Response – Considerations for Working as an APN

Response – Considerations for Working as an APN

Hello,

This is a great post. I agree with you. Looking for work as an APN can be burdensome not only for choosing the right organization but also for considering the things one has to make, such as salary, work hours one can manage, and other benefits that come with the APN skill sets. It is even more burdensome if one decides to work freelance. Being a freelancer APN is not the same as working as a freelancer in other fields. Although freelance nursing gives the advantage of managing one’s work schedule (Alanezi & Alanzi, 2020), there are many challenges that one must consider before choosing to become a freelance APN. As pay and taxes are a must, the greatest challenge is establishing oneself to create a client base. This means that the nurses must consider all aspects of marketing themselves, turning themselves into a brand that the market will choose, and sometimes not worrying over pay rates before they get established.

References

Alanezi, F., & Alanzi, T. (2020). A Gig mHealth Economy Framework: Scoping Review of Internet Publications. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, 8(1), e14213. https://doi.org/10.2196/14213

Responding to Peer 2 

Hello,

This is a wonderful post. Yes. Working as an independent APN contractor or employee has its pros and cons. The best thing to do is first assess yourself as an individual and your capacity to work on managing the cons while improving the pros of being an independent APN contractor. The current environment in the healthcare industry offers many opportunities for independent nurse contractors as health organizations, both in the government and private sectors, seek to meet the needs of their clients and the population in the face of a growing nursing shortage. One thing to remember is that working in a big economy as a nurse does not change nursing ethics (Casey, 2020). As noted, being an independent APN exposes one to several career risks, including legal risks and termination of practice license. Therefore, personal accountability when working as an independent contractor APN is a critical aspect of one’s career to consider.

References

Casey, D. (2020). Nursing ethics for a gig economy. American Nurse Journal, 15(3), 39–40. https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=19305583&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA623791400&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=fulltext

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PEER 1

Looking for work as an APN requires careful consideration of several factors. My first concerns were salary, hours worked, transit time, and bonus potential. Further aspects, such as federal taxes, social security, and insurance company reimbursement, are crucial to consider when looking for employment as a nurse (Terry et al., 2021). It is essential to have a working relationship with a doctor who is kind, accessible, and eager to act as a mentor. I would not have to commute an hour to and from work in an ideal world. A network of independent nurse practitioners may help expand healthcare access in urban and rural areas. My true professional calling is to serve those in rural areas; thus, I am looking for a job in or near such a place.

Response – Considerations for Working as an APN

Last but not least, pay, remuneration, and bonuses are all factors that might be discussed throughout the hiring process. The provisions of a cooperation practice agreement are negotiable, even though the deal itself is non-negotiable (Terry et al., 2021). Our working relationship has room for compromise: roles, duties, physical closeness, and absence cover. It is common practice to treat the employment of independent contractors as “employment at will,” meaning that they may be fired for any cause. I could convince the other party to accept a 30-day notice period before terminating the contract. As a freelancer, I must pay taxes and get personal liability and malpractice insurance. As a result of this inference, the wage is open to negotiation, and the independent contractor may frequently use this to their advantage to boost their pay. Setting, hours, schedule, and perks are up for negotiation with independent contractors.

Working in a formal capacity as an advanced practice nurse comes with a variety of rewarding opportunities and advantages. Tax-withholding status is the most helpful. It is also great for employees since it is easy to get credentials. Commercial-payer credentialing is typically a difficult and tedious process for advanced practice nurses (Tyler & Weiss, 2020). Paid time off, reimbursement for work-related expenses like magazine subscriptions, the cost of CPR refresher courses, and even tuition reimbursement are all common perks of formal employment.

Reference

Terry, D., Peck, B., Baker, E., & Schmitz, D. (2021, September). The Rural Nursing Workforce Hierarchy of Needs: Decision-Making Concerning Future Rural Healthcare Employment. In Healthcare (Vol. 9, No. 9, p. 1232). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9091232

Tyler, L. A., & Weiss, L. A. (2020). Salary, Benefits Packages, and Negotiation Skills for Nurse Practitioners. https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=dnp

PEER 2

Honestly, until this discussion, as new advanced practice Nurses, I never knew that being an independent contractor or employee has too many things to consider because, as bedside RNs, we don’t think about employment law such as independent contractor vs. an employee. My understanding was that, as RNs, we do not meet the requirements set by the IRS for being considered independent contractors. As a bedside RN and a current advanced practice Nurse student, I thought nurses focus more on schedule requirements, work culture, location, benefits, hourly salary, and extra bonuses when looking for jobs. However, when I researched and read more about this topic, I realized there are many considerations to consider when deciding on employment as an Advance Practice Nurse. As a future nurse practitioner, I learned that it is important to understand the pros and cons of being an independent contractor or an employee before determining employment status.

According to our textbook, Joel, and other articles, APNs must understand the difference between Independent contractors and employees (Joel,2018). For most of us, the classification of workers is not precise, which leads to confusion between the classifications. Nurse practitioners must be able to choose and follow the correct employment law or classification; otherwise, the NPs can get in trouble with the IRS, local states, or federal agencies (Tolbert, 2022). Also, studies show some NPs lack knowledge about their employment status. For example, some Nurse Practitioners think they work as independent contractors when they function as employees. The primary advantages for NPs being independent contractors over employees are financial distinctions such as benefits and taxes.

According to Niznik’s article, some of the Pros and Cons of Working as an Independent Contractor for APNs

Pros:

• As independent contractors, APNs may earn more money than employees.
• Independent contractors also may deduct more business expenses than employees typically can claim.
• APNs have more freedom since they are their boss because NPs who work as intended contractors can select their clients, choose their hours, and charge their rates (Niznik, 2022).

Cons:

• APNs work as independent Contractors and must withhold their own federal, state, and local taxes & they may also have to submit quarterly estimated taxes to the IRS.
• APNs must buy their tools and equipment.
• APNs Must pay for their health insurance and benefits.
• APNs as employees can get more benefits from employers (health insurance, pension plans, paid personal time off holiday or illness or vacations) (Joel pg.420,2018)

In conclusion, being an independent contractor has many rewarding benefits for APNs, especially being independent, making their own decisions, controlling their work, and making more money. However, as independent contractors, APNs can have more responsibility and accountability, especially regarding legal actions.

Reference

Joel, L. A. (2018). The Advan e Practice Nurse as an Employee or Independent Contractor. In Advanced practice nursing: Essentials for role development (4th, pp. 418–432). essay, F.A.  Davis.www.fadavis.com

Johnson, J. (2017, September). Advance  Practice Nurses: Developing A Business Plan for an Independent Ambulatory Clinical Practice. https:/ www.proquest.com/nahs/citedby/MSTAR_1907287050/83267E6BB82F49F2PQ/1?accountid=100141. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.proquest.com

Niznik, J. S. (2022, September 13). Pros and cons of working as an independent contractor. The Bal nce. Retrieved January 18, 2023, from https://www.thebalancemoney.com/working-as-an-independent-contractor-4047544

Tolbert, E. (2022, May 5). Employee vs. contractor – what’s the difference between NPS and ThriveA? Retrieved January 18, 2023, from https://www.thriveap.com/blog/employee-vs-contractor-whats-difference-nps