Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are highly trained nurses with the ability to diagnose and treat illness, provide treatment for diseases, and also prescribe medicine. Family practice, OB/GYN, and pediatrician offices will generally have one to two NPs in their practices. This is to help offset the cost of running a practice while still having the ability to see a set number of patients per day. In the OB/GYN field you will generally see a midwife instead of a NP, due to different training requirements to practice in the OB/GYN field. There are many pathways to earn your degree towards becoming a NP, including several online courses. Read on to find out more about nurse practitioner careers.
- Nurse practitioners are in high need. Nurse practitioners are in demand because people are in constant need for health care. The schooling and training for NPs is often much less than your typical physician. Physicians can hire nurse practitioners for cheaper than additional physicians as well. This means they will be able to see more patients, and keep the costs of individual patient care down at each practice.
- Meet the educational requirements. You must first become a registered nurse with a bachelor’s of science degree (RNBSN). Most people achieve this by either becoming an RN and working on their BSN separately, or working towards their RNBSN all at once. Once you have passed your NCLEX exam and obtained your nursing licensure you will be able to work on your Master’s in Nursing. New rules state that by 2015 all NPs must have a doctorate in nursing. Those who are already a NP, or are currently in school will be grandfathered into the system.
- Complete nurse practitioner training. Most NP programs will be listed from which specialty you choose. You will need to choose a specialty before entering NP school, as this will be what you study. Once you enter into school you cannot change your mind. There are several different areas to choose from such as geriatrics, pediatrics, women’s health, midwifery, family NP, oncology, and a few other nurse practitioner programs.
- Know what a nurse practitioner earns. Most NPs will make on average a $70-120,000 annual salary depending on which area they choose to specialize in, and how much experience they have had in nursing before completing NP training. Certain NPs such as midwives can operate their own clinics, and make their own annual salary.
- Find a nurse practitioner training program. Most nursing schools will have information about obtaining your nurse practitioner degree. You can do an online search for your city and state online for NP programs in your area. If you happen to seek medical care under a NP, you can ask them where they attended school as they offer a wealth of information. There are a lot of programs that offer online training, but you need to check for accreditation. If a school is not accredited this could pose problems when it comes time to take any state required licensure tests. Also, having hands-on training and experience is a must in most nursing fields so you can retain the knowledge easier.
- Choose the right nurse practitioner specialty. Since you can only choose one area to specialize in, it can be hard to choose which area is right for you. Often, though, this is one of the easiest decisions to make because in nursing you can choose to work in various areas. When you worked in various areas as a regular nurse you got a feel for how well you liked each specialty. The best thing to do is to simply choose the area you find the most stimulating and enjoyable, and then specialize in that.
After you have completed your schooling, you are free to apply for jobs. This will be the easiest part, as most doctors’ offices and hospitals do have openings for NPs. Job outlook and demand for NPs is very high due to the growing rate of the population needing healthcare. Good luck on your journey towards becoming a nurse practitioner.