I have to ditto Tom. There are very good ones, and not so good, as is true with MD/DOs
They are expected only to see 1/2 to 3/4 the workload of an MD, some can do a full workload. Since they get paid about the same percentage, I'm not totally sure how good of a bargain they are, but they do provide good coverage.
I had the opposite problem. I had a great NP but had to let her go because of money. She did her Pediatrics training at my office, and I knew her when she was an ER nurse, so I knew what I was getting. She was with me for almost 10 years. I was sorry to see her go, but when it comes to getting paid, it was her or me.