying humble and working hard will serve you in any field, but in neurology you also need to be intellectually invested and continue learning. The NPs that do that excel and are eventually almost as good as having another resident on service (in some ways better). Those who show up to do their shift and tune out the discussion of localization, etiology, etc in favor of getting their notes and orders in hit a plateau pretty quickly. On the outpatient side it's the kind of field in which you are never going to practice as independently as you might in primary care, but with a lot of experience within a particular niche you may earn enough trust to practice semi-independently.

 

[W19]

Neurology is too complex even for MD/DO to understand...

 

[Freeinfinity]

That's why you're in it for life. You can't fake being a good neurologist.

 

[NYCGuy86]

Here's the job description for an outpatient neuro NP position at my medical center:

"The Department of Neurology is seeking a Nurse Practitioner to support the department's clinical practice. The outpatient practice serves patients with Neurological disorders in most of the sub-specialties including Headache, MS, Neuromuscular disorders, Aging and Dementia, Movement Disorders, Stroke and Epilepsy. This position will support the providers by functioning as an independent provider and evaluating established patients for their Neurological diagnoses and related conditions, medical management of their disease, workup and management of procedures and ancillary services, and referrals for other services where appropriate.

The Nurse Practitioner will work under the supervision of the attending physicians in the in the department. This position will be expected to ramp up their own schedule of patients over the course of their first year.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
1. The primary responsibility will be outpatient care of patients. This will include new and continuing care with attending staff, and the development of an independent practice. The nurse practitioner will complete outpatient notes, including coding and billing. Practice locations will include the Neurological Institute as well as satellite sites.
2. The nurse practitioner will also assist in prescription renewals, prior authorizations, and telephone/electronic correspondence with attending staff patients as well as his/her own patients. This will include cross-coverage with other nurse practitioners.
3. Assisting with inpatient evaluation and care may occur as needed.
4. The nurse practitioner will help coordinate and facilitate patient education.
5. There may be opportunities for participation in clinical research protocols.
6. Training in neurological sub-specialty care will be provided as necessary.

Other related duties as assigned/required. "

We also have outpatient NPs in various neuro subspecialties, including epilepsy NPs, neuro-oncology NPs, etc. On the inpatient side I know we have stroke NPs, and there's also a neuro-hospitalist NP service (in addition to the resident service). In the neuro ICU there are PAs.