Questions? Contact Barton
1.888.272.5084
Questions? Contact Barton
1.888.272.5084
Helpful Tools, Resources, and Advice for NPs
Helpful Tools, Resources, and Advice for NPs
Whether you're a looking to pursue a permanent career as a nurse practitioner or are interested in locum tenens as a full-time career, you probably have some questions. And we expect you to. For that reason, we assembled some of the most useful articles, infographics, and videos in one easy-to-navigate location to help answer any questions you may have. Educational resources, navigating the job-search process, useful career tips — it's all here.
Click one of the links below to jump right to the section you're looking for. Can't find the information you need? Fill out the form to the right and a Barton Associates representative will be in touch with you shortly.
Tools and articles for people interested in becoming nurse practitioners.
Helpful tips and insight for NPs looking to find jobs at hospitals, private practices, and other healthcare facilities.
Tools and articles for navigating your career as a modern NP.
Articles and insights for living life as an NP, both inside and outside of the job.
Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a nurse. My mother was a nurse, so when I was real little I knew I looked up to her and that she made others happy. Her relatives and friends would call her and look to her for medical advice, and she always seemed available to lend an ear and bring them comfort.
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Admission to a nurse practitioner (NP) program is competitive. NP program class sizes are generally small and typically only admit between 10 to 15 students each year. However, interest in the programs are high. It is not unusual for an NP program to receive one hundred or more applications for those few slots.
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AANP supports NPs and the advancement of the NP profession by offering grant and scholarship opportunities. Many external sources for funding are also available.
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A breakdown of the top nursing programs for family nurse practitioner training at the master's and/or doctor of nursing practice level based on cost of tuition, enrollment, peer assessment scores, and acceptance rate.
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Whether you're just starting to consider a career as a nurse practitioner (NP), planning your education or about to begin your career, AANP provides its members a wealth of resources.
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Plan for your NP education. Search for the right NP program for you. Learn more about DNP programs.
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Thinking about training to become an NP? Search for quality NP programs courtesy of the AANP.
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Congratulations! You have completed your first two years of medical school and you are now entering into your third year. Instead of simply spending hours studying for your next written exam, you will soon be using that knowledge outside of the classroom through real-world experiences interacting with patients and delving into different clinical rotations.
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The search for a nurse practitioner job really depends on what sort of specialty you work in. The difficulty is the quality of job ads, many of which refer to nurse practitioners as generalists, even when they’re actually looking for specialists.
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Your resume has less than 30 seconds to make an impression on a potential employer. That’s only about the length of a typical TV commercial. Your resume must quickly convey critical information that hooks the hiring manager’s attention.
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So you’ve survived school, passed your national board-certification exam, and — with your head barely above water — you’ve struck out into the job-hunting jungle. But where to begin? They don’t really prepare you for this in school.
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It’s easy to get caught up in your daily routine, but networking can bring you outside of it and give you a larger perspective on the healthcare industry. Whether you’re happy in your existing job or searching for new opportunities, networking can help you better understand your industry, come up with new ideas, and align yourself with what’s happening in your field.
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The last thing you want is to find yourself perusing job ads because of disillusionment or the realization that the job you took wasn’t all it was promised to be.
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Congratulations — you’re one step closer to landing that nurse practitioner job. Despite tricky networking websites, tough questions, and sloughs of paperwork, you came, saw, and conquered. Remember that achievement as you go into the post-interview phase.
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Find all the nurse practitioner career resources you need from the print issue archived for easy online access.
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Being a nurse means you have a versatile career that offers many avenues for advancement. One such path is becoming a nurse practitioner.
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It is a remarkable thing to devote your life to the care of others. As difficult as it is, it's crucial to make sure you are taking care of yourself, too. Failing to turn off the healthcare provider “switch” can be detrimental to your personal health and manifest in burnout, an alarming trend that is sweeping across the healthcare field.
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The tools don’t always make the professional, but they can certainly make a medical professional’s job easier. If work-provided implements just aren’t cutting it, here’s some hardware that’ll make you wonder how you ever did without.
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With physician burnout on the rise, NPs' scope of practice is constantly evolving. Take a look at all the responsibilities modern NPs take on.
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Discussions involving nurse practitioners (NPs) and their role in healthcare often include terms such as “scope of practice,” “independent practice,” and “prescriptive authority.” It’s clear these concepts encompass what an NP can and cannot do, but what do they really mean, and how does this affect the profession as a whole?
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NP scope of practice laws vary from state to state. Barton Associates understands these laws may have an effect on the locum tenens we place throughout the United States, and so we put together this handy interactive guide that offers a snapshot of each state’s scope of practice laws.
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Shortages in rural health have long been a challenge for the healthcare profession — and one that has seen many proposed solutions over the years. Increasingly, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are answering the call.
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When nearly half of all physicians in one Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) survey “report at least [one] symptom of burnout” — and when those stats take a hard slant toward those working on the “front line of care access,” like family and internal medicine — it becomes obvious that taking care of patients has a number of rigors the average person might not understand.
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Medical professionals spend most of their time interacting with patients and working to provide the best possible care. To stay up to date on the latest trends in the medical space, many professionals are required by their state to pursue continuing medical education (CME).
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Access to evidence-based information enhances the NP’s ability to deliver high-quality, safe, and effective care. With the breadth of information available on the Internet, clinicians can often wonder where to find the best reference tools. This blog post outlines 16 high-quality smartphone and tablet apps that will serve as excellent resources.
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Never heard of locum tenens? What to learn more about what locum work entails? We answer those questions and more in a short introductory video.
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Maybe you've heard about the independence and flexibility that come with locum tenens, but haven’t explored further because you weren’t sure you were ready to make the change. After all, the locum tenens lifestyle is different from the traditional understanding of a medical career.
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We talk a lot about what we think locum tenens can do for you. Empowerment. Career growth. Flexibility. Travel. New opportunities. But we’re not as in the know as you are. In order to truly understand your pain points and what about them pushes you to take on — and excel in — locums roles, we decided to ask you.
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Maybe you have heard about locum tenens, but haven’t explored further because you have some concerns. This is understandable! Because the locum lifestyle is different from a traditional medical career, there are many myths surrounding it. As a result, it can be easy to mix up fact and fiction.
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Locum tenens is an attractive and fulfilling career path that some physicians and advanced-practice clinicians aren't even aware of. As we enter the new year, many of your colleagues and peers are starting to explore the job market and look for ways to gain more freedom and flexibility in their careers.
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By now you probably know that a locum tenens career allows you the freedom and flexibility to experience a variety of practice locations and facility types. If you have a particular location or facility type in mind, there are some steps you can take to ensure you are in the best position to land the perfect locum tenens job when it becomes available.
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After a recent transition out of a private practice, I started doing locum tenens work. I was referred to Barton Associates and started working with my physician recruiter, John. John took the time to really explore what it was I was looking to create by going into locum tenens work. John reviewed with me what I was specifically looking for and took the time to match me with those prospective clients that fit the profile.
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The U.S. healthcare sector has been among the most heavily affected by skills gaps and talent shortages over the past several years. This has led to a direct increase in the amount of strain placed on physicians and other medical practitioners, which can compromise the quality and efficiency of any healthcare establishment. Technology has improved patient health management in the past decade, but overworked staff make it difficult to optimize outcomes and experiences.
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Locum tenens (literally “place holder”) is professional work done to fill in where help is needed. It is what I have primarily been doing for the last year, and has been an interesting ride.
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No matter how often we’re told that nursing is on the rise, jobs are plentiful and nurses in (most) areas are paid pretty well, there are still tons of unemployed nurses throughout the country.
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The practice of medicine presents several difficulties: high stress, long hours, and expensive loans are all challenges with which many doctors are unfortunately familiar. As a response to these challenges, more and more physicians are taking the opportunity to work locum tenens.
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You have decided to try locum tenens work for the first time. This can be a confusing time, and it is perfectly understandable that you might have a few questions. It is important to ask these questions to determine if the assignment is a good match, and to ensure you have a positive experience. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions we receive to get you off to a running start!
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Tax season is a hectic time for everyone regardless of what field they work in. Luckily for locum tenens providers, Barton Associates' worked with healthcare tax expert Andrew D. Schwartz, CPA to develop a tax guide specially for locum tenens providers so you can maximize your tax return!
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Working as a locum reignited my healthcare passion.
John A., Locum Tenens Nurse Practitioner, California
Medicine is local. With locums, you see different ways to treat the same condition, and it does broaden your horizons.
Dr. Neil B., Locum Tenens Physician, Virginia
I think [older physicians] will enjoy working longer [in locums] than they would in busy emergency departments.
Dr. Craig S., Locum Tenens Physician, Michigan
I tell [other providers] how fun [locums] is — to travel, to see different things, and to go to a different facility.
Dawn S., Locum Tenens Physician Assistant, Georgia
I am having the time of my life working as an independent physician. Barton has treated me wonderfully.
Robert R., Locum Tenens Pediatric Hospitalist, Illinois
The best part of it is that you are being well paid for your adventure.
Bob B., Locum Tenens Surgeon, New York
I love the control [locums] gives me over my work life. I work when I want and where I want.
Renee D., Locum Tenens Nurse Practitioner, Minnesota
Locums work gives me huge flexibility and variety, and has been amazing. I'm very happy to work with Barton Associates.
Mark V., Locum Tenens CRNA, New Hampshire
Barton rocks. My recruiter gets it. I recommend my clinician friends sign up to work locums with Barton. Pronto!
Patricia A., Locum Tenens Nurse Practitioner, California
What a perfect job!
Barbara G, Locum Tenens Physician, California
Barton folks have worked hard for me. Overall I have been happy with Barton.
Barry P., Locum Tenens Hospitalist, Nevada
Working locum tenens has been great as an NP because I’ve been able to work in states that have full scope of practice.
Marti J., Locum Tenens Nurse Practitioner, Mississippi
I go back to locum tenens with Barton because of the passion and diversity. Most days it doesn't even feel like work!
Danielle K., Locum Tenens Psych NP, Florida
Locum tenens means FREEDOM. I get calls from other companies many times a week, but Barton is where I stay!
David C., Locum Tenens Psychiatrist, North Carolina
I find Barton’s help with workplace issues to be an amazing service in helping me help patients.
Dan S., Locum Tenens Dentist, Wisconsin
Barton Associates has always organized my travel as a locum flawlessly.
Jan R., MD, Emergency Medicine Locum, Idaho
Working through Barton has proven to be positive for me, and I recommend the company to my colleagues.
Lillian O., Locum Tenens Psychiatrist, Illinois
From the first moment I spoke with my recruiter, I knew that I had found the right locum tenens company to work with.
Jenny B., Locum Tenens Nurse Practitioner, North Carolina
From day one, I have been thoroughly impressed with Barton's continued commitment to me as a nurse practitioner locum.
Jennifer B., Family Practice Locum Tenens NP, Pennsylvania
Barton Associates is such a great group to work with, and I am grateful to be working with such a caring organization.
Sandra C., FNP-BC, Family Practice Nurse Practitioner
I am speechless. Wow. You did a great job and I really appreciate your persistence and ongoing feedback.
Betsy O., MD, Locum Tenens Physician, Oregon
I would highly recommend Barton Associates to anyone looking to work with a locum agency.
Paul H., Urgent Care Physician