A nurse practitioner, aka NP, is a trained, licensed, and independent healthcare worker. NPs are concentrated on managing their patients' health. They monitor health conditions and treat injuries and illnesses. NPs have a significantly large amount of responsibility regarding their jobs. Their duties are comparable to those of medical doctors and physician assistants.
They manage and hold more responsibility than nurses. Nurse practitioners are leaders in the medical field. NPs provide primary care and services to patients in need and other specialty health care services. But what kind of health care services? Family health, gerontology, pediatric health, and acute care. As a result of this urgent demand for medical professionals, NPs are one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States.
Where Does A Nurse Practitioner Work?
An NP can work in a variety of settings. Your setting depends on what you choose to specialize in. A nurse practitioner can commonly work in hospitals, emergency rooms, surgical clinics, pediatric care, government agencies, and managed care facilities.
What does an NP do? Nurse practitioners play a significant role in healthcare and medicine. NPs must complete specific tasks and jobs throughout their day, but what are they? Recording patient medical history, collecting samples and information, performing routine examinations, observing and analyzing patients, creating individual treatment plans, prescribing medications and monitoring results, and managing RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and other staff members.
But this is just a small list compared to the amount of hard work NPs do daily. Becoming an NP requires a lot of dedication and training, but how can you become an NP, and how much are NPs paid for their work? Read more to find out.
How Much Do Nurse Practitioners Make?
With all the hard work and responsibilities, NPs are usually very dedicated to their jobs. But how much is the average salary for an NP? The average nurse practitioner's annual salary in the United States is $118,040. Being an NP is one of the best-paying jobs in America. NPs also earn many benefits like vacation pay, education reimbursement, professional liability and malpractice insurance, and sign-on bonuses. NPs also have more consistent hours, unlike RNs.
How To Become A Nurse Practitioner
There are many factors to consider when entering this sector of the medical field. Becoming an NP requires a level of dedication and commitment. While it may not be easy, it's completely straightforward. To become an NP, pick the school or program you want to attend. Many schools like Walden University, Georgetown Universities, Purdue University Global, Grand Canyon University, and many more schools give you plenty of options to choose from. Depending on what you want to specialize in, check what specific programs are available in the schools you're interested in.
On average, it takes a student 4-6 years to complete their schooling. Students experience the in-depth training required to become licensed, as NPs are well-paid and in high demand. Expectations are very high in these programs, so you're expected to put in your best efforts.
What Types Of Positions Can You Find? And What NP Specialties Are In High Demand?
There are all sorts of positions, specialties, and careers to choose from when entering the medical field as an NP. You can explore many career paths, such as a family nurse practitioner, adult-gerontology acute care, adult-gerontology primary care, neonatal nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health, and women's health. But that's not all! You can also delve into the more uncommon but specialized work. You can become an emergency nurse practitioner or aesthetic nurse practitioner career in cardiology, dermatology, oncology, and orthopedics.
Be prepared to take the next step in your nursing career. There may be an abundance of specialties and jobs to pick from, but there may be one just for you. Consider the factors that play into becoming an NP, and find the right programs and schools that fit your preferences. Not all nurse practitioners can prescribe meds, so be sure to check your state's guidelines.
