You’ve Hired a Nurse Practitioner, Now What?
INTEGRATION
Ann Marie Lewis
MS, CRNA, APRN and Melina Magistri MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Now that you’ve hired a nurse practitioner, the hard work really begins.
We frequently hear, “I thought they were going to be great, but they just seem frustrated,” or, “I hired a nurse practitioner, but then they left after six months, so now I have to start over,” or, “They just don’t seem invested in growing the practice.” Stop making excuses for them. While this can be because of a significant life event or just the nurse practitioner’s personality, it can also be because of a lack of job satisfaction. Now you’re probably asking yourself, “What could possibly be wrong with my practice? How could they not be satisfied?” The better question is: What does a nurse practitioner really want?
The answer is simple — lots and lots of money (just kidding)!
There are many things that nurse practitioners attribute to a happy work environment, and sometimes an increase in the paycheck doesn’t exponentially increase happiness. Nurse practitioners are looking for practices that provide a multitude of benefits, such as:
An opportunity to learn and grow professionally.
It is critical that there are opportunities to learn a new skill or sharpen their abilities. Learning something new can reignite interest in patient care and build new services within the practice. Autonomy is often what drives us to seek something new. Doing the same thing day in and day out is not rewarding.
Clear job responsibilities and expectations.
If you need the nurse practitioner to promote the services via social media, create in-office collateral, or assist with answering phones, it is important that you are upfront about your needs. Do you already have someone on staff to do these things? It is critical that the NP has input into the creation of the marketing materials and campaigns for the medical services being offered because they deliver those services.
The ability to collaborate with others within (or outside) the practice.
Nurse practitioners value bouncing ideas off of other similar providers. They want to feel validated about their new skill set, that it is state of the art, and that it’s the best treatment option for their patients. After learning a new skill set, NPs need guidance on how to implement the new skill and mentorship from another NP to provide continued success. Academy for Advanced Practice provides post-training built-in mentorship, so NPs affiliated with Academy for Advanced Practice continue to feel that they have the support they need when questions arise.
Incentivized goals based on their motivation.
Contrary to popular belief, not everyone is motivated by money. In fact, profit-sharing has to be within the Stark Law regulations. However, productivity bonuses can be linked to additional time off, increased flexibility in the schedule, or additional learning opportunities. Academy for Advanced Practice has assisted many clients in building a bonus structure that benefits both the practice and the provider.
Involvement in clinic systems.
How often do you have staff meetings with the key players in your clinic, not just the owners? You want to make them feel involved in the creative process of cash service additions. Ask the NP and other staff about additional services that may benefit your clinic. They will likely take on ownership of it because they can make a difference in these areas.
How to Make and Keep Your Practice Happy (and Profitable!)
Hire slow, fire fast.
If your NP is not willing to assist you in adding the cash services you desire, are they really the right one? Perhaps they aren’t interested in growing a practice? Or they are stuck in their ways and aren’t willing to learn more? If this is the case, it can be easier for you to cut your losses early and find someone better suited for your practice. Many practices are scared of hiring new grads, but we find that new grad nurse practitioners with the right mentorship and guidance can be a great option for many clinics.
Pace yourself when adding new services.
While it’s exciting to plunge full force into IV therapy, regenerative medicine, medical weight loss, and other cash-based services, it can be overwhelming — for you and the NP. Make sure there is adequate time between each new service to fine-tune integration, develop appropriate systems, market the service, and develop policy/procedures. In each training with Academy for Advanced Practice, we provide consent forms and other documents necessary to hit the ground running with new services.
Be a leader, not a boss.
Bosses just train people to do a certain job. This is exhausting and never-ending. Leaders encourage the nurse practitioner and other employees to develop and create new service lines, using current talents to perform tasks beyond their current scope of job expectations. Bosses tell their employees how to do their jobs. On the other hand, leaders know they have hired talented adults who can excel when given the freedom to use those talents. Micromanaged nurse practitioners will quit — guaranteed.
Measure performance.
While NPs usually do not need micromanagement, they do need performance indicators. There is nothing worse than a poor performance review and no guidance about what can be improved. That was a large source of frustration among nurse practitioners whom we have mentored in the past.
New patient appointments, patient conversions, number of treatments provided, patient satisfaction, and number of reviews can be important information to know for the entire practice. However, some performance indicators are affected by marketing investments and other sources out of the NP’s control. It can be difficult for new patients to be evaluated when the phone never rings. Website performance, website traffic, social media metrics, and search engine optimization are imperative to practice growth. Academy for Advanced Practice works with marketing companies that have proven track records of success.
We understand how stressful hiring and managing staff can be, especially nurse practitioners. When you want quality employees who feel a sense of clinic ownership and pride, it is imperative that you provide appropriate incentives, environment, mentorship, and the ability for professional growth in the form of new services or education. If you are struggling with how or when to implement any of these items, it would benefit you to have a complimentary 15-minute discovery call with us to see how we can help you and your practice.
Melina Magistri received both her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Nursing from the University of South Florida, where she graduated with Honors. She is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and is an active member in multiple associations such as American MedSpa Association and Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society. She has trained extensively in platelet rich plasma and platelet rich fibrin matrix therapies for use in aesthetics as well as musculoskeletal conditions.
Ann Marie Lewis grew up in Pennsylvania and received her BSN in Nursing at The Pennsylvania State University in 1986, and a Masters of Anesthesia program at Westmoreland-Latrobe Hospitals School of Anesthesia. She has been a board Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist since 1995. She provides neuromodulator and aesthetic treatments, as well as IV infusions and medical weight loss to her patients at Anti Aging & Ketamine Center.
Together they founded and manage a national recruiting and training company, Academy for Advanced Practice where they consult with other practices and train medical practitioners in aesthetic, regenerative, and anti aging treatments. Email: [email protected]
